How do you determine the severity of a public relations crisis?

1 Impact on stakeholders

The first factor to consider is how the crisis affects your stakeholders, such as customers, employees, investors, partners, regulators, and the media. How many of them are affected, and how severely? How does the crisis impact their needs, expectations, and perceptions of your organization? How does the crisis affect your relationship with them, and their loyalty and satisfaction? The more negative and widespread the impact, the more severe the crisis.

2 Potential for escalation

The second factor to consider is how likely the crisis is to escalate and worsen over time. How fast is the crisis spreading, and how much attention is it getting from the media and the public? How much control do you have over the situation, and how much uncertainty is there? How many other issues or risks are associated with the crisis, and how serious are they? The more volatile and unpredictable the situation, the more severe the crisis.

3 Alignment with values

The third factor to consider is how the crisis aligns or conflicts with your organizational values, mission, and vision. How does the crisis reflect or contradict your core beliefs, principles, and goals? How does the crisis affect your credibility, integrity, and authenticity? How does the crisis challenge or support your purpose and identity? The more misaligned and inconsistent the crisis, the more severe the crisis.

4 Response capacity

The fourth factor to consider is how well you can respond to the crisis and manage its consequences. How prepared and equipped are you to handle the crisis, and how quickly can you act? How effective and efficient are your communication channels, strategies, and messages? How resilient and adaptable are you to cope with the changes and challenges? The more limited and inadequate your response capacity, the more severe the crisis.

5 Recovery potential

The fifth factor to consider is how easily you can recover from the crisis and restore your reputation, trust, and credibility. How much damage has the crisis caused, and how long will it last? How much resources and support do you have to repair the harm and rebuild the relationships? How much opportunity and feedback do you have to learn from the crisis and improve your performance? The more irreversible and lasting the damage, the more severe the crisis.

6 Evaluation criteria

The sixth factor to consider is how you evaluate the severity of the crisis based on the previous factors. How do you measure and compare the impact, potential, alignment, capacity, and recovery of the crisis? How do you weigh and prioritize the different factors according to your situation and goals? How do you communicate and justify your evaluation to your stakeholders and the public? The more clear and consistent your evaluation criteria, the more accurate your assessment of the crisis severity.