CRISIS COMMUNICATION . . .

Crises happen. Crisis communication is an essential component of organizational communication. Crisis communication is a component of crisis management; it is not the same as crisis management. Crisis communication is a very real problem for contemporary organizations. Not reacting well to a crisis can result in the generation of employee rumours, plummeting stock values, a lack of employee confidence, and a reduction in consumer trust. Crisis communication is fundamentally different from image management, because not all messages that are communicated during a crisis are related to building or restoring the company image. Also, crisis communication must involve communicating to internal as well as external receivers. Organizations that are exceptionally profitable and well managed can encounter sudden problems that may rock their enterprise. When crisis occur, organizations are compelled to communicate to various audiences. The quality of these communications is crucial for the success of the organization. Sloppy communication during crisis can plague an organization right out of existence. Effective communication can transform potential disasters into positive situations for a company. Effective crisis communication requires support from top management, comprehensive brainstorming regarding potential crisis, identification of internal and external stakeholders, designated spoke persons and a commitment to implement the plan. Crisis communicators are advised to quickly respond to crisis situations, be committed to using the plan that already established, be accessible, avoid silence and ‘no comments’, be truthful and be scrupulously honest when communicating with your internal and external stakeholders. Last but not least, crisis communication is an important element of effective organizational communication.