What is crisis management? It’s a process that organizations follow when they’re dealing with an unexpected problem that could harm the business and stakeholders, employees, customers, and others. The process was first developed and studied in the 1980s in the wake of large industrial and environmental disasters. Other potential disruptive events include natural, financial, technological, organizational, and personnel crises. Crisis management includes preparing for unexpected emergencies and managing them when they happen. Here are five crisis management courses available for auditing online:
High Stakes Leadership: Leading in Times of Crisis | University of Michigan
Designed for leaders, this course will prepare students on dealing with disruptive events within an organization. It includes why understanding the perspective of stakeholders is important and how to improve your response to events. You’ll learn how to anticipate threats, how to deal with them, and how to adapt as conditions change. Examples include how leaders have dealt with the coronavirus pandemic. Professor Mike Barger’s experience as a TOPGUN instructor in the US Navy and founder/executive at JetBlue Airways makes him an expert in crisis leadership and practical examples.
The course consists of eight modules spread out over four weeks, though deadlines are flexible. It takes about 31 hours to complete. There are subtitles available in English.
Business Continuity Management and Crisis Management: An Introduction | Coventry University
This course covers the role of business continuity management (known as BCM) and crisis management. BCM is the process of developing prevention and recovery systems, so a business can continue or resume operations quickly after an unexpected event. BCM also helps define potential threats like fires, floods, and cyber attacks. Students will learn about what public, private, and sector organizations face and the reasons why BCM and crisis management are so important in these times.
The course is meant for anyone interested in crisis management and business continuity from a global understanding. It’s free to audit with the option of adding a certificate for a fee. It takes about 2 weeks to complete with a weekly commitment of 3 hours.
Converting Challenges into Opportunities | University of California San Diego
Managing a crisis is one of the many challenges in the workplace. This course focuses on how to turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and improvement. Students will learn about left and right-brain thinking, analyzing problems, fostering creativity, and applying innovative ideas. Modules consist of videos and exercises, so you can put what you’ve learned into action. Topics include character strengths self-reflection, stress signals, problem-solving using scientific methods, and “soft skills.”
A beginner-level course, “Converting Challenges” only takes around 12 hours to complete. Deadlines are flexible. There are English subtitles available.
Leadership Communication for Maximum Impact: Storytelling | Northwestern University
This course, which is part of the Organizational Leadership specialization, focuses on how storytelling is a vital part of leadership. The best leaders rely on communication to serve a variety of goals, such as inspiring employees, engaging with customers, and increasing impact globally. Through this course, students learn to craft their own voice. Module 3 focuses specifically on communication during a crisis. Students will learn what to do, how to tell their story, and how the best crisis responders handle the unexpected.
The whole course takes about 5 hours to complete. Deadlines are flexible. Subtitles are available in English and Vietnamese.
Reputation Management in a Digital World | Curtin University
Crisis management looks differently than it did in the 1980s when it first gained prominence. Communications managers do a lot of work online these days. In this course, which is part of the CurtinX MicroMasters Credential in Marketing in a Digital World, students will role-play as a communications manager for a fictional organization. You’ll learn things like how to build a strong and sustainable online reputation; why an online presence is important; and how to manage social media issues. You’ll also learn how to manage a crisis online across many online social platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.
This intermediate-level course is designed for anyone in marketing, public relations, communications, social media, or advertising. Students should understand marketing, public relations, and different online platforms to get the most out of this course. It takes six weeks to complete with a 3-4 hour weekly commitment. It’s self-paced and taught in English with an English video transcript.
