Activity
Crisis management simulation
Center of Quebec, Lanaudière, Laurentides, Monteregie, Outaouais, Region of Montreal, Region of Ottawa, Region of Quebec (City), TorontoActivity description
The crisis management role-play immerses participants in a fictional yet realistic scenario where an urgent situation threatens the smooth operation of the organization.
In teams, members must analyze the issues, assign responsibilities, and make critical decisions under time pressure.
The activity blends simulated stress, logic, improvisation, and fast-paced collaboration in a dynamic and guided environment.
What does it impact ?
- Leadership development and confidence building : Under time pressure and uncertainty, everyone is pushed to make decisions, defend their ideas, and trust their colleagues.
- Improved collaboration and work quality : Successfully resolving the crisis requires active listening, effective role distribution, and frictionless teamwork.
What should the organizer prepare ?
- One or more credible crisis scenarios : cyberattack, natural disaster, media scandal, etc.
- A facilitator or moderator to observe, guide, and debrief.
- Separate spaces for teams to confer privately.
- A visible timer or stopwatch.
- Materials for taking notes or visualizing decisions : flipcharts, markers, Post-Its, etc.
- A scoring system or final presentation format for decisions made.
How to reach our goals on the big day ?
- Appoint a rotating team leader for each scenario so everyone can experience a leadership role.
- Introduce surprise “plot twists” during the crisis to test adaptability.
- Impose constraints (time, budget, resources) to simulate real stress.
- Include oral feedback with a fictional jury (e.g., executive committee) to sharpen clarity in decision-making.
- Host a collective debrief to reflect on group dynamics and individual responses.
- Use symbolic badges or props to enhance the role-play : spokesperson, security chief, etc.
When is the right time to run this activity ?
- When the team shows signs of slow decision-making or conflict avoidance.
- Before a period of major organizational changes merger, rapid growth, restructuring, etc.
- After a poorly managed real incident to derive concrete lessons.
- To train future leaders or members of crisis committees.
- When cohesion is good, but you want to test its strength under pressure.
Other benefits
- Helps identify natural talents who show ease in taking the lead and managing crisis communication.
- Encourages stepping back when faced with tense or conflictual situations.
- Creates a playful atmosphere around serious topics, which enhances learning.
See what others have done 👋
- In France, a BNP Paribas team had to deal with a supposed data theft. Only afterwards did they discover that the “hacker” was actually their own cybersecurity manager, secretly testing their response!
- At Air Canada, a massive outage role-play led to a customer service employee being spotted for her management potential and promoted just weeks later.
- A tech company in Barcelona used AI to generate surprise crisis events in real time, including a scenario involving a drone delivery system gone rogue!
- A team in Montreal believed an actor hired for the scenario was a real government inspector, especially when he requested an emergency urine test!
Location : In person, Office activities, Virtual
Location : Center of Quebec, Lanaudière, Laurentides, Monteregie, Outaouais, Region of Montreal, Region of Ottawa, Region of Quebec (City), Toronto
Activity setting : Indoors, Outdoors
Group size : Up to 10 people, Up to 20 people
Activity languages : English, French
Price : Free
Duration : > 1hrs, 1-3 hrs
Difficulty level : Easy to pick up
Group size :
- Up to 10 people
- Up to 20 people
Supplier list (1)