Introduction

This training course will provide professionals with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to manage and lead teams and organizations before, during, and after a crisis or emergency. All leaders are sooner or later confronted with the need to lead and manage their team or organization during a crisis or emergency. The leadership skills and competencies that are required in these demanding circumstances are much more challenging of the leader than normal everyday leadership.

This course will also cover the basics of the COVID 19 Virus currently impacting the world.

Most of our lives are a combination of work, family, and community involvement. A pandemic can affect all of these areas. Being informed and knowing what to do during a pandemic can help minimize the impact.

This training course describes what a pandemic is, how an influenza virus spreads, and the impact a pandemic may have on workplaces, our communities and us as individuals.

Topics include:

• What is a pandemic?
• The influenza virus and how it spreads
• Being prepared.
• What might happen.
• What can we do?
• Staying healthy.
• How to help stop the spread of the virus.

Our case-studies and group discussions will examine recent Crisis and Emergencies which necessitated leaders to make rapid decisions, many times without all the relevant up to date information, while accepting significant risk in order to achieve a favorable outcome for themselves, their team, their organization and all stakeholders. Do not miss this opportunity, are you fully prepared?

Goals

Participants will learn:

• Exercising leadership under emergency and crisis situations.
• Assessing, prioritizing risks and threats before, during, and after a crisis.
• Making decisions quickly and efficiently and knowing when and how to involve others and to delegate effectively.
• Communicating and collaborating with legal and government authorities, media, and other agencies and organizations.
• Conducting emergency and crisis management operations.

TRAINING OBJECTIVES

• Understand individual and collective psychology and organizational dynamics in crises and emergencies.
• Know the main characteristics of an influenza (flu) pandemic.
• Understand how the flu virus spreads.
• Be able to establish a business continuity plan to help prepare your workplace.
• Analyze and make rational decisions before, during and after crises and emergencies.
• Lead teams and organizations in crises and emergencies.
• Solve problems and manage crises and emergencies.
• Understand and apply ethical factors in crisis and emergency leadership.

Training Methodology

This Leadership & Crisis Management in Emergency Situations training course will utilize a variety of proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. This includes speaker input, facilitated discussion, syndicate work and practical exercises, videos, self-tests, all with an emphasis on delegate involvement throughout.

TRAINING SUMMARY

Executives at all levels of the organization are employed to manage crises and often do so on a daily basis. Their skills are really tested when they have to manage significant crises that have the potential to disrupt the organization’s value creation process, income sources, operating expenses, stock price, competitive position and ongoing business.

The most effective crisis management occurs when potential crises are detected and dealt with quickly-before they can impact the organization's business. crisis management involves dealing with threats before, during, and after they have occurred.

It is a discipline within the broader context of management consisting of skills and techniques required to identify, assess, understand, and cope with a serious situation, especially from the moment it first occurs to the point that recovery procedures start.

Target Groups

Executives, Managers and Supervisors who must build and lead dynamic and high performing teams and organizations in risky situations with a high probability of crises or emergencies are encouraged to attend to this course.

The Leadership & Crisis Management in Emergency Situations training course, is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit: 

• Line managers, team leaders and supervisors in organizations of all sizes.
• Emergency & Crisis Management professionals in the public & private sectors.
• HSE, Fire & Security Professionals.
• Project and program management professionals.
• Professionals in health care, public safety, and government agencies.

Program Content

Day 1 : Psychology and Dynamics of Crisis and Emergencies 

• The nature of crisis and emergencies.
• Individual psychology under crisis and emergency conditions.
• Collective psychology under crisis and emergency conditions.
• Evolution and dynamics of crises and emergencies.
• Crises and emergencies don’t just work 8 hour days.
• Tasks of leaders before, during, and after a crisis or emergency.

Day 2 : Rational Decision-Making in Crisis , Emergencies and Pandemic Planning 

• Instinct, intuition, and reason.
• What is a pandemic?
• The influenza virus and how it spreads.
• Why prepare for Pandemics? Cause and Effect.
• Business Continuity plan.
• Health and safety concerns.
• Individual and collective Decision-Making.
• Psychology & human behavior, solutions to improve your Decision Making.
• Delegation through mission-based leadership.
• Structured hierarchical planning and operations.

Day 3 : Leading Teams and Organizations 

• Roles and responsibilities of leaders in crises and emergencies.
• Crisis/emergency management organization.
• Creating effective and efficient teams through rapid teambuilding.
• Creating effective and efficient interagency cooperation and collaboration.
• Organizational & team dynamics: morale, cohesion, mood, unity of purpose.
• Principles of operational command and leadership.

Day 4 : Solving the Problem: Managing the Crisis or Emergency 

• Seeking cause & effect to solve problems, not blame or responsibility.
• Creating and running a crisis/emergency Command Centre.
• Elements of risk management: prevention, response, containment & recovery.
• Principles of business continuity and crisis operations.
• Information gathering and situational awareness.
• Operational rhythm, routines, and information management.

Day 5 : Ethical Factors in Crisis and Emergency Leadership 

• Caring for subordinates and their families.
• The leader's self-care.
• Responsibilities to authorities, the public and/or victims.
• Managing and leveraging Social Media.
• After-action review and lessons learned processes.
• Preparing for the next crisis or emergency.