Your blood turns cold, but your face is burning. Your breath is short, but time seems to stand still. Recognise the feeling? You’ve just been hit by the metaphorical equivalent of a Mack truck. You’ve just been hit by a crisis.

There’re few positives in times of crisis. They generally strike without warning. They stall, or even worse, destroy, our future plans. Worst of all, they can also abolish the most vital asset of any individual or organisation – their reputation.

Whether or not they inflict the ultimate punishment will depend on a number of factors:

1. The nature of the crisis. Does it involve people? If so, how many people? The greater number of people implicated in the crisis, the more likely it will be a reflection of your organisation’s culture.
2. Is it a one-off? If the crisis is related to any previous misadventures, you have a more serious problem. Repeated issues suggest the organisation is not serious about heeding lessons from the past.
3. You are aware of a crisis, but it has not yet exploded into the public sphere. What do you do? Bury your head in the sand and pray that it stays underground? Or get on the front foot and take some ownership? The most frightening aspect of a crisis is unpredictability. How bad is this going to get? The moment you start taking control is the moment those fears begin to subside.

Thankfully, crises don’t happen very often. However, the drawback to this infrequency is most victims are completely unprepared to deal with them. Because we’ve handled a variety of crises on behalf of our clients, Brilliant Logic knows all the Golden Rules. Some include:

1. Stay calm. We understand this the opposite of what your body, raging with adrenaline and tension, wants to do. The decisions you make while in crisis are more important than at any other time, because the stakes are much higher.
2. Pressure test decisions. Even if you stay calm and take your time before deciding what course of action to take, there’s still another important safeguard to meet. Don’t be afraid to consult with trusted experts who bring different perspectives to consider.
3. Learn. Rarely are crises purely the result of an extrinsic disaster. Make lemonade from this lemon by determining what went wrong, why, and how your organisation can emerge stronger and more resilient.

We hope you never have to deal with a crisis. But if you do, all is not lost. In fact, much less will be lost with the right people supporting you. And if they handle the situation with class and humility, crisis victims can even emerge with their reputation enhanced.

Brilliant Logic can help in these situations. Offering a calm approach and a strong network of media support, we are only a phone call away. To discuss how we can help your business with crisis management, please call us on (02) 4324 6962 or email ksmall@brilliantlogic.com.au.