Crisis Management with Advanced Decisions Making Skills #251004

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Proactively Prepare: Identify potential crisis triggers, conduct risk assessments, and develop robust crisis management plans and communication strategies.

• Establish Command & Control: Structure and lead an effective Crisis Management Team (CMT), defining clear roles, responsibilities, and communication channels.

• Apply Advanced Decision-Making Models: Utilize structured frameworks and techniques to cut through complexity, mitigate cognitive biases, and make critical decisions with limited information and time.

• Execute Effective Crisis Communication: Craft and deliver clear, compassionate, and consistent messages to internal and external stakeholders, including the media, during high-pressure situations.

• Manage Stress & Lead Under Pressure: Maintain personal and team resilience, clarity, and effectiveness during prolonged periods of high stress.

• Lead Post-Crisis Recovery: Conduct thorough post-crisis reviews to extract lessons, implement changes, and restore organizational stability and reputation.

This course is critical for professionals who have, or will have, leadership responsibilities during organizational crises.

• Senior Executives & C-Suite Leaders: (CEO, COO, CFO, CRO) Ultimately responsible for crisis response and organizational resilience.

• Crisis Management Team Members: Individuals designated to be part of the incident command or crisis response structure.

• Risk & Compliance Officers: Professionals responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating organizational risk.

• Head of Communications & PR Directors: Leaders responsible for protecting corporate reputation and managing public messaging.

• Operations & Security Directors: Leaders responsible for business continuity, physical security, and IT security.

• Senior Managers & High-Potential Leaders: Those being groomed for senior leadership roles where crisis decision-making is paramount.

• Pre-assessment
• Live group instruction
• Use of real-world examples, case studies and exercises
• Interactive participation and discussion
• Power point presentation, LCD and flip chart
• Group activities and tests
• Each participant receives a binder containing a copy of the presentation
• slides and handouts
• Post-assessment

Day 1: Foundations of Crisis Management & Preparedness

• Morning:

  • Module 1: The Nature of Modern Crises: Understanding the crisis landscape: types of crises, their lifecycle, and unique challenges in the digital age.

  • Module 2: The Crisis Management Framework: Introduction to the core pillars of crisis management: Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 3: Proactive Preparedness: Conducting vulnerability assessments, developing a crisis management plan (CMP), and establishing early warning systems.

  • Workshop: Plan Critique: Teams evaluate sample crisis plans to identify strengths and critical gaps.

  • Day 1 Recap: The importance of preparation.

Day 2: Building and Leading the Crisis Management Team (CMT)

• Morning:

  • Module 4: Anatomy of a Crisis Management Team: Defining key roles (Leader, Spokesperson, Legal, Operations, etc.), responsibilities, and chain of command.

  • Module 5: Activating the CMT: Protocols for activation, setting up a war room (physical and virtual), and establishing information flow.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 6: Stress-Inoculated Leadership: Techniques for managing personal stress, maintaining cognitive function, and leading a team under extreme pressure.

  • Simulation 1: “The First Hour”: A rapid-fire exercise focused on the initial activation and assessment phase of a crisis.

  • Day 2 Recap: Team cohesion is critical.

Day 3: Advanced Decision-Making Under Pressure

• Morning:

  • Module 7: The Psychology of Decision-Making: Identifying common cognitive biases (e.g., groupthink, confirmation bias) that impair judgment during a crisis.

  • Module 8: Structured Decision Models: Applying practical frameworks like the OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) and Decision Trees to complex, ambiguous scenarios.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 9: Scenario Planning & Wargaming: Using techniques to anticipate adversary actions and plan countermoves in dynamic situations.

  • Workshop: The Dilemma: Teams are presented with a complex ethical and operational crisis scenario and must use the frameworks to arrive at a defendable decision.

  • Day 3 Recap: Process over panic.

Day 4: Mastering Crisis Communication

• Morning:

  • Module 10: The Principles of Crisis Communication: Crafting key messages that are clear, concise, compassionate, and consistent. Understanding the needs of different stakeholders.

  • Module 11: Media Management: Techniques for conducting press conferences, handling tough questions, and using social media effectively during a crisis.

• Afternoon:

  • Simulation 2: “The Press Conference”: Participants role-play as company spokespeople, delivering statements and facing a simulated hostile press corps.

  • Video Playback & Feedback: Recorded sessions are reviewed with expert feedback on delivery, messaging, and body language.

  • Day 4 Recap: Perception is reality.

Day 5: Integration, Recovery, and Simulation

• Morning:

  • Module 12: From Response to Recovery: Transitioning from acute crisis management to business continuity and recovery operations. Managing the “second wave” of reputational fallout.

  • Module 13: After-Action Review (AAR): Conducting a blameless post-mortem to capture lessons learned and improve future response.

• Afternoon:

  • Capstone Simulation: “The Long Night”: A full-scale, multi-hour immersive crisis simulation that integrates all elements of the week: team management, decision-making, and communication.

  • Hotwash & Debrief: A facilitated debrief of the simulation, connecting actions back to course concepts.

  • Course Conclusion: Final review, personal action planning, and awarding of certificates.