Below is a description of the fundamental elements of crisis communications. If you believe this can be improved, we invite you to comment on it by posting your thoughts below.

Crisis communications at its most basic level consists of three elements: crisis planning, crisis response and crisis recovery.

Crisis planning is the work done to define what constitutes a crisis for the organization, identify vulnerabilities -- both likely and less-than-likely, assign responsibilities, prepare a spokesperson with media training, practice periodically and prepare standby materials as appropriate. I've seen organizations spend tens of thousands of dollars on the development of a crisis communications plan the size of a phone book and I've seen others create a perfectly functional crisis plan on the back and front a business card. The important thing is the thinking that goes into the process and the commitment to occasionally practice it.

Crisis response is the short-term effort to get the organization's arms around a crisis by implementing the crisis communications plan. Crisis response can take a day or it can take a week. It rarely takes more than a week because by then the crisis typically evolves into a manageable issue. The difference between a crisis and an issue is that a crisis is completely out of an organization's control. An organization can influence the course of an issue. The best posture for crisis response is for an organization to be open, honest and humble. Deal with people first in both your actions and your words. No matter how sure you are about something, don't suggest that you know things that you may not. Therefore, avoid absolutes. Words such as "always," and "never," have no place in crisis response. Likewise, don't speculate. And always consider reaching out to those with whom you have a positive relationship, since you may need to access this reservoir of goodwill you've established.

Crisis recovery is the work done during the aftermath of the incident to help the organization get back to normal business operations. Typically, an organization that survives a crisis comes out of it a much different organization, either due to changes in policies and processes that have been deemed unsafe or inappropriate, or due to changes in leadership. A crisis often will prompt an organization to be introspective about what it does, why it does it, how it does it and how all these things can be done in a better or different way. Therefore the period of crisis recovery often is a time of great change for an organization. If an organization does not change in the wake of a crisis, it is bound to endure a similar crisis in the future. Change is necessary for the organization to apply what has been learned during the ordeal and make necessary adjustments. With the right approach and leadership that gets it, crisis recovery can be a positive time for an organization; a period of renewal and a recommitment to the core principles under which the organization was founded.

DPK Public Relations offers crisis communications planning, response and recovery services and can be reached at 214-432-7556 (Dallas/Fort Worth) or 832-467-2904 (Houston).