A blueprint for crisis management: understanding what it takes to weather the inevitable storm.

At some point, every association will encounter a crisis. And when that time comes, being able to turn to a crisis management plan may prove to be the difference between triumph and tragedy.

Crises run the gamut from natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes, to human tragedies such as the death of a chief elected officer or chief staff executive, to product failures or setbacks and professional or industry controversies. Every crisis tests the mettle of an organization's staff and leaders - which is why it's imperative that association leaders and staff take the time to plan for that day of reckoning. After all, the ultimate beneficiaries of crisis management are the industries and professions represented by their associations.

The National Food Processors Association, Washington, D.C., helps its members and the industry handle crises involving product contamination, recalls, tamperings, and so forth. "In any given year, we may help members with two dozen or more situations that could potentially become crises," says Tim Willard, senior director of communications. "The difference [between a potential and actual crisis] is often determined by the organization's having a crisis plan and how well its senior staff is prepared to implement the plan."

Regardless of the emergency, the planning process for crisis management is the same. Chief elected officers who understand what is involved can enhance their own state of readiness for dealing with a crisis when it comes knocking on their association's door. Here are some of the major steps involved in crafting a plan for crisis management.

1. Identifying possible crises. What emergencies or problematic situations could your association encounter? A few minutes of brainstorming will easily identify, those events that harbor the potential for an industry- or profession-wide embarrassment. Identify whether these are more likely to occur at the local, regional, or national level and what organizational or departmental areas would be involved. Ronald Bruner, vice president for communications, Society of the Plastics Industry, Washington, D.C., encourages volunteers to go beyond the conventional wisdom and discuss the "what ifs."

2. Establishing a spokesperson and crisis team. The chief staff executive is often the best choice, but it may be appropriate for the spokesperson task to be delegated in some instances. Not all incidents warrant involving the top staff person, and prematurely involving him or her may elevate the perception of the level of seriousness of the event. It's also a good idea for the incoming chief elected leader to discuss with the chief staff executive the issue of who will be the spokesperson for the organization and under what circumstances. In some cases, the best spokesperson will be the chief elected leader.

It is important to preestablish the chain of command in an emergency (e.g., is the senior staff person on site the immediate spokesperson, or is it always the chief staff executive?) and areas of responsibility. Staff also needs to develop a contact list that includes all possible ways of reaching each person on the crisis management team - home phone, beeper, car phone, e-mail address, and so forth.

3. Developing the action plan. The specifics of the plan may have to be filled in as an emergency unfolds, but it's important to develop key operating principles in advance of a crisis. Resolve to do the following:

* Establish a central information point. Depending on the organization and type of crisis, this could be a person (for example, a company spokesperson) or a location (for example, association headquarters or a member's lab).

* Collect the facts before issuing a statement. The plan needs to describe how the facts will be determined, collected, and released to which audiences (executive committee, staff, families of staff, members, press, etc.). Associations that don't have their communication department on site also have to determine who will provide background information for the media.

* Take prompt action. The association needs to quickly determine what the "reasonable" amount of time is before the public would expect to receive answers. It's prudent for associations to issue a simple statement initially to acknowledge the incident and actions being taken and to promise additional details later. (In the event of an incident involving injuries, staff should never divulge the names of injured individuals until next of kin have been notified.)

* Maintain humanity. If the event involves personal injury, staff and spokespeople need to resist the tendency to get caught up in the impact on the association at the expense of the individuals involved. Learn from the experience of PanAm officials in the aftermath of the crash in Lockerbie, Scotland. Many families indicated they would not have been as angered if PanAm officials had expressed their compassion earlier and treated their requests as a top priority.

* Establish early contact with the media and continue to inform them of new developments. Henry Chamberlain, CAE, senior vice president of the Building Owners and Managers Association, Inc., Washington, D.C., offers several tips to associations: 1) Tell as much as you can; 2) don't be defensive; 3) don't be afraid to say "I don't know"; 4) indicate you will find out and get back to them (and schedule a time to do so); 5) present your message clearly and without jargon; and 6) avoid limiting your answers to just yes or no.

* Inform everyone on staff. The staff needs reassurance, too.

* Follow up. Thank everyone involved - participants, staff, families, media - once a crisis has passed. Provide follow-up information when available.

* Document everything. It's the responsibility of the staff to keep records of notes, crisis team meetings, press statements, reporter inquiries, and responses.

* Conduct a post-crisis audit. Associations can benefit by using a crisis as an opportunity for improvement. A chief staff executive may want to appoint an evaluation team to assess the handling of a crisis and recommend changes in procedures.

Knowing what's involved in operating during a crisis and taking the steps to be prepared will help ensure that you and your association will be ready for adversity.

Thomas A. Gorski, CAE, a former association communications specialist, is the executive director of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists, Alexandria, Virginia.