Preparing for the Best and Worst

The great thing about a new day is that with it comes new opportunities and the possibility of good things happening such as making new connections, acquiring a winning lottery ticket, having new experiences or even making life for those around you a bit better. I know. I know. This sounds nothing if not Polly-Annish. But this is the way we glass-is-half-full people think. I realize new days also bring the possibility of problems, unwanted situations, and risks of disappointment. That reality cannot and should not be ignored. But whether we are glass-half-full or glass-half-empty people, the trick for all of us is to do what we can to prepare ourselves for negative or even positive occurrences should they come along. Strategic and crisis communication can play a role in that.

Assuming most people enter each day with at least a general notion of either what they will be doing or what they hope to do, by definition, they have a rough outline of a road map in-mind as to how, when and even with whom they will be attempting to carry out their day's activities. If you throw in criteria to measure your level of success on a given day, then one has the primary ingredients of a strategic communication plan in-place. The crisis communication planning piece of this involves formulating contingent plans should something unexpected arise that gets in the way of you trying to carry out your initial objectives.

Looking at strategic and crisis communication from the lens of an individual living through a routine day, the compatibility of the two seems logical: a game plan supported by a back-up plan. It is clear they can be quite complementary because each impacts the other. If the strategic communication plan goes smoothly, then the crisis communication plan is not necessary. But if the strategic communication plan is derailed by a sudden, unexpected turn of events, then the crisis is geared to help one deal with the new situation. To be most effective, the goals of the crisis communication should at least touch on the goals of the overriding strategic communication plan. What makes this all the more interesting that organizations normally do not link the two plans. Why? Because they have not thought of it. My suggestion is organizations would be better served if they did take new look at the two. Maybe they should overlap. It would help the organization as well as any individuals who seek to fulfill their daily objectives. This way, there is better preparation for the best and worst that a new day brings.