Business disruption can come from any direction (COVID-19, we see you!) and Melissa Mack knows that companies must prepare for any type of crisis, not every crisis. Learn how your team can remove obstacles before a crisis strikes and respond with internal and external stakeholders at the fore. Join Mack for her highly anticipated second appearance at Tech Forum: A series of essential webinars with training and tabletop exercises on crisis management and incident management, with a keen eye on business continuity. Learn how crisis management differs from scandal management, how it is holistic, strategic, cross-functional, and has a stakeholder-focused approach. Identify the questions you must ask within your firm, and learn how to ask difficult questions without causing alarm. Armed with the responses, Mack will walk attendees through the key steps in developing a crisis response plan approachable by firms of all sizes and budgets. techforum.booknetcanada.ca #TechForum

1. Come taste the difference
good management can
make in your crisis!
Melissa Mack, MBCI
mmack@wittobriens.com

2. What to Expect
• This session:
• Understanding crisis & crisis
management
• Examining your organization’s
current capabilities
• Using a Post Incident Review to
debrief following a crisis
• Creating an appetite for
preparedness within your
organization
• Next session:
• Understanding elements of a crisis
management program
• Identifying and working with key
partners in a crisis
• Recognizing crisis management
program elements and variables
• Developing a crisis management
program to fit your organization

3. What is a crisis?
• Threatens (or has the
potential to threaten)
viability of an organization
• Negative impacts to:
• People
• Operations
• Finances
• Reputation
• Future ability to operate

4. What is good crisis management?
• Establishes and executes a
strategy to respond to a crisis
• Uses a practiced response
process
• Led by a cross-functional team
which anticipates the needs and
concerns of all stakeholder
groups
• Proactive
It is not:
• Reputation management (only)
• Spontaneous
• Siloed
• Limited to certain scenarios or
risks

9. Effective crisis management programs require:
Executive buy-in and support
• Leadership must set and own strategy
Cultural and organizational fit
• One size does not fit all!
Awareness and education
• If no one knows it exists, it doesn’t exist
Step 1:
Start Asking Questions
Step 2:
Conduct a Post-Incident Review

10. Step 1: Start Asking Questions
Keep in mind:
• Choose your audience wisely
• Informal / conversational is a
good place to start
• People may become
uncomfortable quickly
• Sometimes asking the question
can be enough to spur action
• Previous experiences will inform
responses
Don’t:
• Ask all these questions
• Ask the same person
• Ask only one person
• Forget about nonverbal cues

11. Step 1: Start Asking Questions
• What crises has our organization
(or industry) experienced?
• Do we have an existing crisis
management plan or program?
• Do we have an existing business
continuity plan or program?
• Who might be our partners in
responding to a crisis?
• Who might be impacted by our
crisis?
• How does our organizational
culture shape our ability to
prepare for and respond to
crises?
• Information sharing
• Awareness among employees and
suppliers
• Notification of potential incidents

12. Step 1: Start Asking Questions
How was our response to the Covid-19
pandemic?
• Were we able to shift to WFH
seamlessly?
• Have our internal communication
methods/channels changed?
• Have we faced any supply chain
issues?
• How has our organization changed
as a result of the pandemic?
• What lessons have we learned
from living and working through
the pandemic?
Was our communication during and
about the pandemic effective?
• Were employees updated regularly
on the organization’s priorities and
actions?
• Was leadership aware of employee
concerns?
• How is employee morale?
• How effectively did we
communicate externally?

13. Step 2: Post-Incident Review
• Conversational but structured
review of an incident that has
just occurred
• Facilitated and open-ended
• Allows responding team to
debrief
• Identifies lessons learned
• Can be useful for improvement,
training, and reducing liability
• Action Items / Parking Lot Items
• Consider:
• Who will be participating?
• Who is facilitating?
• Where might bias influence
responses?
• Timing after the incident
• Duration/timing of the session
What went well?
What can we do to improve?

14. Wrapping Up…
• Handouts to include questions and post-incident review guidance
• Any questions?
• Next session (April 6):
• Understanding elements of a crisis
management program
• Identifying and working with key
partners in a crisis
• Recognizing crisis management
program elements and variables
• Developing a crisis management
program to fit your organization