As the former CEO of two trade associations crisis management expert and author Edward Segal knows that it is not a matter of if an organization will have a crisis, but when. That’s why today he recommends companies and organizations follow these three important crisis management New Year’s resolutions in 2020:

• 1. Prepare a crisis management plan if you do not already have one.

• 2. Update your crisis management plan if you do have one in place.

• 3. Conduct crisis exercises and drills throughout the year to help ensure your plan will work when it is needed. Then, after each exercise, update or revise your plan as necessary.

Segal said that a lot can be at stake for a company that is confronted by a crisis, ranging from its image and reputation to the bottom line and future of the organization. ”Don’t wait until you are having a disaster, scandal, or other emergency to figure out how to deal with it. The sooner you have a plan in place for preparing, managing, and recovering from a crisis, the better,” he noted.

Segal is the author of the forthcoming book on crisis management: Crisis Ready:101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies (Nicholas Brealey/Hachette). The book includes a generic crisis management plan that can be customized for a variety of crisis scenarios.

Segal provides provides crisis management advice and services to companies and organizations in a variety of industries and professions. He is the former CEO of the Greater Los Angeles REALTORS® Association and the Marin Association of REALTORS® in Northern California. Segal earned the Certified Association Executive credential from the American Society of Association Executives and the REALTOR® Certified Association Executive credential from the National Association of REALTORS®.