Welcome to our series of quick tips on conducting an effective crisis simulation. In this video I’m talking about quick tips 3 - Team Dynamics
In a fast escalating crisis, even the most experienced teams can become quickly overwhelmed. Different functional areas will have valid but often conflicting perspectives – the marketing manager is urging the team to get out there and say something, the quality manager is waiting for one more test, the legal advisor wants to say nothing at all, sales are getting pressure from key customers ….
If you’d like more information, you need our free guide, Quick Tips for Effective Crisis Simulations. Type “quick tips” in the comments section and I’ll be happy to send you a copy or head over to our website www.crisisclarity.com/simulations for more information or to arrange a free demonstration.
Hi, I’m Steve Hather from CrisisClarity where we know that conflict and confusion creates a crisis and we help you find the clarity you need and the credibility you must have to prevent one.
FMCG executives tend to be very solution driven. Find the solution that makes the most sense and then execute. While fast, decisive action is certainly critical, making the right decisions means being able to take a step back and weigh up different perspectives, look at options and the consequences of those options and finding ways to get from what looks like a real problem to a positive outcome for the business. “Making lemonade from lemons” as an old boss of mine used to say!
All this seems quite intuitive - while you’re sitting around the meeting room table, casually sipping on your coffee. But when the phones start ringing, customers and consumers start demanding answers you don’t have yet, regulators are pushing you towards action you don’t feel ready for and social media is starting to go viral, they are not quite as intuitive at all. Even the most experienced team can become overwhelmed.
Preventing that takes some structure. Simply having a bunch of very smart people batting good ideas around leads to what I refer to as “intelligent babble”. Great ideas without clear outcomes until someone – often the CEO, jumps in and says “right! this is what we’re going to do”. Those that are not on board often stop engaging and are quite happy to say (at least to themselves) “I told you so!” if things don’t quite work out.
Simulations should therefore have enough complexity to force the team to have difficult discussions under pressure, to use the tools and guides in your plan and provide the facilitator with experience in managing these team dynamics.
