3 Things You Must Do When Managing a Crisis

When we plan, whether it's for personal, small business, or non-profit development planning, the assumption is a  successful outcome. We work hard to make sure the plan will lead us to profitability. But, many things cause delays or derail us from our end game. Most plans do not have a crisis component built into it, which is a mistake. ANYTHING could go wrong. I've seen some of the best-laid plans fail miserably because something went wrong.

When a crisis occurs, you might be able to manage it internally without news leaking to the public. However, more often than not, the public finds out. So, plan for the fail, for a crisis, and for news going public. 

Here are 3 things you must do when managing this kind of crisis...

Not long ago, I was struggling to keep my head above water, trying to manage WAY too much. Unfortunately, this predicament isn't something that happens to me only. I know MANY businesses, organizations, and individuals that are currently under incredible stress, and exhausted due to juggling too many hats. 

Sometimes it seems there just isn't a way out of the chaos. Hiring someone is not feasible. There's no time to recruit an intern. And volunteers, though great, just don't have the right skills.

So what CAN you do when you are on the verge of "drowning?" Create systems! With the right systems in place, you can eliminate quite a bit of reinventing the wheel. Also, systems provide a framework for hiring someone or recruiting an intern or volunteer. There is a clear expectation of what needs to be accomplished, and less time spent orienting because documented systems can serve as training material. 

Here are the top 3 systems I recommend you put into place as soon as possible...

By the time Friday afternoon rolls around, I feel like I've hit a wall. My focus starts to go onto other things like baking, sewing, house shopping, hiking, getting the garden ready....anything but business-related tasks. Though I'd LOVE to dive into these more meditative projects, there is an endless list of things I need to address for my company. Apparently, we're supposed to work until 5 pm, AT LEAST, if we want to advance our careers. Or so we are told in "Lean In" according to Sheryl Sandberg COO of Facebook. But, all I want to lean into are the red forest cupcakes that I'm dying to make!...   

Development of time management skills is essential when you are running your own business. Over the years, I've read nearly every book written on time management. You could say I'm sort of obsessed with the topic. I do actually enjoy reading about the various ways you can carve out time to do the things you need to do. Almost every book I've read has had some relevance to it. 

When I became a mom, boy!...did that time management knowledge come in handy! I will confess though, there were days where nothing I learned or knew helped. I just had to give in to my day and let it take me where it needed to go. But overall the biggest thing I learned is to make use of every minute of my day. 

As many moms out there can relate...I'm not JUST running a business, I am a mom, first and foremost. And then I have a house I need to keep clean and orderly as best as I can. Finally, there are other responsibilities like taking the baby in for her shots, getting the groceries, etc... Completing ALL of my tasks for the day requires lots of pre-planning. So, here are the top 4 time management tips from the tip jar. But the BIG tip from the jar today is...

I'm often asked, "Rubina, what is the one thing I can do to get clients." Or "What is the one thing I can do to get people to donate to our organization." My answer is always, "There's no ONE thing." Many people don't want to hear this, but it's true. 

We are all regularly and constantly consuming massive amounts of information from a variety of sources. Rarely do we run out and buy something or get compelled to give right when we consume that information. It's when we are ready to buy something or ready to give to a cause or organization. One or two brands or messages will actually stand out. 

We can recall these specific brands or images more easily. Why? Because we saw the brand and/or message enough times through various channels and they stuck with us. This is called accomplishing top of mind status. If you did just one thing it would be very hard to achieve this status. Therefore, a variety of methods are recommended, even if you are a small business or organization...​

Today's tip from the tip jar might not seem like much to some, but small tips are part of a greater whole. I run into people all the time as I'm teaching workshops and networking and find that they do not have websites! Yes...it's true. Now, in their defense, many of them have either held successful careers and never needed one because they relied so heavily on word of mouth, or some just couldn't even fathom developing a website because it seemed too cumbersome for them. 

There are several reasons why having a website is a good idea... ​

Today's tip from the jar is about messaging. In marketing and communications work, you'll hear over and over again, "You must have messaging that speaks to your target market." This is spot on. 

I'm going to add another element to this. There is an integral and extremely important someone that plays into this equation. And that person cannot be put aside when your message is created. That somebody is you! 

Your message is your story. You gotta tell it if you want people to connect with you and your product or service. More and more, people are making decisions based on how much they like, connect, and trust that someone. Whether they are buying a pair of earrings or buying a house, customers make their purchasing decisions based on how much they resonate with the individual they are purchasing from. 

SO, that brings me to...​