Crisis Management and Effective Decision Making

Day 1: Understanding Crisis Management

• How to manage a crisis and transform it into an opportunity for success.
• The rationale behind Crisis Management: Key principles and mindset.
• Identifying the range of crisis risks: Natural, Environmental, Technological, Human Error, Sabotage, and Terrorism.
• Roles and responsibilities of Crisis Managers: Managing issues before they escalate into crises.
• Developing proactive strategies for anticipating and mitigating risks.

Day 2: Crisis Decision-Making and Emergency Planning

• Who decides who takes the lead during a crisis and why?
• Understanding ownership of the mitigation process and who is responsible.
• Key components of developing and implementing emergency plans.
• A twelve-point checklist for the planning process, including mutual aid arrangements and contingency plans.
• Create company-wide strategic contingency plans, departmental plans, and building evacuation procedures.

Day 3: Crisis Management and Communications

• Developing and implementing a Business Continuity Management (BCM) strategy.
• Conducting a Business Impact Analysis and identifying critical recovery priorities.
• Dealing with a crisis from a communications perspective: Command and control at various levels (operational, tactical, strategic).
• Key strategies for effective communication at the scene, command points, and strategic level in the boardroom or emergency operations centre.
• Essential elements of on-site crisis management for successful outcomes.

Day 4: Reputation Management and Media Relations

• Managing corporate reputation during a crisis and preventing damage.
• Organizing and executing a press conference in times of crisis.
• Conducting effective radio and television interviews with the media.
• Developing a crisis communications strategy and action plan for various crisis scenarios.
• Alerting and warning systems: Key aspects to getting the message right.
• Post-crisis incident management and handling the aftermath effectively.

Day 5: Psychological and Welfare Aspects of Crisis Management

• Identifying potential psychological impacts during and after a crisis.
• Strategies for improving staff morale and maintaining confidence throughout the crisis.
• Addressing the psychological effects of incidents involving injuries or fatalities.
• Ensuring the well-being of staff and crisis team members: Preventing burnout and stress.
• Leadership behaviour and behavioural safety practices in crises.