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Anticipate and manage crisis communication
During a crisis, a late or inconsistent message can make difficulties worse. Prepare your communication, clarify roles and adapt your statements to stakeholders. Develop practical reference points to communicate consistently while monitoring the evolving situation.
- Duration
- 2 days 14 hours
- Code
- COM06FR Code
Presentation
In a world where a rumour can go viral within minutes, how you respond determines whether your reputation survives. This 2-day course immerses you in crisis communication challenges: you will learn to understand how a crisis develops, anticipate weak signals and prepare your organisation to respond quickly and consistently, both internally and with stakeholders.
Beyond theory, learning is based on recent case studies (cyberattacks, product recalls, data breaches) and simulations that test your ability to structure a clear message, choose the right channels and handle media pressure. Discussions with an instructor specialising in crisis management help you validate your arguments, adopt the right tone and synchronise internal and external communications.
By the end of the session, you will leave with a simple method, ready-to-use message templates and confidence in your ability to protect your company's continuity from the first minutes of an incident. This practical experience strengthens your confidence and agility in turning a critical situation into an opportunity to restore trust.
Objectives
- identify weak signals and the characteristics of a crisis to anticipate its effects;
- design and activate a rapid alert mechanism, then mobilise crisis management and business continuity tools;
- develop clear, consistent and targeted messages suited to different crisis scenarios;
- coordinate internal communication (employees, management) and external communication (media, authorities, partners) in real time;
- choose appropriate channels and deliver information to the right audiences at the right time;
- close a crisis by organising the return to normal, capturing lessons learned and managing post-crisis reputation.
Program
Module 1: understand and prepare for crises
- Introductions: meet the instructor and introduce yourself.
- Crisis fundamentals: definition, types (technological, cyber, health, reputational) and lifecycle (pre-crisis, acute phase, resolution, post-crisis).
- Key preparation steps: establishing a crisis management team, drafting the business continuity plan (BCP), risk mapping, scenarios and alert procedures.
- Effective alert mechanisms: weak signals, activation thresholds, call chains, notification tools (SMS, email, dedicated application) and the business continuity manager's role.
Module 2: structure and deliver crisis communication
- Structuring appropriate communication: message framework (Who? What? Why? For whom?), audience-appropriate tone, communication schedule and management approval.
- Keys to effective external communication: a single spokesperson, press relations, social media, press releases and rumour management.
- The importance of information distribution: internal channels (intranet, brief meetings) and external channels (crisis website, hotline, media), update frequency and version management.
- Managing crisis closure and the aftermath: formal closure, critical review, reputation restoration, improvement plan and return-to-normal communication.
Audience
This course is intended for anyone involved in crisis management and communication within an organisation, whether in preparation or immediate response, including:
- Executives and senior managers with ultimate responsibility for their company's image and reputation.
- Communications, marketing and public relations managers who will be on the front line during a crisis.
- Project managers and business continuity managers whose role includes anticipating risks.
- Any key employee who may join a crisis management team or communicate sensitive information.
Prerequisites
This course has the following prerequisites:
- Crisis management experience: familiarity with crisis management or business continuity is an advantage.
- Communication role: holding, or expecting to hold, a communication role during a crisis is preferable.
Teaching and assessment methods
- Initial skills assessment
- Training materials provided to participants
- Continuous assessment throughout the course
- End-of-course feedback questionnaire
- Combination of theory and practical application
- Attendance records
- Post-course follow-up evaluation
- Quiz / multiple-choice questions
- Practical exercises
- Case study
Course highlights
- A highly interactive approach: ongoing interaction between the instructor and participants, based on examples and practical exercises.
- Real-world experience: course content draws on real experiences and is delivered by an experienced professional.
- A comprehensive perspective: acquire and review all crisis communication fundamentals, including crisis management and business continuity.
- Practical tools: the course includes a simulation and a quiz for immediate application of skills.
Dates and sessions
Choose the date and delivery format that suit you.
No upcoming sessions are currently available.