Managing Crises Before They Happen: What Every Executive and Manager Needs to Know about Crisis Management [Paperback]

Ian I. Mitroff (Author), Gus Anagnos (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2005

"From tragic accidents to public relations fiascos, we live in an increasingly crisis-ridden society. In fact, half of the major industrial accidents of the past century occurred in the last 20 years. Incidents such as Bhopal and the Exxon Valdez have become embedded in our consciousness, cultural icons of the worst sort. Other crises, less devastating but with serious impact on their businesses, occur almost daily. Why is this--and what can be done to reverse this disturbing trend? According to Ian Mitroff, one of the world's leading experts on crisis management, the rise in the crisis rate is due to an ingrained ""it-can't happen-to-us"" mentality--which, in turn, leads to a total lack of preparedness for crises. His solution? Find out in Managing Crises Before They Happen. This fascinating book provides readers with a powerful framework that will help them: * Recognize the early warning signals that almost always precede a crisis * Focus on the big picture, not just the details * Avoid becoming either the victim or the villain in a crisis situation * Understand the importance of personal character, corporate culture, and thinking outside the box to effective crisis management * Learn from one crisis things that can prevent or ameliorate the next."

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

"From tragic accidents to public relations fiascos, we live in an increasingly crisis-ridden society. In fact, half of the major industrial accidents of the past century occurred in the last 20 years. Incidents such as Bhopal and the Exxon Valdez have become embedded in our consciousness, cultural icons of the worst sort. Other crises, less devastating but with serious impact on their businesses, occur almost daily. Why is this--and what can be done to reverse this disturbing trend?

According to Ian Mitroff, one of the world's leading experts on crisis management, the rise in the crisis rate is due to an ingrained ""it-can't happen-to-us"" mentality--which, in turn, leads to a total lack of preparedness for crises. His solution? Find out in Managing Crises Before They Happen. This fascinating book provides readers with a powerful framework that will help them:

* Recognize the early warning signals that almost always precede a crisis

* Focus on the big picture, not just the details

* Avoid becoming either the victim or the villain in a crisis situation

* Understand the importance of personal character, corporate culture, and thinking outside the box to effective crisis management

* Learn from one crisis things that can prevent or ameliorate the next."

About the Author

"Ian I. Mitroff, Ph.D. (Manhattan Beach, CA) is the Harold Quinton Distinguished Professor of Business Policy at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California. He is also president of the consulting firm Comprehensive Crisis Management and the author or coauthor of 20 books, including A Spiritual Audit of Corporate America, Smart Thinking for Crazy Times, The Essential Guide to Managing Corporate Crises, and The Unbounded Mind.

Gus Anagnos is vice president of Comprehensive Crisis Management."

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (June 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814473288
• ISBN-13: 978-0814473283
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Insurance > Risk Management

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A framework for crisis management, February 17, 2006

By 

Louise McCauley (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Managing Crises Before They Happen: What Every Executive and Manager Needs to Know about Crisis Management (Paperback)

Understanding that completely eliminating crises is impossible, the authors of this book lay out a model any company can use to limit both duration and the magnitude of the crisis. This model ensures the major objectives of a company's business are not derailed during a crisis or series of crises.

A best-practice model is offered that identifies five factors that companies must manage before, during, and after a crisis: 1) the type and risk categories of crises, 2) mechanisms, 3) systems, 4) stakeholders and 5) scenarios. These five components form a crisis-management framework, that when integrated with other important organizational programs, such as planning, issues management, or quality assurance, will help companies weather severe storms.

The authors discuss the importance of truth-telling. In the light of the recent events with Enron and Andersen, the authors' advice to companies to not ask if the truth will be revealed, but rather when the truth will become public and under what circumstances, seems both timely and poignant.