The First Priority In Your Crisis Management Plan: Your People

Perry Maddox reassures emerging leaders that setting priorities in your crisis management plan is easy, just look out for your people first.

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A team member races over asking “Have you read your email?”

Other times the phone rings. “You may want to have a seat…” the voice begins. 

No matter how the news arrives, a leader’s world changes when a crisis breaks. While you’re still processing the shock, your people are already looking toward you.  

“What are we going to do?” they ask.  

What they really want to know now is…

What are you going to do?  

Crisis demands excellent leadership.  

Risk and uncertainty are high. Facts are scarce, yet action is needed. Your crisis management plan needs to be crafted, and difficult decisions must be made, at pace. 

Unlike other big moments, chances are that you weren’t building up to this.  Team members may be busy and scattered elsewhere. You might not be in the office, or even awake, when you get the call. 

It’s overwhelming for the best of us. For emerging leaders, the challenge is double.

First, there’s the actual crisis itself.  I’m not talking about any old emergency here, I’m talking about crises in which lives are at stake. Crises that could close your doors. This could be the end. These are the tough ones, even for veterans. 

Second, most emerging leaders haven’t dealt with many crises before.  If you lead long enough, you’re sure to face your share. Coronavirus, anyone?  For newer leaders this unfamiliar territory can be overwhelming.

Bottom line, a crisis doesn’t care how many years of experience you have. It doesn’t care if you lead a small team or a large organisation.  You either lead the way through this or you don’t.  

So what are you going to do?  

The Most Important Thing Comes First.

Worry not, there’s a clear starting point.  Your people come first.  They always do.  

Slow it down and start from the start.  Our first responsibility is to ensure the wellbeing of our people.  

Sadly, many leaders fail at this first hurdle. During the coronavirus pandemic, leadership failures filled the news.  Millionaire business owners putting profits above people.  Governments risking lives for fear of economic loss or of being seen as weak.  Egocentric leaders seizing on crisis to increase their brand. Global leaders wasting weeks of precious time, frozen by indecision when it mattered most.  They failed because they forgot what comes first.

For just leaders, our people come first.

From the outset of a crisis you must ensure your people’s safety. Prioritise action and allocate resources to get them out of harm’s way and to care for those who’ve been harmed.  Even when it hits your bottom line, secure the safety of your people.  No exceptions.

Once physical safety is secured, maintain your focus.  Emotional and mental health are just as important in crises.  Leaders ensure that their people receive the support they need, be it in house or through partners and other service providers.  

Whatever it takes, get it done. You don’t need to do it all yourself. Make it clear to everyone, though, that this comes first and that you demand quick, successful action to protect your people.

A Crisis Management Plan for Leaders.

Nobody does it alone.  

As a leader, you are only as good as the team around you.  None of us resolves a crisis alone.  

Now look at the people and the leaders around you.  Because you took care of them first, they are as well as they can be.  They are also as effective as they can be.  People who are unwell, afraid or absent perform worse than those who are not.  

Putting your people first creates the strongest foundation for crisis response.  It gives you the best of your talent, ideas and options to draw on when you need them most.  

I gain calm and clarity of mind once I know our people are safe.  Sometimes that simply means physical safety. Other times it’s more subtle, knowing that the individuals leading on a tough crisis are getting rest, accessing support, asking for help, and holding up amidst extreme pressure.

Once I know our people are safe, we’re well on the way out of this thing.  Now I can focus on how we’re not just going to survive this crisis but also use it to change so that we come out the other side better positioned to advance our mission.

The Next Time You Get The News.

Email, phone call, whatsapp, whatever.

Take a deep breath.  Look around the room and think about your people.

You know where to start.