Survive Your 'Golden Hour' with Crisis Planning
Why nonprofits should prepare for a crisis—before it comes
"There is a golden hour between life and death. If you are critically injured, you have less than 60 minutes to survive. You might not die right then; it may be three days or two weeks later, but something has happened in your body that is irreparable."
– Dr. R. Adams Cowley
Cowley is known for coining the term "golden hour," the critical time period after traumatic injury or crisis when chances of survival are the greatest. His theory is that a person's chances of survival increase dramatically when appropriate medical intervention is given within 60 minutes. This belief has since influenced the response and crisis management protocols of trauma centers and emergency responders alike.
Why is it important to plan for a crisis?
Like the human body, brands have their own "golden hour." When a crisis hits, the response taken within those first few hours and days—its crisis management plan—can make or break a brand. Unfortunately, many companies only prepare a crisis plan after experiencing a major incident. This impedes their ability to respond quickly, thoughtfully and strategically. In the midst of a crisis, lack of prior crisis communication can easily result in critical missteps.
For Taco Bell, a thoughtful and strategic response during their "golden hour" mitigated potential crises to their brand. When their parent company was sued over the contents of its meat, Taco Bell responded with clear communication, unequivocally denying the claims, sharing the percentage of beef and ingredients of the secret recipe itself, thereby bolstering the trust of the general public.
Crisis management planning for nonprofits
For nonprofits, planning ahead for potential crises with a crisis management plan can help prepare your organization to calmly and readily handle a potential threat or crisis situation.
What is a crisis management plan?
Your crisis management plan will help you:
Develop a crisis management team.
Know which team members need to offer a crisis response.
Involve each appropriate stakeholder.
Decide what kind of communication to offer.
Decide how to leverage public relations.
Lessen further risks.
Without question, the amount of time, organization and effort that goes into your crisis planning will largely determine how successful you are when faced with a "golden hour." At Guardian, we help faith-based organizations with crisis management, planning and communication so you can continue to share your mission no matter what crisis comes your way.