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Foundations of Crisis Communication
Lead your business through difficulties with clarity, calm, and confidencePreview the first lesson free — get full access to all 8 lessons.
Advanced Provider : KnowledgeCity 8 Lessons · 27m in Arabic, English, Spanish
Course Description
In this Foundations of Crisis Communication course, you’ll learn how to lead through chaos when something serious disrupts your business. Whether it’s a product failure, a public backlash, or a cybersecurity breach, your response shapes how your company is seen. A strong message builds trust, but silence or delay can make things worse.
You’ll explore real examples from companies that got it right—and those that didn’t. You’ll break down what happened, why it mattered, and what leaders said to gain or lose public confidence. You’ll learn the different types of crises and assess the impact they can have. The course will also teach you to match your message to each group, from employees and investors to customers and the media.
You’ll also understand what leadership looks like during a crisis, so you are prepared to build a crisis team and create a clear communication plan. By the end of this course, you’ll be ready to lead with calm, clarity, and purpose—even when the pressure’s on.
What You'll Learn
- Define crisis communication and explain why it matters in high-pressure situations
- Identify different types of business crises and assess their potential impact
- Describe leadership responsibilities during a crisis, both internally and externally
- Recognize the structure and roles of an effective crisis communication team
- Develop the key parts of a practical crisis communication plan
- Match crisis messages to different audiences, from employees and investors to customers and the media
Key Takeaways
- How a company responds to a serious disruption shapes how it is perceived, with a strong message building trust while silence or delay can make things worse.
- Real examples from companies that succeeded and failed help illustrate why crisis responses gained or lost public confidence.
- Different types of crises, such as product failures, public backlash, and cybersecurity breaches, carry different impacts that leaders must assess.
- Effective crisis leadership involves building a crisis team and creating a clear communication plan.
- Messages should be matched to each group, including employees, investors, customers, and the media.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will I learn in this course?
You will learn to define crisis communication and why it matters, identify and assess different types of business crises, describe leadership responsibilities during a crisis, recognize the structure and roles of a crisis communication team, and develop key parts of a practical crisis communication plan.
What types of crises does this course cover?
The course addresses serious disruptions such as product failures, public backlash, and cybersecurity breaches, and teaches you to identify different types of business crises and assess their impact.
Does the course use real-world examples?
Yes. You will explore real examples from companies that got it right and those that didn't, breaking down what happened, why it mattered, and what leaders said to gain or lose public confidence.
Who are the audiences addressed in crisis communication?
The course teaches you to match your message to each group, from employees and investors to customers and the media.
What does the course cover about crisis teams and planning?
It covers building a crisis communication team, including its structure and roles, and developing a comprehensive, practical crisis communication plan.
Professional Certifications and Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®)
Professional Development Credits (PDCs): 0.5
KnowledgeCity is approved by SHRM as a Recertification General Provider to offer SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP professional development credits (PDCs). By taking the courses approved by SHRM, KnowledgeCity can award SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for HR knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge™ (the SHRM BASK™).
