Session Description

One of the most important roles of the public relations professional is to provide relevant counsel and a framework for clients and employers to identify and manage risks to their operations. This workshop is for the professional looking to strengthen their public relations and communications strategies and crisis communications plan. Scenario planning helps make an organization nimbler and more responsive when the unexpected happens.

Scenario planning is an effective way to anticipate future outcomes based on trends, assumptions, and new or emerging risk events across the organization. Being surprised by and/or mishandling a crisis can affect a company’s reputation, integrity, credibility and, in severe cases, can disrupt or stop business altogether. The workshop will explore how to use this tool to get a seat at the leadership table and ensure the organization is ready for most uncertainties.

Learning Objectives

• Learning proven frameworks for conducting scenario planning to mitigate risks
• Learning how to make the case for taking the lead and integrating this tool into the strategic planning process and crisis communication plan
• Understanding the relationship between an organization’s effectiveness and strategic risk management, based on the latest scholarly research
• Exploring best practices for risk management through relevant case studies in a variety of business sectors
• Understanding the role of communications in going beyond the SWOT analysis and Enterprise Risk Management Integrated Framework

Methodology

• Lecture and group discussion
• Leadership Style Inventory
• Small-group activity

Target Audience

• Leaders at all levels
• High-potential individual contributors
• Project/program managers