Crisis Metrics

Not all crises are created equal.

Some we bring on ourselves. Some come with a wave of economic, social or environmental consequences we don't control.

But some are of our own making.

We lost key people. Fail to attract good customers, partners, supporters, interest from our audience and wind up with a downturn we can't always turn around.

But beyond the bottomline, the metrics of self-made crises are hard to define.

We can blame so-and-so for leaving. Blame the ignorance of our customers and start muttering "You need to understand" to everyone who will listen. But the metrics we use to measure a crisis are not always equal to the cause of the crisis.

This is the lesson we learn from crisis management communicators: Not every problem includes a solution.

So we can't use the metrics of our downturn, shortfall, slump or curse to respond to the problem.

But seeing the solution in lateral moves seems to dismiss the problem and it's real numbers.

This is why crisis management communications strikes insiders as such a waste of time (and more money).

The solution may be running parallel to us. It's right there... beside us... if we look to the side.

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