This winter’s extreme weather is a good reminder of having your ducks in a row when it comes to communication. If you live in Wisconsin, you experienced the cold of, in some places, a staggering -50 degrees F. This year, those cold days came on the heels of a blizzard two days prior. No matter if you believe in climate change or not, it’s always good to be prepared for the weather’s impact to your business.
I’ll leave the operational steps to you when it comes to how extreme weather impacts your business, but I urge you to build a crisis communication plan that lays out how you will relay information to your internal and external audiences in case of emergencies due to weather.
For example:
-burst pipes
-closing of facilities
-accident/injury/death
-power outages
It’s not uncommon for organizations to have the written operational plan in place, but do you have the people, process and technology in place to handle the communication accordingly and quickly? My guess is you may not.
Think of all the extra time you spent reacting to the last turn of weather because you didn’t have a crisis communication plan in place, and take the time now to prepare. Work with your team to identify the most likely scenarios and figure out where and what your gaps are now so you are not taken by surprise and more importantly, your customers aren’t taken by surprise. Remember, you have taken the time and resources to invest in building your brand. Why would you put it at risk?
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