Critical crisis communication mistakes organisations keep making (despite knowing better)

1. Underestimating the speed of social media escalation

Organizations frequently acknowledge the power of social media in crisis situations, yet consistently underestimate just how quickly issues can spiral out of control. Despite investing in monitoring tools and dedicated teams, many companies still operate with outdated response timeframes that simply don’t match today’s digital reality.

“The disconnect between knowing and doing in crisis response is remarkable,” says Mark Beers, PR consultant and founder of Sharpe International. “Companies with sophisticated monitoring tools often still operate on pre-digital timetables when responding.”

A typical scenario involves a company taking several hours to navigate internal approval processes while a potentially damaging narrative gains traction online. By the time an official response is published, the story has frequently been picked up by mainstream media, forcing the organization into a defensive position.

2. Failing to maintain updated crisis scenarios

Most organizations have established crisis communication plans, but they often treat them as static documents rather than living guidelines. While contact lists and communication channels might be regularly updated, crisis scenarios frequently remain anchored to outdated threat assessments.

Recent years have demonstrated how quickly new types of crises can emerge. Today’s organizations face evolving challenges including AI-generated misinformation, sophisticated cyber attacks, and complex supply chain disruptions that many crisis plans haven’t adequately addressed.

3. The preparation-implementation gap

Perhaps the most concerning pattern we observe is what we call the “preparation-implementation gap.” Organizations invest considerably in developing crisis plans and conducting training, yet when real crises occur, these carefully crafted protocols are often abandoned.

“It’s like having a sophisticated GPS system but reverting to gut feeling when you’re actually lost,” Beers notes. “The organizations that succeed in crisis are those that have made proper response a muscle memory.”

This disconnect typically stems from three key factors:

• Decision-makers reverting to instincts under  
• Insufficient integration of crisis protocols into day-to-day operations
• Limited practical experience in implementing crisis response strategies

Moving forward

At Sharpe International, our experience shows that avoiding these pitfalls doesn’t require more complex planning, but rather a systematic approach to crisis readiness. Organizations need to focus on:

• Establishing rapid response capabilities that match the speed of digital information flow
• Implementing regular review cycles for crisis scenarios to reflect emerging threats
• Conducting frequent micro-drills to reinforce proper crisis response behaviors
• Using a simple, one-page flowchart to ensure the crisis communication plan is easy to follow and implement under pressure
• Adding a crisis communication expert to the team to provide strategic guidance and real-time support when a crisis unfolds

The most resilient organizations are those that transform their crisis plans from theoretical frameworks into operational practice, making effective crisis response an integral part of their organizational culture.

For more information on building effective crisis communication capabilities, contact Sharpe International.