The outbreak of the novel coronavirus and its unparalleled, global effects has caused most organizations to look hard at their readiness to meet major crises. Many have discovered that they were woefully underprepared, threating the existence of their organizations.

The best way to deal with a crisis is to be prepared. While we can’t go back in time and be better prepared for this crisis, we can learn from our mistakes and ensure our organizations are better prepared for the future. Managers and supervisors play key roles in these preparations. Here then are five ways to ready your organization for the next crisis.

1. Plan Ahead

The old adage “failing to plan is planning to fail” is never truer than when a crisis hits. The last thing any organization needs is to be caught unprepared when something goes majorly wrong. Develop detailed contingency plans to guide your organization through sudden difficulties. More importantly, ensure everyone knows and understands the plans and how to execute them.

2. Develop and Communicate Clear Guidelines

This needs to happen long before a crisis happens. Workers need to know what to expect and what is expected of them when a major crisis occurs. What are your organization’s telework policies? How will jobs and responsibilities change? What do workers need to do in advance to be prepared? How will the organization communicate vital information to workers? These questions and many more need to be answered in advance.

3. Ensure Your People Have What They Need

Almost overnight, millions of office workers became a remote workforce. Many may have never previously worked from home and may not be prepared to do so. They may not even have a home computer or high-speed Internet. Organizations need to have policies in place to mitigate these issues. For example, you may allow workers to take their office computers home if needed or pay them a stipend to hook up Internet service. Remember: Preparation is the key.

4. Be Patient and Flexible With Parents

When schools are closed, teleworking parents have a lot more to think about than doing their jobs. When kids are out of school for an extended period, parents will have the additional burden of keeping their learning on track. In such cases, parents may not be as available as usual during typical work hours and take longer to respond to phone calls, texts, and email. Supervisors and co-workers need to keep these additional challenges in mind, be patient and flexible waiting for responses from parents, and trust that they are doing their best in difficult situations.

5. Have Reasonable Expectations

The reality is that productivity will likely suffer when a major crisis occurs. A lot of things we take for granted in a typical work environment will suddenly get more complicated and less efficient. Teleworking alone can lead to lots of problems. For instance, issues with meeting software and Internet connectivity may hamper communications. For these and lots of other reasons, project deadlines may need to be adjusted, certain non-critical tasks may need to be temporarily suspended, and you may need to accept a lower volume of work to maintain quality.

While this is by no means a comprehensive list, following these five suggestions will go a long way in helping your organization to prepare for a crisis, survive, and thrive.

Other Resources

• What Does It Mean to Be a Crisis-Ready Organization?

• 3 Steps for Communicators to Implement a Crisis-Ready Culture

• How to Build the Crisis-Ready Organization