This course is fully booked (no waiting list)

"No organisation is immune to crisis". This statement is quickly confirmed if you take a look at the organizational consequences of COVID-19, that made not only people but also organizations victim of a pandemic. Pick any day of the week and you will find stories in newspapers or social media about product recalls, accidents, financial scandals, mismanagement, IT-breakdowns, social media “shitstorms", downsizings, MeToo scandals, cyber attacks, terrorism, climate related crises (e.g. floodings), and/or crises related to war and geopolitical conflicts, and the like. Uncertainty and crises have become the new normal. Pandemics, war, economic crises, climate changes, energy and sustainability issues leading to change of consumer habits (flight shame, meat shame, slow consumption, etc.) and polarization are part of this new world. 

The consequences of being unprepared to respond to crises are dramatic. Managing difficult times and crisis calls for a planned approach (preparedness) as well as an emergent approach (improvisation and contingency) to crisis management. Crisis communication is extremely important in order to help people (victims, employees, customers, investors, etc.) cope with a crisis situation and to restore image, reputation and trust of organizations. Knowing how to detect, handle and learn from a crisis is extremely important to SME’s and large companies, and to all functions in an organization (Management, Marketing, IT, HR,  Communication, R&D, Law, Finances, etc.) 

The course consists of an advanced introduction to the principles of crisis management and crisis communication based on a strategic, proactive and process-oriented life-cycle approach to crisis.  

In the pre-crisis stage, we focus on barriers to crisis recognition and crisis preparedness, including crisis preparedness plans. Why do we often see the signals of an upcoming crisis too late? How can we work with risks and (worst case) scenarios? In the crisis stage, we focus on crisis retainment, resilience, business continuity, and crisis dynamics. What are the first things to do? How can we restore trust? How can we share knowledge and create sense among employees? Why is it so difficult to anticipate stakeholder reactions? What is the role of communication and social media? How can we reduce the consequences of a crisis? In the post-crisis stage, we focus on learning and accountability. What are the barriers to learning from crises? How can we turn a crisis into change and innovation?