Crisis Management by Simone Hoferer

About the Lecture

The lecture Crisis Management by Simone Hoferer is from the course Risk Management (RM): Project Stage. It contains the following chapters:

Objective of this chapter
Crisis - definition
Crisis management
Aspects of crisis
Early detection
Crisis graphic
How to defuse the crisis
Interpersonal crisis
Personal crisis prevention
Possible solutions

Included Quiz Questions

What are the characteristics of a crisis?

It is a difficult situation or time, which represents a climax or a turning point of a dangerous development.
It is a culminating development, situation becoming harder to manage and control.
It is having a negative effect on regular business actions with a feeling of threat, insecurity and time pressure.
It is a pre-stage to a disaster and always has a negative impact or outcome.
It is a hard situation with a lot of problems, which however can be managed quite easily with a little bit more effort.

What are the steps to be taken in a crisis?

To identify, to assess, to develop appropriate strategies to cope and to initiate & monitor countermeasures
To develop strategies to cope with the crisis and to initiate and monitor the countermeasures
To identify, to assess, to develop appropriate strategies to cope and to report
To develop strategies to cooperate with the crisis and to initiate and monitor the countermeasures

What are possible strategies to detect a potential crisis?

To look out for possible indicators and signs and to frequently conduct RM
To consult experienced colleagues and experts, to expand your own experience and expertise and use your intuition
To consult and trust statistics and forecasts
To consult futurologists and use their forecast for your project

In a crisis you might get overemotional. What should you do to work against it and manage the crisis?

Calm yourself down by using your body. Clear your desk and order the tasks.
Ask other employees to help you calm down by physical contact like holding hands.
Ignore your feelings as best as you can and concentrate on the crisis itself and how to avert it.
Take a day or two off and relax in known surroundings like your home.

What actions should be taken to defuse a crisis?

Obtain information and research possible people who might help. Try to figure out alternative options and found strategic alliances.
Initiate contact to your seniors to ask for help and advice.
Obtain a list of seniors who can help you. Try to figure out a way to fight the crisis although you possible cannot do much to avert it.
There are no actions which can help to defuse a crisis. Try to not let the negative impact affect your team.

With the method of "triple A" one changes from one level of a situation to another in order to reduce tensions and to find out where the trouble really lies in. What do the three As stand for?

Atmosphere, assignment and activity
Atmosphere, assignment and action
Atmosphere, assurance and activity
Attempt, assignment and activity

The stress zone model illustrates how one can prevent and better prepare for a crisis on a personal level. What is the core message of that model?

Face your fear.
To expand your personal comfort zone by actively approaching new and unfamiliar situations which increases ones scope of action and with that is reducing stress
It is important to know ones own comfort zone and to stay within it as much as possible.
It is good to switch between comfort zone and panic zone as often as possible because the panic triggers your adrenaline and the comfort zone helps you to calm down again.

When you account a crisis, what should you consider concerning possible solutions?

Choose the simplest solution and not the most beautiful solution.
The possible solution should be goal-oriented because the goal determines the method.
Wisdom lies within the team.
Choose a solution which connects all team members and parties.