Use the STEPS framework to craft a comprehensive crisis preparation plan before emergencies occur

Posted by

Via KVA – Communications Made Simple

“Today, I’m going to talk to you about ways that you can prepare for a crisis ahead of time. We do that in five STEPS. So the first S is scenario planning. T is for team. E is your early warning system. P is process. And S, the last S, is strategic response.”
— KVA’s Five Easy Steps for Crisis Preparedness, at 0:12

Kelly Voelker, founder and CEO of KVA introduces five critical elements that should be proactively established ahead of any crisis situation. The STEPS acronym breaks down as:

Step	What to Do
S – Scenario Planning What business risks should we be ready for?	Identify your greatest business risks Focus on product recalls, safety issues, or other vulnerabilities Prioritize most likely and impactful scenarios
T – Team Who needs to be involved for each type of crisis?	Assemble legal, product safety, and key decision-makers Establish communication channels in advance Knowing who should be involved ahead of time eliminates delays before emergencies occur
E – Early Warning System Are there patterns in the complaints or negative sentiment bubbling up?	Monitor public conversations and complaints about your products Identify emerging patterns and trends before they become major issues Shift from reactive damage control to preventive intervention, before the situation devolves into a crisis
P – Process Do people know what they should be doing and in what sequence during a crisis?	Establish distribution lists and information gathering systems Create protocols for tracking latest updates Set up checklists and operational fundamentals now, not during a crisis
S – Strategic Response When and what should be communicated to whom?	Pre-draft customer emails, social posts, and response guidelines Create templates and messaging frameworks in advance Determine who needs to hear from you and when

This framework works because it forces organizations to think systematically. Rather than scrambling during a crisis, you work through each element proactively, during calm moments when you can think clearly and make sound decisions. While a specific crisis will inevitably require you to adapt, having a starting point dramatically accelerates your response time.

The framework is designed to be scenario-specific—you don’t create one generic crisis plan. Instead, you work through the STEPS for each high-risk scenario you’ve identified, tailoring your team composition, warning systems, processes, and responses to the particular situation.