Post-crisis opportunities
Once the crisis subsides and stability returns, shift your focus to reinforcing the library’s mission, rebuilding trust, and implementing a proactive communication strategy. How you handle this phase is just as important as the crisis response itself.
When done well, post-crisis communication can strengthen relationships, build the library’s reputation, and improve future preparedness.
Here are clear steps for communicating once a crisis has ended:
- Review and debrief: Bring together your crisis communication team and others involved to evaluate what worked and what didn’t. Summarize key issues, decisions, and outcomes in a brief report to inform stakeholders and improve transparency.
- Determine next steps: Clarify what needs to happen next. Do stakeholders need follow-up messages? Is more staff training needed? Does the library director need to speak publicly? Assign responsibilities, set deadlines, and follow through.
- Edit and build upon the crisis communication plan: Make tweaks to the plan while everything is fresh in your mind. Add or revise roles, outlines, template releases, social media posts, passwords, contact information, and other details that will improve the execution of the plan in the future. Identify ways to streamline communication—doing so now will add future value to the plan.
- Reengage with stakeholders: As attention shifts away from the crisis, reintroduce regular messaging about the library’s services and impact. Be strategic—don’t ignore the incident, but do look for opportunities to shift focus back to the positive.
- Anticipate and prepare: Watch for risks of recurrence. If something similar could happen again, prepare new messaging or scenarios in advance. Use past experiences to plan for stronger responses next time.
- Continue to listen: Monitor social media and public feedback after the crisis ends. Is a certain narrative gaining traction? Is a follow-up needed? Evaluate how social media helped or hurt your response and adjust future use accordingly.