b'Watch the full conversation between our panelists at: germination.ca/plan-to-stay-ahead-of-a-crisis/PLAN TO STAY AHEAD OF A CRISISWhen it comes to crisis communication, the most important piece is to have a strategy in place before disaster hits.Alex MartinIT DOESNT MATTERwhat area of the agriculture sectorshould be part of your business planning strategy from youre inwhether youre in an office or on the farm,day one.disaster could strike at some point. These disasters couldAt Gro Alliance, Schweigert says what helps prepare for look differently based on where you are. For some, itcrises in the future is an exercise called scenario planning. might look like a pandemic such as COVID-19. OthersThis is conducted during the annual management team might experience natural disasters that wipe out a crop. meeting.Unfortunately, crises are part of the business game,Youre not going to exactly plan the crisis or situation and you never know when theyll hit. So, how are youthat comes up, Schweigert says, noting this planning gen-supposed to plan your communication when you donterally means employees know where information needs to know what youre going to be up against or when? go, where information may come from and how to com-You need to show your customers or your employ- municate to stakeholders in a more organized fashion. ees that youre organized and confidentthat you canIn addition, ensuring your team and employees are handle whatever crisis youre dealing with, says Chriseducated on the process is imperative to distribute the Cornelius, executive assistant of Cornelius Seed andcorrect information to stakeholders.president of the U.S.-based Independent Professional SeedThe buck stops at the desk of the leadership team. Its Association. Theres nothing quite so unsettling as havingimportant these people are on the same page, Cornelius an issue and having nobody know whats going on. says. Youve got to all be on board in delivering the mes-There are three categories of crisis-type situationssage.that could appear in most operations, says Julie Smith,One way to guarantee a consistent message, she says, research associate professor in the Department of Animalis to choose a spokespersonsomeone who thinks and Veterinary Sciences with the University of Vermont.quickly on their feet and can handle tough questions, 1.Incapacitation of one or more of the principalwhile at the same time being sympathetic. operators Its important to deliver a clear message, she says. If 2. Natural disasters a customer asks, What are you guys doing about this? 3.The three Pspoisons, pests or pathogens theres a black and white answer with no room for inter-To prevent that unsettling feeling during a crisis, itspretation.important to create a strategy before disaster strikes toWith a plan in place and an idea of the communica-kick off a communication plan.tion chain, all three agree: youll be able to get through a You dont start crisis communication when you have acrisis.crisis, says Jim Schweigert, president of Gro Alliance andYou dont have a crisis in front of you right now, says chair of the American Seed Trade Association. It reallySchweigert. But you will. So start getting ready today. 38GERMINATION.CANOVEMBER 2022'