Crisis management should never be a one-person job. It requires a crisis management team to oversee issues in a company and execute the actions that lead to full resolution.
A company's crisis response is only as good as the team behind it. Many organizations use a combination of human resources managers, administrative support staff, and internal and external communication officers to form a robust team.
They are the ones who plan for emergencies and lead the response when problems arise. They are responsible for implementing a company's crisis management strategy and establishing clear communication of roles and responsibilities.
Crisis management may sound a little daunting, but the challenge is made much easier with a core team that works together.
In this guide, we'll look at what roles are required in such a team, and the common challenges that groups encounter when enacting their crisis response. For details on developing a proactive approach to crisis response planning and prevention strategies, reference Cision's The Complete Guide to Crisis Communication.
What Is a Crisis Management Team?
A crisis management team is a group of skilled staff members who plan for and respond to major issues that could harm your company. This could be a public relations disaster, a product issue, an IT systems hack, or perhaps an employee scandal.
Your crisis response is about alleviating the reputational risk to your company, so you can return to normal as soon as possible.
Now, you can build an effective crisis team by choosing the right people and giving them clear roles. Include leaders who stay calm under pressure and know your business inside and out, and practice crisis scenarios so the team works well together.
It's all about being prepared for what might be around the corner.
Importance of a Crisis Management Team
Having a crisis management team is a vital pillar of your business plan. It's this team that keeps your company stable and protects your good name when a crisis hits.
Reputation in business is everything, and failure to address crises around your company's public image can quickly lead to financial problems and legal issues.
Your crisis team is there to act fast in the moment, and also learn from and build a better crisis response for next time.
This makes your company stronger and better able to handle future challenges.
In This Guide:
Key Roles and Responsibilities Within a Crisis Management Team
Steps to Build an Effective Crisis Management Team
Common Challenges Faced by Crisis Management Teams
Ensuring the Ongoing Success of Your Crisis Management Team
Frequently Asked Questions
This guide provides a basic outline of which crisis management team members should be included, how to create your management response, and what you can do to ensure full business recovery when you're out on the other side.
Key Roles and Responsibilities Within a Crisis Management Team
There are a lot of crisis management team roles, but only six need to form the core unit of your group. All other roles are managed by these six members as part of subgroups to the wider team.
Remember, each member plays a crucial part in navigating challenges and protecting your organization’s reputation. If your company isn't large enough to allocate specific roles to individual people, then you'll need to double up on a few of the below responsibilities.
Crisis Manager (Team Leader)
The crisis management team leader is the team’s backbone. They effectively act as a chair and senior executive, and has overarching responsibility for managing the crisis situation.
The team leader role involves:
Coordinating the overall crisis response
Making key decisions and setting priorities
Delegating tasks to team members
Keeping senior management informed
Overseeing risk analysis after the crisis
Leaders must stay calm under pressure and think strategically, and not get pulled into small tasks. They need to trust the appropriate departments to enact the tasks they have been delegated, rather than doing the tasks themselves.
Communication Coordinator
Effective crisis communication requires a senior person to manage all internal and external messaging. They don't necessarily have to deliver the messages, but they need to be in control of messaging.
The communication coordinator role involves:
Crafting (or organizing others to craft) clear, consistent statements
Briefing spokespersons or being the media spokesperson
Monitoring media coverage and social media
Updating key stakeholders and senior managers
Quick, transparent communication is vital here. You'll work closely with the crisis manager to ensure messages align with strategy, and support anyone else who is involved in crisis communications.
Media monitoring tools can help track public sentiment and spot early signs of issues developing. They're well worth having, if you're the designated leader in charge of communications.
Operations Lead
Every crisis response team needs someone who oversees the execution of duties. This is the operations lead, who ensures plans are put into effect.
The operations lead is a practical role that includes:
Coordinating logistics and resources
Managing the crisis command center
Liaising with the finance department on resource management
Implementing action plans
Tracking progress and reporting to the team lead
Your role keeps the response running smoothly and means others can focus on their tasks. It's vital to be organized and anticipate needs before they arise. Past experience of what happens when a crisis strikes is very beneficial here.
Risk Management and IT Specialist
Data is a massive part of modern day crisis management because IT issues can often to be the cause of the problem. Whether your systems have been hacked, your social media reputation has crashed, or your IT system is faulty, you need specialists here.
An IT member who is trained in risk management will be able to handle the demands of such crises when they hit.
Key responsibilities for risk management and IT specialists involve:
Working with the operations lead to assess and mitigate risks
Safeguarding data and systems
Providing technical support for crisis operations
Advising on cybersecurity threats
This crisis management team member is one of the most crucial, yet can often be overlooked. It takes a lot of training to be an effective IT response manager, and companies sometimes outsource this task – along with general IT projects – to agencies.
Legal Advisor
No crisis response is complete without someone looking over the legal ramifications. A legal advisor guides the team on all legal matters throughout the crisis.
There may be a few people in this unit. The most senior person will oversee the work of others within the unit, and provide overviews of the legal risks to other departments.
A legal advisor also needs to:
Review all public statements for legal risks
Advise on regulatory compliance
Liaise with outside counsel and local authorities if needed
Protect the organization's interests
A legal advisor's expertise helps avoid costly mistakes. They work closely with the communications team to ensure messaging is both effective and legally sound.
HR Representative
Finally, we get to human resources. The focus here is on the human side of crisis management and ensuring that no one is left behind.
A human resource manager's responsibilities include:
Supporting affected employees
Managing staff-related issues
Coordinating with unions, if applicable
Advising on workforce policies and procedures
Offering administrative support where needed
A HR professional's role is crucial for maintaining morale and productivity. They need to keep the team informed about employee concerns and needs, and act as a link between a senior leader and their employees.
The human resource team's role is also useful for developing plans for staff communications and support services as a crisis unfolds.
Steps to Build an Effective Crisis Management Team
Now you know the six big crisis management team roles, it's time to look at how to build that team.
You'll need to carefully select team members, create a solid plan, and practice regularly to be prepared.
Assembling the Right Team
Choose team members from key departments like communications, legal, HR, and operations that fit seamlessly into your senior structure, as described in the section above.
These senior leaders need to work calmly and have quick thinking skills. Panic is not desirable in a crisis, and any team leader must be able to follow the plan that you've created to address crises.
Your team should include a leader to make final decisions and a spokesperson to handle media relations.
Assign clear roles and responsibilities to each member. The senior managers should have oversight roles and form subcommittees that execute the crisis response.
Developing a Crisis Response Plan
Once you have a team in place you can start to develop a response plan. Use crisis management tools to create a risk analysis and identify potential threats to your organization.
Your plan should include:
Communication protocols
Decision-making processes
Key stakeholder contact information
Pre-approved messaging templates
Steps for activating the crisis team
It's important to have clear steps on detecting a crisis, how you get your top management together, and when to implement the rest of the plan.
You should also update your plan regularly and ensure it aligns with your overall business continuity plans.
Test the plan through tabletop exercises and address any weaknesses you find.
Regular Training and Simulations
Talking of weaknesses, one of the biggest issues a crisis response team encounters is the skills gap. You need your unit to deliver quickly and effectively, so each person needs to be equipped for the job.
This means scheduling frequent training sessions for your crisis team.
Cover topics like media relations, social media management, and internal communications during a crisis. Run crisis simulations to practice your response in real time, starting with simple scenarios and gradually increase complexity.
After each simulation, hold a debrief to discuss what went well and areas for improvement.
It's important, too, to keep your team updated on new crisis management tools and techniques. This is particularly crucial if you're dealing with corporate communications where many people need to be on the same platform or software.
Common Challenges Faced by Crisis Management Teams
Crisis management teams face several obstacles when dealing with unexpected events. From a leadership standpoint, you can often mitigate the worst aspects of a crisis simply by preparing for the below challenges.
Poor Communication
You need to prioritize clear and timely communication during a crisis.
When information doesn't flow smoothly, it can lead to confusion and mistakes.
Make sure your team has a plan for sharing updates quickly.
Set up a central hub for information. This could be a digital platform or a physical command center. Train your team to use it effectively.
Don't forget about external communication.
Your crisis response should include a strategy for talking to the public, stakeholders, and the media. Be honest and transparent to build trust.
Insufficient Preparation
You can't predict every crisis, but you can prepare for common scenarios.
Many teams fail because they don't plan ahead or practice their response.
Start with a thorough risk assessment.
Identify potential threats to your business operations and financial stability. Create detailed action plans for each major risk.
Run regular drills to test your plans.
This helps your team learn their roles and spot weaknesses in your strategy. Update your plans based on what you learn from these exercises.
Don't neglect the legal and regulatory aspects of crisis management.
Make sure you understand your obligations to employees, customers, and regulatory bodies.
Ensuring the Ongoing Success of Your Crisis Management Team
A successful crisis management team needs continuous attention and support to stay effective. Regular reviews and training keep your team sharp and ready for action.
Regular Audits of the Crisis Management Plan
Conduct audits of your crisis management plan every 6 months.
This helps you spot gaps and update procedures.
Check if roles still fit team members' skills. Review communication channels to make sure they're up-to-date.
Set up mock crisis drills to test your plan.
Time how long it takes to respond and note any hiccups. Use these insights to refine your approach.
After each audit, update your crisis management handbook. Share changes with the whole team. This keeps everyone on the same page.
Continuous Training and Leadership Support
Schedule regular training sessions for your crisis management team.
Cover new threats, tools, and best practices.
Invite experts to share insights on brand reputation and crisis management.
Encourage team members to attend industry conferences.
They can learn from others' experiences and bring back fresh ideas.
Make sure the top leaders back your crisis team.
Their support boosts morale and resources. Ask them to join occasional meetings or drills.
Offer one-on-one coaching for team members.
This helps them grow in their roles. Recognize good work to keep motivation high.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crisis management teams play a crucial role in navigating emergencies. Let's explore some key aspects of their structure, functions, and strategies.
What core functions are assigned within a crisis management team?
Crisis management teams often include roles like:
Team leader: Oversees the response and makes key decisions
Communications lead: Handles internal and external messaging
Operations coordinator: Manages logistics and resources
Legal advisor: Provides guidance on legal implications
IT specialist: Addresses technical issues and cybersecurity
These roles work together to address different aspects of the crisis.
How do the roles within a crisis management team differ from regular business operations?
Crisis team roles are more focused and time-sensitive than everyday jobs.
You'll find:
Faster decision-making processes
Greater emphasis on clear, frequent communication
More collaboration across departments
Heightened focus on risk management and mitigation
Team members often step outside their usual responsibilities to meet urgent needs.
Can you outline an effective crisis management team structure?
A solid team structure might look like this:
Crisis Director: Leads the overall response
Communications Manager: Handles all messaging
Operations Lead: Coordinates resources and logistics
Finance Manager: Tracks costs and budget impacts
HR Representative: Addresses employee concerns
Legal Counsel: Provides legal guidance
This structure covers key areas while remaining flexible for different crisis types.
Which criteria are critical when selecting members for a crisis management team?
When choosing team members, look for:
Strong decision-making skills under pressure
Excellent communication abilities
Adaptability and quick thinking
Relevant expertise in their field
Ability to work well in a team
Experience with past crises is also valuable. Choose people who stay calm in stressful situations.
What strategies do crisis management teams employ to maintain focus during an emergency?
Effective teams use these strategies:
Regular briefings to keep everyone informed
Clear assignment of tasks and responsibilities
Use of checklists and crisis management plans
Scheduled breaks to prevent burnout
Designation of a quiet space for strategic thinking
How do different levels within a crisis management team collaborate during a crisis?
Collaboration happens through:
Frequent status updates and meetings
Shared digital platforms for real-time information
Clear chains of command for decision-making
Cross-functional problem-solving sessions
Regular check-ins between team leaders and members
Good collaboration ensures a coordinated response across all levels of the team.
