When a Tornado Strikes
Recently, I drove through Greensburg, Kansas, the small town that was hit by a devastating tornado on May 4. Nearly 95 percent of the town was destroyed, with the remaining 5 percent severely damaged. I drive through Greensburg almost every summer and the site was surreal. Expecting to see many damaged businesses and homes, it was astounding to see that the town was, to put it quite simply, just gone.
Amazingly, only 10 people were killed — less than one percent of the town’s population. Officials attribute the fact that so few died to the excellent communications before the tornado struck. The storm watchers were doing their jobs and 20 minutes before the tornado struck, the tornado sirens sounded and word passed very quickly to take shelter.
There are several parallels to the tornado that can be drawn to businesses that suffer a crisis, whether the situation is catastrophic or simply an annoyance.
Tornados are a fact of life in Kansas and most people plan for them. They are alert for changes in the weather, they know what to do if the warning sirens sound and they take appropriate action. Planning in advance and following that plan — rather than simply reacting to the situation — is standard practice for them.
Similarly, businesses should develop a crisis plan. By preparing in advance, including identifying potential vulnerabilities, it is possible to minimize the effects a crisis will have on your business. In fact, businesses may be able to recognize a potential crisis and stop it from occurring or at least minimize its effect.
While no one can plan for every potential incident, it is possible to plan for things that are likely to happen, including:
- adverse weather,
- loss of facility, either short or long term,
- financial difficulties,
- negative coverage in the media,
- quality assurance issues,
- sudden death, serious injury or illness of senior management,
- worksite injury to employees or customers/clients,
- low employee morale,
- actual or threats of workplace violence,
- lawsuits and litigation,
- and so on.
Having even a basic plan in place will help a business to deal with any potential situation. And, just as tornadoes can strike anywhere, a crisis can strike any size of business (including nonprofit organizations) and in any industry. No one is immune.
In Kansas, people serve as “storm watchers” and keep their eyes out for tornadoes. When they see something, they sound the alarm — whether the danger is possible (a “watch”) or imminent (a “warning”). Then, people take the appropriate action for their safety.
In businesses, a crisis team serves the same function as a storm watcher. They continually monitor the business (both internally and externally) for potential problems and take appropriate action. Sometimes, this action completely alleviates the situation and other times, it allows them to respond to a crisis to get back to business as usual more quickly than if they were unprepared.
Just one month after the tornado, 75 percent of the debris had been removed and Greensburg was rebuilding. One of the primary reasons was effective communication, in a variety of ways. Immediately following the tornado, basic communication was established, including the use of spray paint on the streets to provide direction to the tents where police, Red Cross, FEMA and medical personnel were housed. Within a few days, information was posted and regularly updated on the city’s Web site, residents and businesses could sign up to have updates e-mailed to them, the city had a special AM radio station to broadcast information and other media was also used to help disseminate critical information. Whether someone was in a tent in Greensburg, or had temporarily relocated miles away, they were able to receive up-to-date details about the rebuilding process.
Businesses can do the same thing. When developing a crisis plan, steps should be taken to determine many possible methods of communicating with employees, customers and the general public. Information needs to be provided as soon as possible and updated on a regular basis until the crisis has passed. In addition, it’s crucial that the business speaks with “one voice” during this time, providing consistent messaging.
Finally, after the crisis, a “debriefing” session must take place to determine what worked well and what needs to be improved upon. People tend to focus on the negative; it’s vital to remember – and recognize – things that went well.
It’s frequently said that there are only two types of businesses: ones who have already faced a crisis and ones who will face a crisis. How — or if — a business survives is a function of how much it planned in advance. If Greensburg can survive a catastrophic tornado, then businesses that plan for a crisis can, too.
Whether you have an established crisis plan — or need to start from scratch, we can help. Call us (303.594.8930) for a complimentary one-hour consultation to review your crisis planning needs.
