If you work in communications for long enough you’ll experienced a crisis. It can be enough to trouble even the most experienced communicator. The trick? Being prepared, and here’s a chance to be just that.
by LGcomms
Would you be calm and help your organisation and its leadership survive?
Often the only chance you’ll get to prepare for a crisis is when you’re in one and by then it’s probably too late.
Besieged by media, calm evaporates, plans fall apart and reputations crumble. Get it wrong and it can be disastrous for the people you serve, the leaders of your organisation - and for you.
At this year’s LGComms and GCS Public Sector Communications Academy, in Leeds on 18-19 October, delegates will get the chance to find out how prepared they are in a totally safe, confidential, practical exercise that will help us all understand how ready we are.
Here’s how it will work
We will invite delegates who pre-register for this special session to take part in a role play exercise spread over the two days. You will still be able to attend other Academy sessions, but in your free time (breaks, lunches and the end of day 1) you will be expected to work in teams to set out how you intend to respond to the unfolding crisis.
During the day the crisis will develop. Team leaders will get updates by phone. They may be interviewed during the day.
By the afternoon of day two, each team will need to have written a crisis communications plan showing how they’ll brief internal, external and key stakeholder audiences and their key messages.
And they’ll need to be ready for a live practice media event where plans and statements will be tested and probed by a pack of hungry ‘journalists’.
Afterwards a panel will offer feedback to each team on delivery and strategy and select the best overall performers.
It’s a chance to do a practical exercise, reflect and learn in a safe, confidential environment. You’ll go back to the office with the skills and insight you’ll need to test how robust your crisis management plans really are.
It won’t be as hard at the real thing, of course – but it will prepare you for the day a crisis strikes.
To take part in the role playing exercise you need to have registered to attend Academy for both days.
To see the full Academy agenda and to register as a delegate click here
If you have already registered as a delegate, click here to register to take part in the role playing exercise.
image via kaybee07
