The mission of a crisis manager is to help their client overcome a crisis period, which sooner or later almost every company gets into. He is an experienced manager who can get the job done when certain rules work. Which ones are they? What to set up at the beginning of the cooperation?
Surely you have heard the term crisis management. In recent years, this term has exploded, and it is not uncommon for me to hear similar statements: “Sure, Crisis Management, I’ve done that before”, “We don’t need that! We’ve always done it, so why now?”, “No, we’re fine”. I’m not surprised by some of the statements. The quality of advice in this area in the Czech Republic is still not at a very high level, which is why many owners and directors of companies are trying to solve the crisis situation on their own. In many cases, this method of solving the problem is pushed by opinions such as: “Well, I’ll still confide in someone about how I’m doing and how far I’ve gotten it”, “No! I’m not going to make a fool of myself!” But sometimes there are friends close by, to whom the person confides, and they then act as consultants, recommenders, who in a good case recommend someone experienced they know, and sometimes the whole thing can come to a happy ending, but sometimes not.
5 key rules of cooperation with a crisis manager
However, when the owner or director dares to go to the market to look for a crisis manager, this ritual is often reminiscent of the search for a “temporary partner“. A partner we need to confide in, find trust in him and get true references from him that guarantee a minimum level of trust. However, this whole cocktail must have one most important ingredient! And that is the chemistry on both sides. It just can’t be done without it. If there is not enough of it, sooner or later there will be a problem. It is therefore always good to imagine that you will be dealing with a number of problems, crises or conflicts with this person. And so, as I say, “chemistry” is the most important building block for the relationship between the owner, or director, and the crisis manager. Chemistry acts as a good catalyst for a crisis, similar to a marriage.
You may say that these are just phrases, but believe me, only practice has taught me these principles, without which I would rather not do anything today. So what are the rules of this “temporary marriage”?
Rule 1: Never let others choose your partner for you
I often encounter situations where the crisis manager is selected or recommended to the owner or director in question, and the crisis manager accepts him without getting to know him or commenting on him. It really doesn’t work that way! It’s the same as if your mother was looking for a partner for you. Therefore, devote a sufficient amount of time and energy to choosing a crisis manager. After all, you are looking for a person who is supposed to lead your company out of the crisis together with you! And that’s not easy, and it’s not a small amount. If you are not compatible partners, then all efforts on both sides are in vain. It is also often seen that the owner, director does not attach enough importance to the presence of the crisis manager. Communication then works in a system: “So go through it, do something about it and then tell me how it turned out”, “Don’t be angry, but I don’t have time for you”, or something along the lines of “What do you want again! I have a lot of work to do here. You know where we stand, don’t you?”.
The lesson of this rule is: The last word in the selection of a crisis manager always belongs to the person for whom he or she will work. In the eyes of the owner, the director, the role of the crisis manager must always have sufficient weight.
Rule 2: Dishonesty never pays off
You wouldn’t believe how many owners and directors dose the problem or entrust it to the crisis manager piece by piece, all out of fear and fear that they will look stupid, or that someone will lecture them, or that they won’t find understanding. And here comes the first problem in the already mentioned trust. After all, you want the relationship to work optimally, so don’t try to keep surprises in a drawer. If you really want to help overcome the crisis, it really won’t work without honesty. It is not uncommon for a crisis manager to be surprised by new information or a situation that he or she is no longer able to manage as the owner, director or himself would like. Subsequently, the annoyed owner shifts the responsibility to him, and many projects end in failure. And that’s only because it failed on information and communication.
The lesson of this rule is: Be honest with yourself and the crisis manager and face the facts.
Rule 3: Don’t air your dirty laundry in public
Act as one team. Together, agree on a direction, goal and steps for the crisis period. These then communicate unequivocally to the rest of society. Be aware that, especially in a state of crisis, employees and colleagues are sensitive to statements from management and to any behind-the-scenes information. If employees in a state of crisis are to effectively help with its solution, they need to have clear and unambiguous information. They need to be aware that the investor, owner, director and crisis manager are working in harmony. This is the only way for everyone to reach a happy goal, and it doesn’t matter what the goal is or whether the information is positive or negative.
The lesson of this rule is: Always communicate with the company or project team in a consistent and unambiguous manner.
Rule 4: Listen
Very often you will encounter sometimes spoken and unspoken sentences from owners and directors such as: “Please, how can you comment on this if you don’t understand it at all…”, “You’ve been lecturing me here for a long time, but I’ve built the whole company, so I know best what’s good for it!” etc.
Try to listen to the crisis manager, his role is not to reduce your experience in building a company or in the field. It is not in the interest of a good crisis manager to lecture you. Take advantage of his insight into problem solving, which you (or anyone else in your role) usually does not have so clear and clear due to his long time in the position. In many cases, distance from a crisis or problem is a way to get the right perspective on things.
The moral of this rule is: Listen to the project manager, the final decision on the goal and steps is always up to you.
Rule 5: Role in the relationship
“Hi Joe, please, who is this ‘manager’ who has been walking around here for the last 14 days? But he’s some smart guy who is supposed to help us…”, “Mr. Crisis Manager, I decide here and you won’t give people tasks without my knowledge…” Surely you have heard similar or identical sentences before. In many crisis projects, roles are not sufficiently named and determined, let alone communicated. Therefore, the role of the crisis manager needs to be set up and then properly communicated in the company or project. For a fruitful and high-quality cooperation between the owner, director and crisis manager, it is necessary to define their clear roles and competencies towards the crisis management of the company and project on the basis of defining goals, steps and procedures. Without this setup, you will have a hard time overcoming the pitfalls of crisis management cooperation.
It is equally important to inform about the roles and competencies of the owner, director and crisis manager, in a tangible way to the employees of the company, the project so that everyone clearly knows what the role of the crisis manager is, what his competencies are and that they are in accordance with the owner, the director of the company.
The lesson of this rule is: Set clear rules with your crisis manager and communicate them unequivocally.
What to say in conclusion?
Every owner, investor, or director should first answer this basic question: Am I able and willing to set these rules between me and the crisis manager?
If not, and you still want to go through the crisis situation with ease, then you need to change your approach or crisis manager.
Don’t try to take these rules lightly. Practice will show you that they are very important for managing a crisis and working with any crisis manager. If you follow them, know that a crisis manager will certainly be beneficial for you.
I wish you a happy management of your crisis situations, projects and a good choice of crisis manager. If you are interested in my experience or references, do not hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to consult your situation with you and maybe we will find a way for mutual cooperation.
