! · Hard times
Every business hits a crisis eventually: a big client leaves, cash runs short, a mistake reaches a customer. You can't always prevent it. You can decide in advance how you'll respond. You won't be the first owner to face it, and with a plan, you won't face it unprepared.
In normal times, good owners ask for input and decide carefully. In a crisis, slow group discussion can make things worse. This is when the directive management style fits: clear assignments, short timelines, one person in charge. Once the danger passes, switch back and ask the team what to learn from it.
The owner's job is to be the calm one. Panic spreads fast. So does steadiness.
■ In order
Do whatever keeps the problem from getting bigger right now, even if it's temporary.
What happened, who's affected, how bad. Separate facts from rumors, just like the S step.
Affected clients and staff should hear it from you first, even before you have every answer.
Who does what by when. One owner per task. Write it down.
Note decisions and times as you go. You'll need it for the review.
Once things are stable, run the review while memories are fresh. What happened? What warning signs did we miss? Which response worked, and which didn't? What will we change so it doesn't happen again? Treat it as the R step of the Dossier Method, and focus on the system, not on blame.
Many crises turn out to be the end of a long drift, the kind described on the Tight Ship page. The best crisis plan is a business that catches small problems early.