The Gatwick Diamond is one of the most interconnected business regions in the UK. Logistics, travel, professional services, retail, manufacturing and technology all depend on each other — which means when disruption hits one organisation, the effects can spread quickly across the region.

During our recent Resilient Business Leaders Community session, we explored what effective crisis management really looks like for organisations operating in this environment. The message was clear: resilience is not about the length of your plan, but the clarity, confidence and coordination your teams can demonstrate under pressure.

Why crisis capability matters in the Gatwick Diamond

Local organisations face a wide range of potential disruptions — IT outages, supplier failures, severe weather, power issues, cyber incidents, transport disruption and unexpected operational challenges. With Gatwick Airport at the centre of regional employment and supply chains, even a small issue can have significant knock-on effects.

Building crisis capability helps teams respond faster, make better decisions and protect customers, reputation and continuity of service.

The foundations of an effective crisis response

Our session focused on three elements that consistently determine how well an organisation performs during a disruption:

Clarity: People need to know who is leading, what the priorities are and how to escalate issues. Clear roles and simple activation triggers reduce delays and uncertainty.

Confidence: In a fast-moving situation, no one has time to read a lengthy plan. Leaders need practical tools they recognise and have used before. Confidence comes from training, familiarity and muscle memory.

Coordination: Effective response depends on teams working together, not in silos. Quick alignment between operations, communications, HR, IT and suppliers is often the difference between control and escalation.

What a crisis toolkit should include

We also introduced a practical Crisis Management Toolkit designed to support organisations of all sizes, including resource-constrained SMEs. The toolkit includes:

• Activation criteria and escalation steps

• An initial incident assessment checklist

• Clear roles and responsibilities

• Communication templates and holding statements

• Contact cards and stakeholder messaging

• Decision-making logs and documentation tools

• Scenario-specific guidance for common disruptions

These tools help teams make faster, more informed decisions and maintain clarity when pressure is highest.

Strengthening culture, not just compliance

A crisis tests more than processes; it tests culture.

Do teams feel comfortable escalating early?

Do leaders collaborate effectively?

Do people act consistently, or revert to old habits?

Organisations that invest in capability-building — not only documentation — recover faster and more effectively.

Watch the session and download the toolkit

For organisations across the Gatwick Diamond looking to strengthen their crisis readiness, the full session recording and free toolkit are available here:

Watch the full session:
Crisis Management: Responding with Confidence, Coordination & Control.

Download the Crisis Management Toolkit:
https://shorturl.at/EqeNi

Strengthening crisis capability is an investment in operational stability, customer trust and long-term resilience — and now is the time to act, before disruption forces the issue.