Crisis Communication the Oil and Gas Sector - Business Plan Example

Yet, the “what if” sessions should not be focused on any one specific group. Instead, these sessions are beneficial as a means of mapping out potential scenarios and discussing with stakeholders within the firm how they might be addressed (Jin & Hong, 2012). Ultimately, the process that is being described would seek to create a roadmap for how the firm should respond to a disaster that would otherwise cripple an organization. Further, beyond providing a degree of planning and discussion, the “what if” session allows for the team members to become involved in actually considering the far-ranging ramifications of the scenario(s) in question (Crawford, 2011).

All too often, firms are caught unaware and stakeholders that have not been briefed on the potential difficulties and split-second decision making/communication skills that they require to fold under the pressure and make the situation far worse by reverting to being evasive or secretive. In this manner, the preparation process and a slow and careful consideration of the potential variables that could lead to a situation in which crisis communication would be necessary is an integral way of engaging individuals and mapping out a response framework that would limit or reduce the overall backlash that might otherwise be evidenced within such a situation; had no forethought or planning ever been engaged (Dewa, 2011).

Select crisis management and crisis communication teams:However, merely broaching the issue of crisis communication is not in and of itself enough to guarantee that the firm or entity has a solid crisis communication plan. Whereas seeking to identify, discuss, and potentially engage the “what if” scenarios is an essential component of crisis planning and remediation, setting out to create, staff, train, and appraise relevant crisis communication teams are perhaps the more important part of what has thus far been discussed (Milner et al., 2011). As has been witnessed in many firms throughout the world, the overall level of training and expertise that these teams are able to exhibit has a powerful impact on the extent to which they can seek to control and otherwise reduce potential hazards that could come from a crisis within their sector and the means through which this is communicated to the public.