Stop the Crisis Before It Starts
The Crisis You Avoid is the Easiest (and Cheapest) to Solve
Leaders of businesses, nonprofits and communities are routinely feeling the pressure of a faster, more transparent world. A single internal email can become public within minutes. A frustrated employee can spark a narrative before leadership even knows there's an issue.
Organizations of every size are discovering that reputational risks now move at the speed of social media and silence is no longer neutral.
That’s why the most effective crisis communications aren’t responses at all. They’re the crises that never happen.
Be vigilant
Most crises begin quietly: A decision made without full context, a message that wasn’t pressure‑tested or a concern that was raised internally but never elevated to leadership. By the time a major issue becomes public, the options are fewer, the risks are higher and the cleanup is far more expensive than the prevention would have been.
Consider a common scenario: A routine technology outage — the kind that happens in every organization. A temporarily disruption to computer or data access in a customer portal or internal system can escalate without you knowing it. The issue was minor and resolved quickly. But without a proactive message explaining what happened, users often turn to social media for answers.
Rumors of data loss, security breaches or a system failure spread faster than facts. Reporters or competitors may ask questions, look for trends in your organization and spread the word.
A small, manageable hiccup becomes a public narrative the organization never intended to create. All because no one managed or even recognized the risk.
Be Proactive
A simple early message would have prevented the confusion entirely.
Proactive communication changes the trajectory. It reduces misinformation, prevents internal confusion and helps leaders understand how decisions will be perceived before they’re announced.
Proactive communication is also a more ethical approach — one that recognizes needs of employees, customers and communities by reducing uncertainty, anxiety and potentially avoidable harm.
The sooner your strategic communications team is at the table, the more likely you'll have a successful outcome. When communicators help anticipate risks, rather than just respond to them, organizations make better decisions, protect their credibility and avoid crises altogether.
In today’s environment, that’s not just smart strategy. It’s responsible leadership.
