Crisis Management: Who are the Management Committee?

By: Oscar RossignoliEditor of http://www.imagen-empresarial.com

The Crisis Committee is to gather the best people to deal with the situation according to the nature of it. Usually the crisis is integrated on the committee that will manage the conflict until the end, whose members will join others in the organization whose work and expertise are related to the origin or the cause that produced the crisis and sometimes specialists or external consultants with different profiles.

There is no respect to its composition or a number or a set profiles, but in addition to the aforementioned components of the crisis, the committee must be present two kinds of people: those related to conflict resolution and functional responsible for bringing together and coordinating the various departments and areas of the company. The latter should be key people in the organization, who enjoy a good image and having a flexible disposition and dialogue.

In my many years of experience in crisis management, usually the core members of the crisis committee should be:

1. General Manager or CEO

2. Head of Human Resources

3. Legal adviser or attorney of the company

4. Chief of Security

5. Public relations and communications director

6. Chief Financial Officer

From my point of view, these are the initial and permanent members, which should add specialists in different branches, depending on the cause, reason or circumstance that has led to the crisis.

For example, if there has been an explosion at a chemical factory, it is clear that a specialist in that area should be integrated into crisis management team. In the case of labor disputes is another professional, allegations of fraud, bad products, computer crime, kidnappings, etc. Each case is individual and requires the involvement of highly specific.

We can not ignore the crisis committee in the appointment of a spokesman or spokeswoman for the company. In most appearances before the media, the person authorized to make statements and give opinions and official positions of the company.

Who should be the spokesperson or official spokesperson?

In times of crisis, it makes sense that this role could be played by the director of communications and public relations for their experience and knowledge in managing the representatives of the media, with whom, in general, maintains good relations.

However, sometimes crisis situations requiring high technical expertise, management of highly specialized topics, here it is best to appoint a skilled and trained in handling interviews with the media.

Recall that in times of crisis, calm and relaxed press conference switches to one of unexpected approaches in the street, by telephone, visits without notice, and to handle this type of interview must be well trained not to commit errors and, rather, take advantage of every meeting to the fullest and take advantage of exposing previously prepared key messages.

The communications director is always built and is the spokesperson for very general statements and issues, besides being long the bond and makes contacts with journalists, especially those that are either controversial or identified as adverse to the company.

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