How to build a strong crisis communications team

Appoint people who can communicate clearly, concisely and calmly. Goldman recommended assigning roles to members of the organization based on experience, leadership, functional capabilities within their specific area and members who are respected inside and outside the organization.

“It’s also essential that these individuals have a solid understanding of the organization so they can understand and quantify the impacts of an incident,” Lindsey said.

Crisis communications team members must always have their ears and eyes open, actively promoting a “speak-up culture” that is positioned to quickly resolve or prevent conflicts and disputes, said Michael Toebe, an independent communications, reputation and crisis specialist.

“Building a reliable, emotionally intelligent team that’s constantly working on and testing its judgment and decision-making is a wise investment,” Toebe said. Build strong relationships across the organization, as well as with the media and key enterprise stakeholders.

Goldman recommends periodically reviewing each team member’s responsibilities in a crisis, and to “verify that your organization provides overall crisis communications training to the crisis communications team, the technical crisis response teams and senior management.”

A review of the crisis communications plans and members’ individual responsibilities, will enable organizations to revise and adjust the plans as necessary.