Well-considered, flexible and, most of all, together: This is how to deal with crises

How do you prepare for a crisis situation as an organisation? Can you put together a ready-made script? What kinds of leadership and team dynamics work best? These questions are more relevant than ever, as crises are growing increasingly complex and prolonged – take the COVID pandemic, for example. That’s why we have to learn to tackle emergency situations in a well-considered, flexible manner, together with our allies. In 2023, the chair of Crisis Governance was set up at UAntwerp, with the aim of creating and spreading knowledge on this topic. Stroom brought the different chair partners together for a discussion.

Research firmly rooted in society

Hugo Marynissen is a professor at the Faculty of Business and Economics of UAntwerp. Together with Professor Sascha Albers, he holds the chair of Crisis Governance. ‘I had already been doing research into ways of dealing with crises, in close contact with partners from the professional field,’ he says. ‘In an effort to join forces, we founded the chair, including a brand-new research group and courses.’ An academic perspective certainly presents an added value for a practice-oriented subject like crisis management: ‘Many solutions already exist in practice, but are those really the best methods? Are there better alternatives? We map all of this out in a scientific way, together with the chair partners.’ Those partners are the Antwerp Fire and Rescue Service, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and PM – Risk Crisis Change.

Increasing complexity

Due to the current social and geopolitical reality, crises are growing more complex and prolonged. As the harbour master of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Niels Vanlaer is responsible for the safety and security of the port. He illustrates how the societal context has changed in recent years: ‘Take the incidents at the port that cause odour nuisance. In the old days, the people nearby would shrug their shoulders and call it ‘the port’s body odour’. But now, they react more strongly and are more likely to get involved in the debate, for example through social media. It’s not so easy to take all of those opinions into account.’

Commander of the Antwerp Fire and Rescue Service Bert Brugghemans adds: ‘The current geopolitical context is also making crises more complex. You only need to think of a cyber attack. We used to blame those on criminal hackers right away, but now we also have to seriously consider the possibility of a state attack. That’s a completely different point of departure.’

No crisis planning but crisis governance

Due to this increasing complexity, traditional crisis planning simply doesn’t cut it. This is why none of the chair partners believe in ready-made scripts for emergency situations. ‘In the heat of battle, I’ve never found myself clutching a plan,’ says Brugghemans. ‘Having said that, it does of course make sense to think about possible crises beforehand. But you have to take a more fundamental approach than drawing up some rules.’ 
Stijn Pieters makes it more concrete for us. As a managing partner at PM – Risk Crisis Change consultancy agency, he supports companies before, during and after crises. ‘Together with the client, we come up with tailored answers to deontological questions. How does the company wish to act in a crisis? What should take priority in an emergency situation? We help to get decision-makers on the same page when it comes to these matters.’

Another shortcoming of crisis planning is its tendency to focus on the previous type of crisis. ‘After the attacks in Brussels, Belgium prepared for more terrorist attacks,’ Brugghemans explains, ‘but we weren’t the least bit ready for the COVID pandemic.’
The confluence of crises is also something that’s hardly ever foreseen,  says Marynissen. ‘During the pandemic, for example, the Suez Canal was blocked for a long time, which meant huge supply chain delays were added to the medical disaster.’
According to the four experts, the future of effective crisis management isn’t ad-hoc planning, but the broader concept of crisis governance. This involves the power to think ahead based on a well-considered preparation, a flexible attitude and close collaboration.

Preparation is everything

Mission readiness – it’s a term that may feel more appropriate to the army than to the operation of organisations. However, when translated to the business context, it concerns questions like: is an organisation able to come together quickly? To respond immediately? Such a state of readiness gets us through a crisis more effectively.

Brugghemans provides some tips: ‘Brainstorm sessions about worst-case scenarios are useful. At the fire service, for instance, we think about how to react to a prolonged power outage. And it also helps to look outside your bubble. How do colleagues who work in more difficult circumstances do things? For us  , the Ukrainian emergency services are relevant, for example. What’s the mentality in regions like Finland, where inhabitants have to be much more prepared for survival situations due to military tensions?’

‘Of course, companies also make trade-offs in their crisis preparations,’ Pieters notes. ‘They pay little attention to certain scenarios because the chance of them happening is very small. And there are also financial considerations. There are plans, for example, which could ensure every train leaves on time, but these would require so much in the way of human resources and infrastructure that they don’t get implemented.’ What he does think every company would be able to do, is invest in stress reduction: ‘It’s more difficult to take decisions under pressure, so reducing general stress on the work floor will automatically pay off in times of crisis.’

Finally, the experts also advocate preparing for the period following an acute crisis. Vanlaer explains: ‘During the actual moment of crisis, which is often very brief, the solutions are typically quite obvious. It’s only afterwards that things become complex.’ Brugghemans gives the example of corporate fires: ‘We put out the fire, all the company has to do is pick up the phone and call us. The  extended crisis starts after that, when hundreds of employees don’t have a place to work. Organisations are insufficiently prepared in this regard.’

Independent and flexible mindset 

The right mentality can make a difference in any crisis phase. ‘Traditionally, people are trained to deal with emergency situations according to a strict framework,’ says Brugghemans, ‘but what’s actually important is the ability to act flexibly and independently.’ Vanlaer illustrates this with an example from the COVID period. ‘Our port was quicker to adapt than our competition, as we weren’t as bound to procedure as they were.  Of course, you still need strong leadership to safeguard that flexibility and stay grounded .’

Pieters agrees. By looking at clients’ team dynamics, he can deduce  how they will function in an emergency situation: ‘Rigid leadership, where everyone looks at the boss for instructions, doesn’t work in a crisis. On the other end of the spectrum, there are participatory teams. A leader that encourages their people to take the initiative themselves, that’s what you need in emergency situations.’ 

Cross-level cooperation with a company, regardless of rank or position, is also essential during disasters. Even though the framework for crisis management is established by decision-makers, the people on the scene are just as crucial. ‘Everyone knows stories about company owners who aren’t allowed to be on a plane together,’ says Vanlaer. ‘You never hear something like this about employees. Because of that, you may think they’re easier to replace, but they’re not!’
‘Effective crisis management requires your people to get behind your decisions,’ Pieters continues. ‘This starts with good communication: have a dialogue with your employees. That’s the only way to get everyone on board.’
That last bit is crucial. After all, every crisis is ultimately resolved at the operational level, says Brugghemans: ‘It’s the people on the ground that get their hands dirty. Employees and bystanders. During the floods in Wallonia, for instance, most people were saved by their neighbours. There’s no framework for this kind of citizen assistance.’ And this is where the academic world comes in. Marynissen lists a number of research questions that still require answers: ‘What’s the best way for a country to organise citizen assistance? Should you train a lot of volunteers, or a small group that gives directions to the untrained assistance providers? And in the latter case, who’s the point of contact? Who’s responsible?’