How to Set Goals in a Crisis Communications Plan

Without clear goals, crisis communications plans can be ineffective and disorganized. Teams often lurch from problem to problem when a crisis strikes without defining and measuring progress, which can lead to frustration, anger, and distrust. It's essential to define and track progress. Goals in a crisis communications plan need to be specific, measurable, actionable, and time-limited. 

Defining goals will help leaders prioritize and make better decisions. Getting caught up in the moment and focusing on immediate tasks in a crisis is easy. To avoid this, you need a plan with clear goals. Without defined goals during a crisis, you will have trouble deciding when and how to return to normal business operations. 

We work with organizations in Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and nationwide on their crisis communications needs. Here is the approach to goal-setting we take when helping organizations develop crisis communications plans. 

Specific Goals in a Crisis Communications Plan

Organizations need to stay away from broad or vague goals. It's not enough to say that you want a crisis to end or customers to be satisfied. You need to make the goal narrow. Crisis communications plans often have multiple goals, allowing the teams to narrow and track progress on each. 

Measurable Goals in a Crisis Communications Plan

Most organizations are swimming in data. When you're in a crisis, you must decide how to tie as much hard, quantifiable data to your goals as possible. Select specific Key Performance Indicators along with targets to make your goal measurable. For example, suppose a crisis has disrupted your supply chain. In that case, you should measure Customer Order Cycle Time to determine your team's success in resolving the crisis. 

Actionable Goals in a Crisis Communications Plan

The work that you and your team can do needs to drive the goal. You must ensure the organization's actions directly influence your goal. It's not enough to choose a passive activity that is disconnected from your team's work, or that may happen with or without actions by the organization.

Time-Limited Goals in a Crisis Communications Plan

In a crisis, making sure your goals are time-limited is especially important. You must set goals to help you get out of a crisis and back to normal operations as quickly as possible. Without making your goal time-limited, it can be easy to float without resolving the crisis. 

Defining goals in a crisis communications plan must be specific, measurable, actionable, and time-limited. As your work to resolve the crisis progresses, you need to track progress against your goals and adjust as needed. Your organization will struggle to respond to and end a crisis without proper goal-setting. You could even compound your problems.

Conclusion

Fitler Square Strategies can help you and your organization plan ahead or resolve a crisis as it is underway by developing a crisis communications plan with specific, measurable, actionable and time-limited goals.