This week's reading leads to some interesting topics, which this short document will attempt to discuss. Some of the focuses addressed by the reading are: the advantages of being proactive, what a crisis is and what are some of its types, the value of a crisis communication plan, the characteristics of a good spokesperson, the importance of a team of crisis management, knowing your audience, the core values ​​of your audience, and the value of being proactive with the media. In today's fast-paced world it seems like we no longer have the time to get the things done that we need to do, much less waste time thinking about things that may never happen. However, this may lead us to always be on the reactive side of the crisis coin, rather than the proactive side. “Smart organizations take a proactive approach. They take time to think seriously, as a management team, about the types of things that could turn into a crisis. It's not difficult. Just gather the key players and spend a half hour brainstorming what could go wrong around here (Hoffman 2011)? These types of companies take the time to get on the same page when it comes to crisis planning and action. During the crisis is not the time to do a team building exercise. It's time to put into practice what has already been talked about and planned. So, what is a crisis and what are some of its types? Well, according to Judith Hoffman, a crisis “…is a problem of such magnitude that it disrupts your ability to do business (Hoffman 2011).” It could be anything, a server failure or a simple power outage. Now what are the types or categories of crises? Well, according to Hoffman, there are five different categories of crises, and they are: Sudden Emergencies, Creeping Crises, Predictable Crises... in the middle of the card... does it matter to them? Spend some time thinking about the answers to these questions to save yourself a lot of trouble during a crisis (Hoffman 2011).” These questions will prepare the spokesperson, or anyone else, to deal with the media frenzy. During the media frenzy is not the time to take flight. It's time to be professional and give your all. Another key step in line with preparation is to be proactive with the media. Sometimes planning and being proactive can save you from a media-related crisis. If a company does not manage media correctly and proactively, “It could negatively affect employee morale, corporate reputation, and even profits (Hoffman 2011).” Works CitedHoffman, Judith C. Keeping Cool on the Hot Seat: Dealing Effectively with the Media in Times of Crisis. Highland Mills, NY: Four C's Pub., 2011. Print.