Crisis comms – what you can do now to respond better to the next crisis
During any crisis it is vital to communicate clearly and convincingly. As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us, how we communicate can even be a matter of life and death. Changing approaches from governments and organisations show that differing communication techniques can have a direct impact on public trust and confidence.
No matter how brilliantly we organise, and how diligently we prepare, we will always be challenged by the unexpected – events beyond our control. That is when our leadership skills and our crisis communication plans really need to shine through.
This course is designed to challenge your thinking about how best to approach a crisis. We cover the importance of planning and organisation; leadership and integrity; and language-use and media handling. We learn from real world examples and the interactive nature of the course will allow people to work together on problem-solving.
About the trainer
Matt worked as the Chief Special Adviser in the Welsh Government before starting his own communications consultancy, Words Matter Ltd. As the most senior adviser in Government, his job was to communicate complex and competing priorities internally for Ministers and the First Minister and shape external messaging for the media and stakeholders. During his career in politics Matt handled more crises than he cares to remember, working with senior politicians and officials to shape communications strategies. He continues to teach crisis communications, speechwriting, leadership techniques and media management to public sector leaders across the UK. As a trainer he leans heavily on his real-world experiences of working in a highly pressurised and political environment and works hard to ensure the courses have serious practical value to the participants.