Structure is not the same as readiness.
In a crisis, what matters isn’t just your plan — it’s whether your organisation can move, decide and adapt at speed. This capability is rarely tested in day-to-day operations. But under pressure, your actual readiness becomes painfully clear.
Too many organisations assume that clarity exists — until it doesn’t.
This page explores what separates theory from performance when it comes to crisis organisation. We outline the foundational building blocks, expose common failure points, and show what high-performing organisations do differently.
Why your organisation is critical to crisis response
A crisis doesn’t follow your chart. Roles blur. Speed matters. People hesitate.
This is where many organisations fall short. Their structures were never built to withstand ambiguity or pressure. In normal conditions, these flaws stay hidden. But in a crisis, they result in:
- Delayed decisions due to unclear mandates
- Paralysis from overlapping responsibilities
- Single points of failure in key roles
- Fragmented coordination across departments
True organisational resilience isn’t about rigid systems — it’s about structured flexibility, built deliberately over time.
The four human foundations of organisational readiness
1. Knowledge
The crisis management team must understand:
- The whole crisis governance structure
- Escalation paths, decision rights, and reporting logic
- How mandates shift under pressure
This isn’t about job titles. It’s about clarity in moments that matter.
2. Skills
Your team must be able to:
- Operate within defined structures
- Escalate and de-escalate smoothly
- Make decisions without waiting for perfect information
This requires rehearsal, not just documentation.
3. Attitudes and culture
An effective crisis organisation encourages:
- Initiative within defined boundaries
- Taking responsibility for problems, not passing them on
- Clear roles, but collaborative execution
A good culture becomes obvious when formal structures no longer provide guidance.
4. Experience
Those with real or simulated crisis exposure:
- Act faster
- Rely less on perfect data
- Trust structures — because they’ve seen them work
This type of instinctive capability must be intentionally developed through repeated practice and training.
Why most organisations struggle
Most organisations overestimate how well their structure will hold up in a real crisis. What looks functional on paper often fails under pressure.
Here’s what typically goes wrong:
- Mandates are unclear. Staff hesitate because they don’t know what they’re allowed to do.
- Silos persist. Functional teams often operate in isolation, which undermines the response.
- Structures are brittle. One missing decision-maker stalls the entire process.
- The system isn’t trained. Scenarios are tested, but the organisation itself isn’t.
- Redundancy is missing. Critical roles rely on individuals with no backup.
These breakdowns cause delays, missed opportunities, and loss of trust. However, they are symptoms of deeper structural gaps — gaps that can be addressed and closed.
What great organisations do differently
Organisations that are high-performers in a crisis don’t assume clarity — they create it.
They:
- Build governance models with explicit escalation paths
- Visualise mandates and decision rights for each level
- Train both decision-makers and role specialists
- Rehearse with the whole system, not just individual teams
- Introduce peer-based review to reduce blind spots
- Embed integration — internally and across external stakeholders
They treat “organisation” not as a chart, but as a living system.
Want to build this in your organisation?
With Murphy’s platform you get direct access to The Crisis Framework (TCF) – a structured self-assessment and learning tool to build your crisis capability.
In the platform you’ll find:
- A four-level maturity model for crisis preparedness
- Clear mapping of your current strengths and gaps
- Practical steps to prioritise and close weaknesses
- Exercises and resources to strengthen mandates, backups and escalation