New article from Empathia helps organizations select a qualified crisis consultant with tips from recognized risk management/crisis response experts.
Milwaukee, WI (Jan. 16, 2013)—While it often takes a crisis to motivate employers to seek out the guidance and expertise of truly qualified crisis consultants, a new article from Empathia, Inc. urges organizations to be proactive in their searches. The article, “Expert Tips for Choosing a Crisis Consultant,” offers insights and recommendations from four recognized risk management and crisis response experts, who identify the characteristics that organizations should look for when choosing crisis consultants.
“Sadly, there’s a large number of unqualified ‘experts’ offering consultation on a variety of crisis management issues,” said Joseph DesPlains, the article’s author and vice president of Risk Management Services at Black Swan Solutions®, a strategic business unit of Empathia. “If you handle crisis management in your organization, your voice mailbox and email inbox are probably full of consultation offers, and it can be a real challenge to sort through the promises and marketing-speak to find a legitimate consultant. The tips shared in this article make it much easier to find truly qualified professionals who deliver high-quality guidance and counsel.”
The four experts who share their insights in the article are:
- Bob VandePol, president of Crisis Care Network, the largest provider of workplace Critical Incident Response Services in the U.S.
- Peter Goelz, senior vice president and manager of the Washington, DC, office of O’Neal and Associates, renowned communications, government affairs and litigation support firm.
- Russ Simons, managing partner for Venue Solutions Group, where he directs a team that evaluates building systems and components, facility conditions, risk management, safety and security.
- Ken Jenkins, vice president of Emergency Services for BMS Global, where he leads the company’s response and communication during disaster activations.
Among the tips they share are the following:
- Search for a consultant who offers both a strategic and tactical perspective. The consultant should have a vision of where the organization needs to go as well as the action steps necessary to achieve this vision.
- Always conduct due diligence on the consultants you are considering and interview the consultants, asking for documented case studies regarding their specific training models, testing practices and more.
- Focus on consultants who are committed to collaborating with you before, during and after a crisis. These consultants will learn about your business, priorities and culture immediately upon contracting with you. And, in the event of a crisis, they will meet with your key stakeholders to review losses and lessons learned.
- Seek professionals who have experience as both consultants and as consumers of crisis communications services. These individuals will have a fuller understanding of your needs and challenges.
About Empathia
Empathia provides behavioral health solutions that improve the well-being, safety and productivity of organizations and individuals. The company collaborates with private and public sector entities from expansive Fortune 500 corporations to small businesses in addressing a diverse range of needs: employee assistance, disaster response and planning, work-life balance, employee relations, leadership development, training and benefits support. Founded in 1982 under the name NEAS, Empathia has distinguished itself as a quality leader dedicated to creating a superior customer experience for both client organizations and employees. For more information, visit http://www.empathia.com.
