Things will go wrong.

When they do, you will face two challenges. The first will be about putting things right. The second will be how you do it. Because people will be watching.

If you do it right, you might even have their sympathy. But arrogance, incompetence or delay will lose it. And it will take a long time to recover.

There are several golden rules.

Don't ignore a problem. Be prepared. Don't wait for it to happen. Have a plan in place, and rehearse it.

Keep it simple.
You only need three key people to lead.

The person in authority. That's the Chairman, or Chief Executive. In times of trouble, we all want to see the person in charge taking charge.

The Expert. The one who can make sense of the disaster, who knows what to do, and how and when to do it.

And the Communicator. The person with the skills to get your messages across fast, clearly, and to the right people. The person who can deal positively with the media. Who can help you avoid the pitfalls.

Crisis management is not a black art. It's all about planning, preparation, and team work.

We know how it's done, and we have the experience to back it up.