In an era of multiple crises, it makes perfect sense to train and evaluate those who will spearhead crisis situations. The purpose of this course is to train and assist participants in evaluating their own leadership potential and decision-making capabilities. The course is spread over three days. The first day examines the importance and nature of leadership during a crisis and reviews those traits and capabilities that are required to lead under stress and the strategic choices and decisions that have to be made.

Day two looks at decision making and judgments under stress, especially when involved with a crisis that is filled with ambiguity. Day three explores how to handle and respond to the needs of the media, ensuring that participants understand how to get across key messages and appreciate common pitfalls.

The course is particularly suitable for crisis managers and useful to anyone who may find themselves in the position of having to defend a brand or handle a crisis situation.

For more information please contact us

Day One: Revisiting Leadership and Reputation Management – a Values Approach

• Why leadership is fundamental to crisis management and decision making
• Re-visiting leadership – the fundamental skills and capabilities
• The purpose of a leader during a crisis: motivate, guide, provide hope, develop strategy, stabilise, recovery and restore image
• Task-oriented, confident, credible, pragmatic and calm
• Strategic thinking, decision making through options
• What staff members look for in a leader during a crisis
• Importance of effective team work and internal communications
• What wider stakeholders expect from the leadership during a crisis
• Motivating and directing others to a common purpose
• Clear communications about recovery and the future
• Being visible and accountable for actions: external communications
• Strategic decision-making and advising the CMT
• Why leaders fail

Day Two: Acute Crisis Phase and Decision Making

• Understanding what has gone wrong, why and what needs to be done
• Ambiguity and complexity during crisis situations
• What to do when a single solution is just not obvious
• Strategic thinking and decision making under pressure
• The common recognised information picture and situational awareness
• Activating the pre-crisis plan and adapting to the prevailing or emerging situation
• Understanding that correlations do not always equal causations
• Decision-making under pressure and with limited information
• Importance of decision log
• Importance of good governance and ethical behaviour
• Engaging with internal and external stakeholders
• Handling conflicts of interest
• Emotional intelligence and decision making
• Thinking long-term and impact analysis

Day Three: Handling the Media

• A review of what the media want during a crisis
• Importance of message development and framing
• Role of Q&A and anticipating issues and questions
• Understanding the role and ubiquity of social media: friend and foe
• How to handle interviews and difficult questions
• What to say if you do not know the answers
• Crisis press conferences and briefings
• What must a leader communicate and how should it be said?
• Simulation of an interview

Fee: £2100 + VAT

Book This Course: Crisis Leadership and Decision Making