Crisis Management from a Tactical Operations Perspective: A Practical Guide for Managers in the Pharmaceutical Sector In-house Training

Course overview

When a crisis hits, will your plan hold - or fall apart under pressure? In the pharmaceutical industry, every link in the chain - from research and manufacturing to sales and distribution - is complex, global, and tightly regulated. 

Crises can unfold without warning, and even the most carefully prepared management plans can fail when real life intervenes. As Helmuth von Moltke, a Prussian General in the mid-19th century, famously observed, “No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.” The same is true for crisis management – no matter how good your plan, no plan survives first contact with reality unscathed.

Companies operating in this sector should have a range of carefully designed crisis management procedures in place, written in line both with local legislation and the international standard ISO 22361, and all ready for activation at a moment’s notice – but what can happen when the plan is activated and comes into contact with the real world?

This training course has been designed specifically for managers in the pharmaceutical industry who may suddenly find themselves being challenged by an unexpected and swiftly evolving situation because the strategic crisis management plan has started to fail. In such an event they may be called upon not only to make vital tactical decisions while under pressure, but also to get these decisions right despite the lack of both accurate information and time. And all this in a setting where the accuracy of those decisions could make the difference between recovery and chaos.

Making tactical decisions during an evolving crisis is a very difficult position for any manager to face. This one-day training course has been designed to help managers cope with the sort of challenges they may well encounter in such a testing situation.

During this training course you’ll explore topics such as:

• The difference between incidents and crises
• Who should be involved in the crisis management team
• What goes into the crisis management plan
• The difference between “span of command” and “span of control”
• Crisis communication essentials
• The essential psychology of tactical decision-making and leadership

By the end of this carefully designed training session, you’ll be better equipped to think clearly, lead decisively, and manage the unpredictable in a high-stakes environment - ensuring your organisation not only survives a crisis but emerges stronger.

The expert trainer will use a mix of theory, real-life examples, reference to the international standard ISO 22361 and a wealth of experience and knowledge in safety and emergency management.

This training course is part of our collection of Facilities Management Training Courses which offer a wide range of topics to help assist you in navigating potential risks in relation to fire safety, industrial accidents and all the vital aspects of facilities and property management.

Benefits of attending

By attending this training course you will:

• Strengthen your tactical decision-making skills 
• Recognise the difference between incidents and crises and apply the right level of response
• Understand the dynamics of effective crisis teams and how to optimise communication and command structures
• Appreciate the relevance of international standard ISO 22361 to pharmaceutical crisis management planning
• Be able to identify common points of failure in crisis plans and learn how to prevent or mitigate them
• Enhance crisis communication techniques for both internal coordination and external stakeholder management
• Understand how to improve organisational resilience by aligning the crisis management plan with practical, actionable strategies

Who should attend?

This training course has been specially designed for professionals in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors who may be directly involved in crisis response, operational decision-making, or managing business continuity under pressure, including:

• Pharmaceutical Operations Managers
• Manufacturing or Production Managers
• Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) Managers
• Regulatory Affairs Managers
• Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Managers
• Crisis Management Leads / Coordinators
• Risk and Compliance Officers
• Corporate Communications / Public Affairs Managers
• Supply Chain and Logistics Managers
• R&D and Laboratory Managers
• Business Continuity and Emergency Response Teams
• Senior Executives and Functional Heads responsible for crisis oversight