Crisis Management: Do's and Don’t's

In a world dominated by the internet and social media, how a business first responds to a crisis can determine the path taken and how successful the overall response will be.  A badly handled crisis can have devastating consequences for even the most reputable of businesses.

In this edition of Insights, we share with you some of the essential do's and don’t's to crisis management – which will put you on the right road to navigating any crisis.

DO's

• Always have a plan in place to respond to a crisis to remove any confusion over who should be involved and what their role should be
• Instruct your Crisis Response legal team at the earliest opportunity
• Have a single point of contact for handling officials and enquiries
• Nominate a suitable spokesperson to deal with the media
• Respond promptly to requests for information / documents and keep a record of what has been provided, by who and when
• Ensure your staff are kept informed and supported to avoid rumours.
• Witness statements should be taken at the earliest opportunity to protect the interests of the business and any individuals
• Assess whether risks still exist and take legal advice on what changes / improvements should be made and when
• Learn from mistakes

DON'T's

• Do not overlook the power of social media
• Do not ignore the media – they can be ruthlessly unfair to your business.  Seek professional PR support if necessary
• Do not commence an internal investigation until you have instructed your legal team
• Do not seek to blame others or try to avoid responsibility.  It is essential that all the facts are known first.
• Do not make admissions, unsolicited comments or volunteer documents unless requested
• Do not alter or destroy evidence – this is a criminal offence.
• Do not ignore requests or Notices from officials – this could also be a criminal offence

The above provides you with a non-exhaustive list of a few of the many do's and don’t's involved with crisis management.  Navigating your way through a crisis is never an easy matter and there are always many different decisions to make to protect your business.  We cannot stress enough how important it is to ensure that your Crisis Response legal team is instructed as soon as possible to ensure your business and employees are given the best protection.

DWF's Crisis Response Service has experienced Crisis Response lawyers available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For further information on DWF's Crisis Response Service or to sign up for the free service, contact Mark Thompson.