Georgia Godfrey is the Founder and CEO of Foresight Strategies.
I don’t throw the word “crisis” around lightly. In my experience, everything in a crisis is manageable. I always tell my staff that it’s not a true crisis unless someone is in handcuffs, on national or international news or, tragically, dead. While I recognize that there are many other crises, and these represent the extremes, the point is that each situation is unique. However, with thoughtful planning and an action-oriented mindset, various crises can be effectively managed and sometimes even prevented. I’ve learned that you can overcome almost anything with a level head and proper planning. This perspective comes from decades of working on crises from 9/11 at the White House to the BP Oil Spill in 2010 and many between and since. These experiences taught me that staying calm, cool and collected wins the day. No matter how overwhelming a situation feels, I remind myself this too shall pass. We’ve overcome challenges before, and we’ll do it again.
Proactivity Before Reactivity
Good crisis management starts long before a crisis hits. The reality is that planning can save you enormous scrambling and resources down the line. Organizations should take a 360-degree view of their operations, analyze weak points or threats and determine courses of action ahead of time.
However, even when organizations take these proactive measures, some measures are sometimes forgotten or not utilized. As an example, many organizations overlook internal communications in their planning. Employees are often the last to know the plan or what is going on during a crisis. As employees, your staff already advocate for your mission—they’re on your team. I can’t recommend enough to make them part of your crisis plan. A strong internal communications strategy can turn your workforce into built-in spokespeople, creating a network of support when you need it most.
When Crisis Hits
Of course, not everything can be prevented, and when a crisis hits, your response is what matters most. My simple framework guides these moments:
- Gather the facts with a tactical approach. Talk to the right people, visit the scene and take calls from the media as fast as crisis strikes.
- Timing is everything. Quick responses, even a holding statement, can help stem the tide. The longer you wait, the worse the damage becomes. It’s better to say, “We’ll provide updates as we gather more information,” than to let the rumor mill swirl, upping the risk of adding fuel to the fire.
- Analyze and assess the situation. Take a step back to understand the broader impact of your initial findings, whether it’s economic, reputational or operational. These steps are distinct but equally essential to forming a clear picture before deciding how to act.
- Communicate clearly. When crafting messages under pressure, stick to what you know. Be clear and concise. Don’t overshare, speculate or guess.
Lessons From Experience
I’ve seen how proactive planning can make all the difference. Over the years, I’ve worked with clients to revamp their crisis plans on an ongoing basis to ensure they are fresh and ready for action. While these clients are not facing immediate issues, we’re creating strategies to handle potential business challenges like acts of God and economic volatility. This kind of proactive planning means they’ll be ready to respond quickly and effectively when something happens.
When the Deepwater Horizon oil spill happened, the company didn’t have a crisis communication plan. Instead, they were forced to react in real-time, hiring a crisis communication team at the last minute while incurring massive damages. Having a plan and the right people in place (internal or external) would have saved them significant financial and reputational damage.
In contrast, I often think of the Tylenol tampering case from the 1980s. It’s a textbook example of good crisis management. When faced with contaminated products, Tylenol acted quickly, introducing tamper-proof packaging and rebuilding trust with their customers. It was a horrible situation, but their swift response restored confidence in the brand.
Building Relationships
Building and strengthening relationships ahead of time are just as critical as planning. Trust isn’t built overnight. It’s cultivated over time. Strong relationships with your stakeholders, partners and employees create goodwill. When things go wrong, that goodwill can distinguish between weathering the storm or sinking under it.
In my experience, the organizations that recover fastest are those that maintain open lines of communication, demonstrate accountability and treat their customers and employees as partners.
The biggest takeaway for me is that proactivity leads to less reactivity. Crisis management isn’t just about responding when something goes wrong. It’s about building systems, relationships, and strategies that allow you to face challenges head-on.
When a crisis strikes, take a moment to breathe. Gather the facts, assess the situation and move forward with clarity and purpose. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s a trusted advisor or a crisis expert, having the right tools and people at your side can turn even the toughest situations into manageable ones.
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