CUSTOMER
Solita
YEAR
2024
WORK
Crisis communication
Training
Crisis communications training improved Solita’s crisis preparedness in Finland and Sweden
A fast-growing, internationally expanding technology company sought to enhance the crisis communication skills and expertise of its group leadership team, as well as the management teams in Finland and Sweden. We designed and implemented a comprehensive training concept for crisis communication simulation in collaboration with Solita and our Swedish communication agency partner, Spotlight.
Challenge
Crisis communication is a specialized skill and a true test for a company’s leadership and communication teams during a crisis. Thus, companies must plan and practice crisis communication frequently. Crisis scenarios and regular reviews of crisis communication instructions and processes, as well as simulating crisis communication, should be basic tasks in every company.
The crises organizations encounter are diverse and often unpredictable. Solita aimed to train the company’s leadership team, along with the management teams in Finland and Sweden, in crisis communication, allowing them to both learn and practice essential skills.
The goal of the training was to provide participants with a unified understanding of Solita’s crisis management processes, the roles of the crisis team, and the crisis communication policies, while also allowing time for in-depth discussion. Recognizing the importance of cross-functional collaboration for successful crisis management and communication, we involved participants from a range of departments, including IT, operations, and legal.
Solution
Solita, Manifesto and Spotlight jointly designed the content of the crisis training. Manifesto was responsible for the practical implementation of the training in Finland and Spotlight in Sweden. Spotlight also trained Solita’s Leadership team.
The training was divided in different parts. At first, the participants were presented the theoretical framework for crisis communication e.g. the rules and tools, as well as various crises typical of Solita’s industry.
In the second part, leadership was presented the Solita’s crisis communication processes and management procedures, as well as the members and tasks of the crisis team.
The main part of the six-hour training covered a practical exercise simulating a crisis. Ransomware extortion was chosen as the crisis for the simulation in response to the growing global threats to cybersecurity. In the simulation, the crisis progressed in stages and the team practiced and discussed about different strategies to handle the situation. The participants were split into small groups, where they collaborated to address the challenges presented at each stage of the simulation. Manifesto and Spotlight experts facilitated the groups and provided feedback on their decision-making process.
Results
Through crisis communication training, Solita’s participants gained a cohesive understanding of crisis management procedures and the responsibilities of crisis communication team.
They also studied and reinforced the fundamental principles and practical guidelines of crisis communication. Through the simulation, participants gained hands-on experience in how a crisis unfolds, how to manage its resolution, and how to communicate effectively with different stakeholders at various stages of the crisis.
Thanks to the training, Solita’s group leadership team and country-specific management teams are better prepared to face potential crises.
– Minna Pinola, Communications Director at Solita
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