cri•sis
noun \'krī-səs\: a difficult or dangerous situation that needs serious attention

It happened. While the worst possible scenario plays out in front of your eyes and you realize you can't stop it, what should you do? Calling your PR manager is a wise step. A strategic partner, the PR manager is a trusted extension of your company and provides counsel for the C-suite during threatening situations.

The following advice stems from years of experience in the public relations industry and an affinity for a quote from Bassam Tarazi, the author of The Accountability Effect. Tarazi says, "The only thing you can control is how you react to things out of your control."

If your particular crisis is business-related, take time to strategize before reacting hastily. While you can't control a crisis, a public relations professional like me will advise you to "manage it." For those of you who'd retort, "I don't have time to think--I just have to fix this immediately," proceed with caution. Without a plan or a clear strategy in place, your company is at risk for additional damage on top of the prevailing crisis.

After a deep breath, identify the affected stakeholders or publics. By determining the scope of the crisis, you can clarify the necessary channels to reach audiences, whether they are internal, external or both. A bit of research will behoove you and makes planning the response effective.

Any crisis is an opportunity in disguise. As a business owner, it might feel like the world is crumbling around you. Trust that your PR manager understands the way management thinks during a crisis and can help you implement his or her advice, rooted in ethics, to mitigate damage to reputation, profits, employee morale and much more.

Lastly, remember that no company is impervious to a crisis. Take just as much time or even more to evaluate your company's response to the crisis, as you did to create the initial response strategy. What did you learn? It's likely that you'll discover vulnerabilities. Perhaps the legal department was tied up in another project and HR operated under outdated policies. Maybe the CEO wasn't media trained and offered a statement on camera when your company wasn't ready to take a position. A public relations professional can help you pinpoint problems in your company's approach in an effort to maximize your next crisis response. And believe me; there will come a next time, even for the most efficient companies with the best intentions.