Why you’ve got to listen to this episode:

This is an encore episode, originally launched on March 2018.

With the COVID-19 crisis we’re all facing right now, like many, I’ve been thinking of ways I can help. In this episode, Scott, and I talk about crisis that are quite different in nature and scale (by a lot!) to the one we’re experiencing now, the principles and best practices shared here, still apply.

As I said back in March of 2018, “Finding yourself in a crisis is a matter of when not if”, but I could have never imagined that it would happen to all of us at the same time and in this magnitude.

I don’t think anyone was quite prepared for this or knows clearly what to do to handle the situation. Unfortunately, this crisis will likely bring down many organizations, for profit and non-profit. It’s my hope that the advice shared in this episode can help guide some organizations through this crisis.

The silver lining here is that through these crazy, surreal times, I have seen many expressions of humanity. Heartwarming acts of kindness and people reaching out to each other, trying to lift each other spirits and taking care of each other.

Scott Crockatt, who is now the Vice President of Communications and External Relations for the Business Council of Alberta and a member of the Canada Task Force 2 Disaster Response Team, shares with us some practical advice on how to prepare for a crisis and come out stronger.

Who can benefit from listening in:

Today’s episode is for any organization, big or small, for profit or not. It provides advice on how to handle communications before, during and after a crisis.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• During a crisis your communication is “high risk and high intensity”. Meaning everything you say is highly scrutinized and judged. What and how you communicate is critical.
• The smaller the organization, the higher risk you have. Depending on the severity, many organizations don’t survive a crisis or come out severely damaged.
• How you react to a crisis is what you can control and that’s what matters. That’s how you will be judged and how your audience will evaluate if they will continue to support you or not.
• During a communication crisis is crucial that you show genuine concern.
• “Your brand is a reservoir of good will” Scott Crockatt. The stronger your brand the more goodwill you’ll have and the more likely it is for your audience to support you.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode

• Business Council of Alberta
• Canada Task Force 2
• Vincent Covello
• Adam Legge
• Scott Crockatt
• Alberta Podcast Network
• Park Power

A Branded world is a member of the Alberta Podcast Network powered by ATB

Episode supplement

Scott Crockatt shared with us a link to some information, examples and templates oh how to prepare for an emergency.

Business Continuity Handbook
Business Continuity Template
Reference Guide with examples

Thanks for listening

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