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Crisis checklist: the first hours
Eight points that make the difference when it counts — to take away and print.
When things turn serious, every minute counts. This checklist helps you keep an overview in the first hours of a crisis — before you communicate publicly.
- 01
Gather facts before you speak
What happened, what is confirmed, what is assumption? Don't communicate anything you cannot back up.
- 02
One person speaks
Designate a single spokesperson. Everyone else refers to them — that avoids contradictory statements.
- 03
Define core messages
Three sentences that are true and that you can hold. They are the thread for every channel.
- 04
Those affected first
Inform those directly affected — employees, customers, partners — before the media do.
- 05
Silence is a statement too
Whoever stays silent lets others frame the story. Speak up, even if you do not know everything yet.
- 06
Keep an eye on the channels
Where are people talking about you? Monitor media and social networks to steer early.
- 07
Think internal and external together
What you say internally often ends up outside. Align both levels.
- 08
After the crisis: review
What worked, what did not? An honest review makes you stronger for next time.
This checklist is no substitute for individual advice. In an emergency, every hour counts — let’s talk.
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An initial talk costs you nothing — except the uncertainty of being unprepared when it counts.