The first thing to do when approaching the issue of crisis management from a communicative point of view is to examine everything that can be done to prevent them: implement preventive mechanisms, such as courses on communication; select a group of people who are active in the event of a crisis and train them appropriately; develop specific communication procedures and draft documents...
If, however, the crisis occurs – and in the context of religious life it also happens frequently, given the higher standards of coherence and morality required of its members – it is appropriate to be clear about what to do and to adhere to some key principles that, if followed diligently, significantly improve the ability to communicate often intricate situations in an orderly and transparent manner. These principles are: efficiency and speed in response, teamwork, clear definition of roles and involvement of the communication coordinator, care of internal communication and integrated communication, accompanied by continuous monitoring of the evolution of the situation.
Finally, crisis communication management is not resolved even when the crisis os over: afterwards it is necessary to ensure other fundamental steps to take forward, to recover credibility, renew and reform, learning from the experience.
To explore the topic, at the bottom of the page you can find – in Italian, English and Spanish – a short guide on the fundamental steps for crisis management, edited by Fr Maciej Makuła, member of the Sector for Social Communication.
"We invite you to the Communication Conference, which will be held from 1 to 7 August 2024, in Rome" is the exhortation that comes from the Social Communication Sector.
In view of the Conference, the Facebook page and Instagram profile of "Shaping Tomorrow" are already active.
