Unprecedented times call for unprecedented solutions. In the current downturn, hoteliers are having to deal with contingencies on a scale they’ve never encountered before. With a constantly shifting environment as the situation evolves, it can be hard to stay ahead of the game and on top of the details.
During a crisis or emergency situation, how you respond is just as important as when. Transparency is key: Set yourself up for successful recovery and careful mitigation of the situation by having a plan in place and communicating that plan effectively and efficiently to your employees and event planners.
Here are a few resources to help you develop a communications plan for times like these, and how to respond and recover during a crisis or emergency situation.
Resilient: a Deloitte Podcast on Crisis Response and Recovery
Deloitte has created a special podcast series focusing on crisis management and risk assessment as it relates to COVID-19. Each episode features actionable insights hoteliers can use to help formulate a plan on what to do now — and next.
This episode on crisis response and recovery brings together Deloitte risk intelligence leaders to share first-hand insights on how to manage the unfolding situation and even embrace innovation in the current unpredictable environment.
The discussion delves into what a crisis management team and command center look like and the different roles each individual plays. When a crisis is evolving faster than the speed of response, the Deloitte experts advise having a plan or a team in place to help mitigate this. Organization is especially important if you’re working with a reduced team of hotel marketing professionals. Making sure each team member knows what to do and when is essential to staying ahead of the game – and above the chaos.
The podcast also dissects decision-making when under pressure and in times of stress, or when you might not be equipped with all of the information you’d have in normal times before making a decision. The experts provide advice for those who have had to shut down critical business operations, as well as advice for leaders who are leading through an extraordinarily uncertain time and what they can do now to build a more resilient organization for the future.
You can listen to the podcast or download the transcript here.
Additional Resources
Regular communication to all parties from a centralized team is a staple of crisis communications. This article from the Harvard Business Review outlines five steps for how to communicate and come up with a plan during an emergency situation or crisis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a microsite, among other resources, where you can choose content, widgets, podcasts, infographics, and other elements to embed directly onto your own website. This could be a great way to keep planners up to date on the latest information available straight from reliable sources.
