Crises or unscheduled priorities are activities where there is no advance warning, but they have to be handled immediately when they crop up.
Their frequency varies with the job, but all jobs have them and they consume considerable time and disrupt time planning.
The first stage to handling a crisis is to identify the real seriousness (exaggeration is a common problem) and the recurrent nature of the crisis.
The objective then is to either foresee and avoid the recurrent crisis or to manage the crisis more efficiently.
Many crises result from a lack of system or foresight. They can either be prevented or reduced to routine management.
Every crisis provides an opportunity.
Good planning considers potential problems.
Some of these problems which are likely to occur, must be avoided wherever possible. Planning for other problems (such as ones which are unlikely to occur but would be serious if they did) should at least have a contingency plan if they did occur. Resolution is quicker and effects are minimised.
The well managed department is a "dull" organisation where "dramas" and "panic" are infrequent.
The ability to manage crises is important but the ability to avoid or minimise crises is even more important.
Managing unavoidable crises requires the skills of being calm and perceptive.
A crisis will create panic, which undermines efficiency and effectiveness.
Thinking time is crucial to crisis management, but all too often gets eliminated in the rush.
Consider your options and anticipate the consequences of each option.
Formulate a plan to resolve the crisis and ensure that there is adequate control and co-ordination to ensure successful implementation.
Rely upon the resources and skills available to you.
Remember, in a crisis, the first thing you shoud do (besides keeping calm and perceptive) is to assess whether you do actually have a crisis or not.