Honing Crisis Communication Skills

Abstract

Leaders need to be able to respond quickly to crisis situations when information is incomplete and the scope for damage is increasing rapidly. Communicating with a range of stakeholders during a crisis in a Web 2.0 environment is a general management competency that can best be learned through practice. The MBA elective course described here used interactive media tools and student-centered learning to build leadership skills. Participating as members of crisis response teams, students outlined action plans on wikis and delivered emergency messages to key stakeholders by online video. Student self-awareness increased through instructor feedback following weekly crisis role-play. The teaching techniques and class activities described here illustrate how business educators can develop agile, entrepreneurial leaders who can act and communicate effectively in the face of the unknown. Applications are possible to general management courses, for business, public, or nonprofit administration, as well as to elective courses on leadership and crisis management.