Performing Under Pressure: Critical Incident Management for International School Leaders
Pre-conference Workshop
Successful critical incident management requires a significant amount of both individual and organizational capability, and all at a time when we are at our most vulnerable. Multiple studies and first-hand experience confirm that during a crisis, we simply cannot rely on ourselves believing that we, or our colleagues, will make the same quality decisions and calls that we would on a normal day at work – whether that be in the field or the office.
The irony is that the need for adaptability, clear decision-making, and leadership is never greater than when it is exactly the most difficult time to assure it. The good news is that it is possible to pre-prepare and plan for critical incidents. This one-day hands-on workshop will provide attendees with a contemporary, practical, and research-informed overview of the key principles and elements of optimal critical incident management for schools and organizations that conduct outdoor and offsite programming.
Attendees will leave with the capabilities and resources to develop and enhance their own fit-for-purpose plan.
Here’s how you will benefit
Understand the Science of Stress
We’ll dive into the world of brain science and learn how pressure and extreme stress affect the brain. We’ll quickly see that effective crisis management planning is not an ‘intelligence test’ and how planning and practice will significantly improve performance.
Design Effective Response Plans
Learn how to craft a critical incident response plan that truly works. We’ve seen them all – from a plan on one page to ones that are fifty pages long. We’ll guide you through the essential components needed to ensure your plan is helpful and not something that sits on the table, or in a backpack unused during the incident. We’ll focus on how supporting your understanding of how to implement a remote response plan that accounts for everyone not being in the same room responding.
Sharpen Your Skills Through Scenarios
Engage with realistic and meaningful scenarios that aim to help you experience what it feels and sounds like. Our unique and completely realistic approach to learning in this way is what we’re known for
Create Your Customised Action Template
Walk away with a bespoke template designed to help you plan and implement impactful critical incident scenarios in your own work context. You’ll receive helpful resources to test and enhance your own organization or school’s preparedness.
Receive a certificate of attendance
Hear What Other Had To Say
Fantastic day, very valuable to attend. The facilitator was world class!
Brilliant workshop! I learned so much. Very engaging and highly effective teaching.
Absolutely fantastic, useful and relevant. First training I’ve ever been to where I wanted it to go longer. 5 stars!
Thank you, VERY enlightening. Loved the scenarios. Outstanding!
This course was exactly what we needed as a school. Clare was extremely knowledgeable, encouraging, and insightful. I cannot recommend this course highly enough.
Facilitators
Deb Ajango
Deb Ajango has worked in the outdoor industry for more than 35 years. She is owner and director of SafetyEd, a business that provides accident prevention and emergency response training and consulting. Ms. Ajango has written two books on outdoor safety, and she frequently presents nationally and internationally on risk management, emergency action planning, and on wilderness medicine. She received the Charles (Reb) Gregg Award in 2012 in recognition of “Exceptional Leadership, Service, and Innovation in Wilderness Risk Management,” and in 2014, she was awarded the Paul K. Petzoldt Award for “Excellence in Wilderness Education.”
Ms. Ajango was faculty at Alaska Pacific University and was director of the University of Alaska Anchorage’s outdoor program. She received her Master of Science degree in clinical psychology and education from the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Over the years Ms. Ajango has served as a member of many committees, including the faculty committee for Wilderness Medical Associates International, the Safety Committees for the Student Conservation Association and Outward Bound USA. She also served as a member of the Alaska State Parks advisory board and was a member of the Association for Experiential Education’s (AEE’s) Accreditation Council for nine years.
Ben Lovell
Ben Lovell is the Head of Partnerships and Development at Outward Bound Australia. Having spent over 25 years in the outdoor education sector, he has experienced first-hand the life-changing impact of how a well-designed, well-facilitated and compassionate outdoor education program can have on young people. With a career spanning work as a group leader, a classroom teacher and a senior executive in outdoor education, Ben knows how transformative outdoor experiences can be and how vital they are for young people to be able to thrive throughout life.
