--- title: "Crisis Management Consulting: 4 Ways Experts Add Value" description: Discover how crisis management consultants help businesses build resilience through tailored planning, training, and real-time support. image: https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/46330580/group%20of%20people%20at%20work.webp --- [Skip to content](https://mha-it.com/blog/benefits-of-crisis-management-consultancy#main-content) [![MHA by BCMMetrics - navy](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/MHA%20by%20BCMMetrics%20-%20navy.png?width=245&height=54&name=MHA%20by%20BCMMetrics%20-%20navy.png "MHA by BCMMetrics - navy")](https://mha-it.com/) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) [![mhalogo](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/mhalogo.svg "mhalogo")](https://mha-it.com/) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) - [Our Consulting Services](https://mha-it.com/what-we-do) - [Business Continuity](https://mha-it.com/business-continuity) - [Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) - [Disaster Recovery](https://mha-it.com/disaster-recovery-consulting-services) - [BCaaS](https://mha-it.com/bcaas) - [Program Augmentation](https://mha-it.com/program-augmentation) - [Training and Awareness](https://mha-it.com/training-awareness) - [Our BC Software](https://bcmmetrics.com/) - Resources - [Blog](https://mha-it.com/blog) - [News](https://mha-it.com/news) - [About Us](https://mha-it.com/who-we-are) - [Our Team](https://mha-it.com/our-team) - [Clients](https://mha-it.com/clients) - [In the Community](https://mha-it.com/in-the-community) [Contact Us](https://mha-it.com/contact) # Crisis Management Consulting: 4 Ways Experts Help You Build Resilience Richard Long Updated on: September 18, 2026 #### Relevant Contents #### Need Tailored Business Continuity Insights? Contact Us Now for Personalized Guidance! [Schedule a Free Consultation](https://mha-it.com/contact) In today’s world, lightning can strike an organization during a severe thunderstorm or out of a clear blue sky. There are a number of ways an experienced crisis management consultant can help your organization safely navigate a crisis, including some you might not be aware of. ## The Growing Threat of Crises: Crisis Management in Today’s World Crises are no longer rare. Cyberattacks, severe weather, and global instability make disruptions a constant risk for businesses today. You can’t always prevent a crisis, but you can control how you prepare and respond. That preparation often determines whether a crisis becomes a temporary setback or a lasting disaster. Crisis management is a core part of business continuity. It has evolved into a trusted discipline built on decades of real-world experience and industry best practices. When applied well, it helps organizations protect people, operations, and reputation—no matter what comes their way.   [![bcmmetrics white logo](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/46330580/interactive-185331950436.png)](https://mha-it.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJn%2Bs%2FB8DftWwzvdKNnFS5Jlo12Rc0bJRG2KUKODyT0r8JNKYEQGjV8ACH5gD5jt3gdpmRFQBl564QNCHFvW1RL6CNVhrS9lNbi%2FKcrSwrI%2FKnT09EDSZGwn3nFSemeekeFoKBS%2FUAGqqAgD%2Fpt01daPAQq3L7lyxNomtHi8%2BMDZVYAfeC7nImNtvUmO%2Bqvgddea2uNJv9PJNluvY%2BCbByRyr%2BfhFbF28WOQWMppIwjFk9kGNeP%2BF9Yg8sEteKx8cqabX2rcR7WkLmVvNOSa%2Fols5gZR1lWK0UxqaZBl3aE%2BjwwfIL33We%2F%2BIdLJhRtBFWpBpxR7p6LPwGC7ezhb7sVMWxTbAJ9gVi2ptb1d8LpkuA%2B1a2XFBY9076Ljdgl%2Fsti8PwJree%2FtXF1dB%2FPp94FuVBLIue4xYnmY3MySwAwnA%3D%3D&webInteractiveContentId=185331950436&portalId=46330580)   ## Consultant vs. In-House: What’s the Better Approach? While internal teams know your business best, external crisis consultants bring industry-wide experience, cross-sector benchmarks, and impartial facilitation. Combining both often produces the most effective results. Outside support is most useful when you have a defined gap, limited internal capacity, or need an independent facilitator. MHA’s [crisis management consulting services](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) can help strengthen team structure, plans, notification processes, training, and exercises while decision-making ownership stays inside your organization. There is also a substantial amount of practical crisis-management guidance available for organizations that want to improve their program internally. However, no organization has to go it alone. Many will lack the time, skillset, or desire to do so. An alternative is to hire a seasoned crisis management consultant to help with any or all aspects of CM program development and emergency management. In fact, there are many benefits to be gained by working with an outside expert who is intimately familiar with CM best practices and has broad experience in helping other organizations prepare for and manage emergencies. Let’s look at a few of them. ### 4 Ways Crisis Management Consultants Improve Your Resilience The following are four key ways hiring a crisis management consultant can benefit your business: ### 1. Building the Right Crisis Management Team One of the first steps in effective crisis management is assembling the right team. A consultant can help you define clear roles and responsibilities, ensuring every team member knows their part during a crisis. Instead of assigning roles based solely on job titles, consultants focus on matching roles to skill sets, ensuring the best fit for critical tasks. Whether your organization needs one centralized team or multiple specialized teams, a consultant can help design an effective crisis management structure tailored to your needs. ### 2. Developing a Practical Crisis Management Plan Creating a robust crisis management plan can feel overwhelming, especially if you're starting with a blank slate. Consultants bring expertise to outline what should be in your plan, from best practices to communication strategies and actionable steps. They help determine the right level of detail—ensuring it’s practical and actionable rather than overly theoretical. Whether you need a plan created from scratch or a review of an existing one, a consultant can make sure no critical components are missed. This includes scripting key communications, ensuring smooth documentation, and providing a solid starting point to guide your organization through uncertain times. ### 3. Designing and Facilitating Crisis Exercises Crisis exercises are vital for preparing your team, but they require expertise to execute effectively. Consultants bring the skills needed to design, facilitate, and debrief exercises that simulate real-world events. They help you clarify the purpose of the exercise—whether it’s for training, testing, or scenario planning—and create scenarios that reflect [current and emerging risks](https://mha-it.com/blog/four-types-of-risk-mitigation). A good consultant will also know how to balance providing guidance with letting your team work through challenges, ensuring participants learn and act rather than just observing. From cyber incidents to unexpected operational disruptions, consultants can introduce scenarios your team may not have considered and guide them through best practices for managing them. ### 4. Providing Guidance During an Actual Crisis When a crisis strikes, a consultant can step in to support your organization at whatever level you require. They won’t make decisions for you, but they could facilitate crisis meetings, offering structure and focus to keep discussions productive and actions on track. Alternatively, they can take a more passive role, listening in on calls to provide guidance as needed or making themselves available for one-on-one phone consultations with the crisis leader. Regardless of the level of involvement, a consultant can help ensure your team stays disciplined, avoids unnecessary delays, and communicates effectively. They can also assist with identifying and coordinating external resources—like PR firms, forensic experts, or legal counsel—so you have the right partners in place. Their flexibility and expertise can make a critical difference when navigating high-pressure situations. By assisting with these critical tasks, a crisis management consultant helps your business navigate challenges with greater confidence, clarity, and efficiency. Their expertise ensures you’re not just reacting to crises but proactively mitigating their impact, protecting your organization’s operations, reputation, and bottom line. ## Top Crisis Management Resources for Do-It-Yourselfers Because of society’s high interest in improving organizations’ resilience, quality information on how companies can do better at crisis management is freely available from many sources. Among the government resources available are [Ready.gov](https://www.ready.gov/) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the website of the [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency](https://www.cisa.gov/) (CISA), as well as resources from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Industry resources include [ISO 22301](https://www.iso.org/standard/75106.html), the [Business Continuity Institute](https://www.thebci.org/) (BCI), and the [National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 1660](https://link.nfpa.org/all-publications/1660/2024) for emergency, continuity, and crisis management. Another resource you might find useful is MHA Consulting’s [Crisis Management: A Handbook for BCM Professionals](https://bcmmetrics.com/resources/crisis-management-handbook), an ebook by Richard Long and MHA Consulting CEO Michael Herrera. Given this abundance of quality information, organizations that want to strengthen their crisis-management preparedness have several places to turn for guidance. ## Crisis Preparedness Starts With the Right Partner Every organization faces the potential for unexpected crises, but how you prepare and respond can make a significant difference. Working with an [experienced crisis management consultant](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) can provide your team with added structure, practical guidance, and outside perspective when building or strengthening its program. [MHA Consulting](https://mha-it.com/) helps organizations strengthen crisis readiness through team development, planning, training, notification processes, and mock disaster exercises. Our consultants work with leadership and crisis teams to identify gaps, improve coordination, and build processes that fit the way the organization actually operates. If your team needs outside support to strengthen its crisis management program, MHA can help you focus the work on the gaps that matter most. Review our [crisis management consulting services](https://mha-it.com/crisis-management) or [book a consultation](https://mha-it.com/contact) to discuss your team, plan, exercises, or current readiness. --- ## Further Reading - [Beyond Headquarters: Why Every Location Needs a Crisis Management Team](https://mha-it.com/blog/every-location-needs-a-crisis-management-team) - [The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Crisis Managers](https://mha-it.com/blog/7-habits-of-highly-effective-crisis-managers) - [Weathering the Storm: Achieving Resilience in an Age of Extreme Weather](https://mha-it.com/blog/achieving-resilience-in-an-age-of-extreme-weather) - [5 Myths of Contemporary Crisis Management](https://mha-it.com/blog/5-myths-of-contemporary-crisis-management) - [Don’t Give Up the Ship: Demonstrating the Benefits of Rigorous Crisis Management Training](https://bcmmetrics.com/blog/benefits-of-crisis-management-training) - [Thriving in the Hot Seat: Crisis Communication Do’s and Don’ts](https://bcmmetrics.com/blog/crisis-communication-dos-and-donts) --- ![](https://mha-it.com/hubfs/Richard%20Long-MHA-Consulting.png) #### Richard Long Richard Long is one of MHA’s practice team leaders for Technology and Disaster Recovery related engagements. He has been responsible for the successful execution of MHA business continuity and disaster recovery engagements in industries such as Energy & Utilities, Government Services, Healthcare, Insurance, Risk Management, Travel & Entertainment, Consumer Products, and Education. Prior to joining MHA, Richard held Senior IT Director positions at PetSmart (NASDAQ: PETM) and Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT) and has been a senior leader across all disciplines of IT. He has successfully led international and domestic disaster recovery, technology assessment, crisis management and risk mitigation engagements. ## Start building a stronger future ##### Navigate uncertainty with an expert - schedule your free consultation with our CEO, Michael Herrera. [Schedule your consultation](https://mha-it.com/contact) ## Other resources you might enjoy ![](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/Why%20RTOs%20Should%20Be%20Driven%20by%20Business%20Needs%2c%20Not%20IT%20Constraints.png?height=245&name=Why%20RTOs%20Should%20Be%20Driven%20by%20Business%20Needs%2c%20Not%20IT%20Constraints.png) #### [RTOs and Business Continuity: Why the Business Should Set Recovery Targets](https://mha-it.com/blog/rtos-and-business-continuity) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/rtos-and-business-continuity) ![threat and risk assessment](https://mha-it.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/threat-and-risk-assessment-1.jpg?height=245&name=threat-and-risk-assessment-1.jpg) #### [Weighing the Danger: The Continuing Value of the Threat and Risk Assessment](https://mha-it.com/blog/threat-and-risk-assessment) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/threat-and-risk-assessment) ![Resiliency Consulting: Helping Companies Get In Peak Condition ](https://46330580.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/46330580/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/resiliency-consulting-1.jpg?height=245&name=resiliency-consulting-1.jpg) #### [Resiliency Consulting: Helping Companies Get In Peak Condition  - MHA Consulting](https://mha-it.com/blog/resiliency-consulting) [Read More](https://mha-it.com/blog/resiliency-consulting) ## Ready to start focusing on higher-level challenges? 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