How to scenario plan for your crisis communications

Scenario planning allows an organisation to identify where they should prepare best-practice communications for when - not if - a crisis occurs. It helps businesses avoid being caught off guard and allows for more proactive decision-making, especially in unprecedented times (like a pandemic…).

Scenario planning also helps to promote a more comprehensive understanding of what kind of risks, impacts and contingency measures a business may need when reviewing potential scenarios - alongside fostering a culture of preparedness, resilience and adaptability to the unknown. It means that a business is able to get an idea of what could happen, and what should happen if those things do occur… so, how do we do it?

1. Identify your risks

The first step may seem obvious, but it’s often complex. It involves identifying the potential risks that would harm your business’s reputation. For example, a large technology outage that could impact your customers. Then, we evaluate and rank these risks based on their likelihood and potential impact. While some crises can be anticipated, others strike unexpectedly, emphasising the need for a comprehensive crisis communication plan for businesses of every size.

2. Scope the impacts from these risks

Once you’ve got the risks down, it’s time to get granular with the top three-to-five risks. This involves exploring all the potential impacts of each risk. For example, that large technology outage could impact your ability to sell products online … but what else could it impact? Consider all of the outcomes - in fact, this step resembles a choose-your-own-adventure approach, helping you prepare for different scenarios, from minor disruptions to major crises.

3. Who is this going to impact?

Now that you’ve got the crises scoped out, you’ll need to identify the people these specific scenarios will impact. This is to make sure you can tailor your communication strategies to fit the specific audiences and stakeholders for each scenario. Try using a stakeholder matrix to prioritise communication efforts based on the impact and influence of each group.

4. Time to get drafting

Now it’s time to craft communication sequences, messaging, and FAQs for each scenario and audience. Being prepared has never been a bad idea, and taking the time to develop high-level and general materials now will save you time and stress in the event of a crisis. It also serves as a foundation for adapting to the unique aspects of each crisis. A top tip: emphasise transparency, timeliness, and thoughtfulness in your communication approach — the three T's of trust.

5. Test your execution

Now a scenario planning exercise is nothing without checking it will work in the scenario it’s planned for, right? So the final step in this process is to test your crisis communication scenario planning. Run hypothetical situations with internal stakeholders from across the business to not only make sure everyone is familiar with their roles and responsibilities during a crisis but to ensure that every type of function or person impacted has been considered in your scenario. Regular testing helps refine plans, ensuring a quick and effective response when a real crisis occurs.

Are your comms prepared for a crisis?

Being prepared for a crisis is a necessity to navigate challenges confidently. If you want to make sure you’re ready to go, you can join the Crisis Comms Boot Camp, a webinar series providing templates and the essential knowledge for developing your very own crisis communication plans.