9 Essential Crisis Survival Factors
Eric Dezenhall in his book, Damage Control: The Essential Lessons of Crisis Management
, outlines 9 essential factors that all companies in crises tend to have. Reading through this book, I couldn't help but think that we, in the fire service, are supposed to be the damage control/crisis experts, yet how many of our leaders, and departments lack in these 9 areas for survival. Lately, the fire department seems to be under attack by the media. Strengthening ourselves and our departments in these 9 critical areas, will only further our resilience to times of crisis. This applies to the media and the fire scene.
- Strong leadership - with broad authority to make decisions
- Ignores conventional PR wisdom - do not espouse "reputation management"
- Flexible - able to change course when the operating climate shifts
- Significant resources - these are committed to crisis resolution with no guarantee of results
- High threshold for pain - things may get worse before they get better
- Thinks in terms of baby steps - as opposed to grandiose gestures
- Knows themselves - are honest about what actions can and cannot be sustained
- Exercises moral authority - doing what is right even when it seems wrong
- Luck - often catch unexpected breaks via God, nature, or fortune.
