Crisis communications planning
Learn how to prepare for, and communicate during, a crisis.
The way you communicate during a crisis is crucial
As a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and journalist with over 30 years' experience, I’ve seen time and again that when the proverbial hits the fan, many leaders stumble when it comes to communication.
After all, it’s not enough just to fix the problem: you also need to communicate with all the different people affected, from the media, your clients and the public to your board, staff and investors.
How and when to do this, not to mention what you actually say, can make or break your reputation.
This practical and insightful session will explain, in plain English, what steps you can do before (and after) a crisis hits.
Crisis communications planning that’s customised for you
Staff training for leaders and comms teams
This practical workshop will prepare your leaders and comms team to handle any crisis, covering:
- what does and doesn’t work in a crisis (hint: most people get this wrong)
- crisis comms planning
- stakeholder mapping and crisis
- holding statements
- approval processes
- using your own media channels (such as social media) to quickly respond
- creating key messages that build, rather than erode, trust
- how to engage with traditional media, from television and radio to newspapers and other publications
- using bridging techniques in interviews to shift the focus back to your key messages
- managing and speaking at press conferences
- calibrating your tone of voice and communication style when talking to the media and the public.
We can then put theory into practice by running simulated scenarios and interviews, ensuring you’ll be able to respond to any crisis calmly and confidently.
Media training for crisis comms
Media training and crisis comms planning go hand in hand. Being interviewed by the media is hard enough at the best of times, but in the midst of a crisis it's tough for even seasoned professionals. The more trained your CEO and leaders are, the more likely they'll be able to handle themselves under pressure.
My media training for leaders is customised and confidential.
Public crisis communications planning workshops
I also run crisis communications workshops around Australia that are open to the public.