Crisis Communication Skills

Introduction

Crisis events such as the 2010 British Petroleum oil spill, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, and the financial crisis of 2008 underscore the intricate challenges involved in crisis management. This professional certification course in crisis management equips participants with advanced strategies essential for navigating complex crisis situations.

The course on crisis communication delves into essential concepts for understanding the impacts of crises and outlines pre-emptive measures to mitigate these effects. Participants will learn to develop effective operational systems for swift and appropriate responses during crises and gain skills for managing media interactions effectively.

Participants will acquire knowledge in best practices for crisis communication management, conduct situation and risk analyses, and understand the roles and responsibilities of a crisis management team, including creating and implementing a Communication and Crisis Response Action Plan.

Objectives

At the end of this crisis management course, participants will be able to:

• Identify various types of crises and their characteristics.
• Understand the importance and nature of communication during crises.
• Develop crisis management processes to minimize potential impacts on their organizations.
• Illustrate the benefits of leveraging media during crises.
• Assess and categorize crisis communication management elements.
• Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of communication management in various crisis scenarios.

Training Methodology

• Environment Scan
• Goal Formulation
• Creation of Program Content
• Situation Analysis
• Simulation Games
• Drill Exercises
• Team Sessions
• Media Role Plays
• Crisis Management Training
• Review and Assessment
• Evaluation of Results

Course Outline

Unit 1: Introduction to Crisis Management

• Defining a crisis
• Overview of crisis management and communication needs
• Forms of communication during crises
• Characteristics of crisis situations
• Case study: Crisis in swine pest control

Unit 2: Principles of Crisis Communication

• Setting relevant goals
• Preparing for quick responses
• Handling adverse and public opinions
• Communicating effective messages
• Reaching targeted audience groups
• Establishing and maintaining credibility
• Collaborating with third parties
• Providing timely updates

Unit 3: Crisis Management Process

• Preparatory actions for communicable diseases
• Implementing crisis management strategies
• Creating and training a crisis control group
• Training a public relations officer

Unit 4: Stage of The Crisis

• Developing the first message
• Strategies for damage control

Unit 5: Post-Crisis Evaluation

• Gathering relevant ideas
• Maintaining contact and proper follow-up

Unit 6: Crisis Media and Communication

• Managing press relations during a crisis
• Utilizing media as a crisis management tool
• Communicating through media and social networks
• Opportunities and challenges of social media
• Leveraging social media for crisis communications

Unit 7: Crisis Strategy from the Perspective of Communicative Management

• Management actions in response to crises
• Handling victims and managing trust and credibility
• Managing human behavior during crises
• Moral reasoning and professional ethics
• Case study review

Unit 8: Evaluating Your Performance in Crisis Situations

• Performance evaluation
• Assessing incident impact
• Comparing outcomes
• Evaluation framework elements and steps
• Defining objectives, audience, and criteria
• Managing timing, cost, and evaluation tools
• Summary and recommendations