BOSTON (Reuters Life!) - A few simple crisis-management steps can prevent a disruption to your company's service from becoming a disaster rather than merely an irritant, according to Harvard Business Review.

The Management Tip of the Day offers quick, practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Review and HBR.org (http://www.hbr.org). Any opinions expressed are not endorsed by Reuters.

Whether it's a snow storm or a power outage, disruptions to your company's service can be devastating. Responding effectively can often be the difference between an interruption and a disaster. Next time you are faced with a crisis, try these three things:

1. Figure out what happened. Too many leaders leap into action without assessing the situation first. Find out exactly what is going on and what's causing it.

2. Act promptly. Don't wait for all of the data to come in. Once you have a firm grasp on the situation, begin taking action. Don't act frazzled - that only worries people. Act with deliberateness and speed.

3. Adapt. Don't be wedded to a single strategy. Circumstances will change and new information will come to light. Be prepared to alter the course if necessary.

-Today's management tip was adapted from How a Good Leader Reacts to a Crisis by John Baldoni.

(For the full post, see: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/01/how_a_good_leader_reacts_to_a.html)

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