How can you use stakeholder mapping to prepare for a crisis?

Part of any communication piece is defined and shaped by a resource my company Kiikstart created the innovation capability review. This allows me to accurately identify the most important skill gaps, threats and risks to be considered. As part of a broader organizational development project. Prioritisation against defined outcomes and impact is essential. Thinking about crisis needs to be done in advance to minimize risk and negative fallout. Knowing how you are likely to respond before it happens helps. This is not a solo gig and needs to include diverse stakeholders inside and outside of the organization.

We tend to sometimes think of crisis messaging as monolithic. While consistency of message is a must, audiences also need differentiated support and information. In times of crisis, brands fall back on a reservoir of goodwill that they have built over time with the people who depend on them. The positive sentiment can be deeply diminished or erased overnight. If you want to emerge with your brand intact, deeply understand those audiences and walk a mile in their shoes to anticipate their emotions, questions, reactions, fears, and assumptions. Identifying and cataloging your audiences and their perspectives—as well as those that influence them—is the core of effective crisis preparation and management.

Cleary identifying your stakeholders is critical in a crisis and can make work smoother during an incident. But don’t wait for an emergency to map. You should identify during times of normal operations and tweak as needed during crisis. Knowing your stakeholders early allows you to build the relationships and trust you will need during a crisis.

Undertaking this work is key to keeping focused but also to prioritize resources. There is only so much capacity available at any one time, so be discerning about how you use it to respond to a crisis. Mapping stakeholders will allow you to manage the process, allocate resources and craft different messages for different stakeholders. It is not one size fits all as the outcomes and impacts of the crisis will potentially vary.

Depending on the crisis or crises that you're planning for, you could map your stakeholders by geography (for example distance from evacuation centres, number of evacuation routes). Another mapping criteria could be vulnerability (example healthcare facilities).

Make time for team and one on one debriefs with your stakeholders where possible and useful. Gaining continual advice and insights from stakeholders on the frontline will help evolve the approach Key questions to ask internal teams as part of review and check in. - how have these initiatives benefited you in your role? - has any initiative had a negative impact on you and how you work - if so how? - are there any changes to how you act and think as a result of these initiatives? - what needs to be done differently if faced with this crisis in the future? - what action would we need to take as an organization to make this happen?

Debriefs with your team and leadership are essential post crisis. And regularly updating your crisis plan is a good practice. Depending on your industry I’ve found twice a year for document review and 4 times a year for practice is a sound start. More if you are in high risk fields.

Furthermore, it's crucial to adhere to the stakeholder mapping you've conducted during a crisis. In my prior encounters, senior executives occasionally opt for swift solutions without taking into account the insights and strategies derived from the analysis. This often leads to recurring issues. Instead, a more effective approach is to transparently involve the potential decision-makers in your stakeholder analysis process. This method, when executed correctly and without bias, is a potent tool that can help you predict future actions of your stakeholders with great accuracy.

Handling a crisis is like a chess match – anticipate your stakeholders' moves, strategize your communication, and ensure you're the grandmaster of damage control! #CrisisCommunicationChess