The Status Quo of Crisis Preparedness

  • Author: Melissa Agnes
Reading time: 4 min
  • Word Count: 764
Read the news article

The Status Quo of Crisis Preparedness Puts You at a Disadvantage—and It’s Time For That To Change.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve found myself increasingly frustrated with my industry, the crisis management profession. To put my frustration simply, the status quo of crisis preparedness and crisis management no longer suffices and, as a result, does a disservice to professionals, organizations and society.

COVID-19 is a horrific example of how unfortunately true this statement is. For the organizations that had a traditional “crisis management plan” (status quo) at the start of 2020, how well did it truly serve them? It didn’t. Instead, we watched—any many experienced first-hand—as good businesses and great professionals suffered immensely due to a lack of effective crisis preparedness.

Meanwhile, the organizations that were intrinsically crisis ready prior to COVID-19 had an advantage. I know this, because my clients are amongst them. This meant that when COVID began to impact their country and/or their business, as their neighbors, competitors and peers were left scrambling and fearful, those who had worked to engrain a Crisis Ready® Culture (elevated status quo) had a strategic advantage in getting ahead of the situation to the most extent possible at the time.

The Status Quo of Crisis Preparedness No Longer Suffices and Needs to be Elevated.

Like it or not, we’ve entered into an era of increased challenge and risk. The long-accepted approach of creating a stagnant plan that sits on a shelf somewhere does little to actually serve when it’s needed most and will continue to leave organizations at a disadvantage.

The Status Quo of Crisis Preparedness

Instead, true resilience requires a culture of readiness that leads with the right mindset, empowers the right skillset’s, and ensures the right real-time capabilities—and this The Status Quo cultural approach to resilience is going to be more and more needed as the months and years roll forward.

The BIG Mission: To Create a Crisis Resilient World

As I’ve helped dozens of organizations engrain Crisis Ready® Cultures over the years, I’ve come to the realization that if every organization, if every leader, were Crisis Ready to what it means to me to be Crisis Ready, that we would live in a kinder, safer, more balanced world.

This is the world that I’m determined to raise and leave my future children in. This is the world that I believe we all deserve and we all play a role in achieving.

So, for the last couple of years, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking through our current realities and asking myself, “if I want to create a crisis ready world, how do I do that?”

The Crisis Ready Institute is the manifestation of my answer to this question.

About the The Status Quo of the institute

The Status Quo of Crisis Ready Institute is a public benefit corporation with a massive mission to elevate status quo and create a crisis resilient world.

What I’ve learned over the years is that crisis readiness is a tangible, learnable skill that is not currently taught. The Crisis Ready Institute is changing this. We exist to educate, teach, empower and support today’s professionals in developing and honing the skillsets required to transform real-time challenges—of which this world has many—into real-time opportunities. And we’re kicking things off with a program that does precisely this: The Crisis Ready Coaching Program.

Now, more than ever, it is time to empower today’s professionals, helping them do right by the stakeholders and communities they serve and, in the process, strengthening their business’s resilience to thrive through these challenging times.

It’s a massive mission and it’s needed. I won’t lie, embarking upon this journey is both exhilarating and frightening, and I’m blessed to be surrounded by a phenomenal team of driven and talented leaders, along with partner organizations, all of whom who believe in and have chosen to embark upon this journey with me—with us.

If you’d like to learn more about the The Status Quo of Crisis Ready Institute, our mission and the Crisis Ready Coaching Program, I invite you to do so by clicking here. I also invite you to share your thoughts and perspectives, and if you’d like to be a part of this journey with us, in any capacity, I absolutely would love to hear from you!

To your and the world’s resilience,

Melissa Agnes

 

Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our Podcast Channel

Was this article helpful?

Further articles you may enjoy:

  • (26)

Do you have to be a manager or executive to Being A Leader? No! Leading others is a choice. It isn’t about your title. Many people with executive titles are terrible leaders, and many people without a fancy title are outstanding leaders. More than your title, being a leader is about influencing change and inspiring […]

  • December 13, 2022
  • (19)

Speakers Inc. Now Offering Blinkist Speaker Books Through Their Website Marketplace In an era where the consumption of information is rapidly evolving, staying informed and continuously learning has never been more critical. Speakers Inc., a leading speaker bureau with over 25 years of experience in the industry, has always been at the forefront of connecting […]

  • June 13, 2024
  • (5)

I’ve often wished there were a remote control for real life that let you fast forward through the unpleasant parts and pause on the good stuff for one tech-free day. There’s not, but there is a practice that will put you back in control of your time. To explain, I need to hit rewind. Ten […]

  • December 20, 2022
  • (4)

With all the recent fervor over the confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars® over a comment made about Jada Pinkett Smith, there’s one character I have yet to Change Your Perspective, Improve Your Response to see explored in the aftermath: G.I. Jane. Several years ago, when I was building my business […]

  • December 19, 2022
  • (20)

The Art of Selecting the Perfect Speaker: A Step-by-Step Guide for Event Planners In an age when live and virtual events compete for attendees’ limited attention, the value of an outstanding keynote speaker has never been higher. The right speaker can energize a room, bridge knowledge gaps, and spark meaningful conversations that last long after […]

  • December 11, 2024
  • (24)

Tom Goodwin: The Trends Futurist Redefining Marketing and Innovation In a world obsessed with following trends, Tom Goodwin stands out for questioning them. He’s not the kind of speaker who walks on stage to reaffirm what everyone already believes. Instead, Tom challenges assumptions, pokes holes in comfortable narratives, and demands that we look at the […]

  • May 1, 2025
  • (9)

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable tool for corporate transformation, particularly in enhancing sales and productivity. By automating routine tasks, personalizing customer experiences, and deriving actionable insights from vast datasets, AI provides companies with a competitive edge, fostering growth and improving operational efficiency. Boosting Sales through AIAI empowers […]

  • October 25, 2024
  • (5)

Why Military Keynote Speakers Are a Game-Changer for Corporate Events Introduction In a world of corporate buzzwords and cookie-cutter keynotes, there’s a rising demand for speakers who bring raw experience, unshakable discipline, and real-world leadership to the stage. Enter: military keynote speakers. These individuals don’t just talk about overcoming adversity—they’ve lived it. For event planners […]

  • April 4, 2025

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get connected:

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

We use Brevo as our marketing platform. By submitting this form you agree that the personal data you provided will be transferred to Brevo for processing in accordance with Brevo's Privacy Policy.

Our Mission:

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2026.  Designed using Voxel

AI Assistant
Speakers Inc Logo 2024
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.