Current crisis management in government and industry may be little more than hoping for the best rather than a solid proactive plan. Traditional project stages include: (1) assignment of emergency planning to middle-level to junior employees with enthusiastic results initially; (2) disillusionment of the employee given the assignment as the task is perceived as a thankless one; and (3) search for the guilty party when an emergency occurs. Crisis managers must be involved in the contingency planning process and be prepared to accomplish a number of tasks. Eight elements basic to effective, proactive crisis management include thinking about the unpopular, recognizing dangers and opportunities, defining and controlling responses, harnessing the environment, containing damage, resolving an emergency successfully, avoiding repetition, and returning to normalcy. 2 exhibits.