There is no “one size fits all” approach to handling a crisis

A crisis response plan set out how companies will respond to a crisis.

While there is no “one size fits all” approach to handling a crisis, planning to respond to a crisis—and keeping those plans up to date and flexible—can both help to train company officers and employees to act quickly and nimbly when the unforeseen occurs and to put in place structures to help ensure that a company is not left to address a crisis on an ad hoc basis.

By implementing a crisis response plan, following the plan during a crisis, and learning from the crisis, companies can be prepared to face a crisis; mitigate potential economic, legal, and reputational harm; and more quickly and effectively navigate unforeseen situations.

This chapters discusses the stages of creating a crisis response plan, including crisis prevention and preparation, responding to the crisis, and establishing a post-crisis recovery plan.