The two common terms “crisis communication” and “crisis management” are frequently used together and many people get confused and consider them as synonyms as both are related to “Crisis”. The terms may be used for the same circumstances but both have their different set of rules and instructions for handling a crisis.
A business crisis is a situation where a series of events occur together and cause damage to the business. The surprising situation can occur at any point and gives very less time to handle it. Hence, to avoid this, it is important to be prepared with a plan for managing the situation on time without much damage to the reputation of the business.
Both the terms are used for handling such a situation and many professionals use them all together. Let us get some more information about both the terms are find out whether they are synonyms to each other or not and if not, then why both the terms are used in similar circumstances.
What is Crisis Management (CM)?
It is defined as the application of strategies that are designed to handle unpredictable situations that can cause damage to the reputation and growth of an organization or an individual. When any organization faces such events, contacting a leading PR agency is a great solution as the professionals are highly qualified to help the organization in coming out of this situation as soon as possible. They help the stakeholders and provide them with unpredictable threats. Crisis management is done in three stages:
- Pre-crisis: This is the first stage in which all the team members are educated and trained about all the possible situations that may become the reason for the crisis.
- Crisis-Response: In the second stage the team is highly trained so that they can respond to any crisis as early as possible.
- Post-Crisis: The after-crisis effect must be handled wisely. The team is trained to handle the damage caused by the crisis and deliver the results that are promised during that period.
The professionals of a PR agency are highly trained to handle the situation and certain key elements are added to the crisis management plan to make it fully proven. They must have a risk management plan ready in advance. The tools that are to be used must be prepared in advance and the team must be aware of how to use those tools. A clear communication plan and the frame must be ready in advance.
What is Crisis Communication (CC)?
In managing a crisis, communication plays a very vital role. The information must be reached to the related parties on time so that everyone gets ready to handle the situation. This is a great practice that saves the reputation of the organization and helps in facing the public challenges efficiently. A communication plan must be ready in advance covering a properly explained crisis, contact details of management team members, and a sample for initial communication.
An organization is incapable of handling a crisis scenario when internal and external communication becomes weak. If an organization lacks communication:
- The information will not be reached to stakeholders on time which can hurt the reputation.
- This takes much longer to recover from the damage.
- It takes time to recover from financial damage.
