Tabletop and Training Exercises

It’s impossible to know in advance how any individual will react when a true crisis erupts, a crisis that may arrive with little warning, with sudden violence and loss of life – perhaps on a large scale – and with chaos.

What is possible, however, and highly recommended, is preparing key personnel – particularly critical decision-makers and managers likely to assume a first-responder role – with in-depth and extensive training and role-playing opportunities.  Merely developing detailed plans alone isn’t enough.  Also crucial, when possible and appropriate, is providing officials, leaders and other stakeholders with a near-real world experience in a controlled environment.  One of the most effective ways of doing this is to conduct tabletop exercises.

Tabletop exercises give officials, leaders and other stakeholders the opportunity to manage a virtual crisis from beginning to end – under no-risk circumstances.  No one dies if they fail.  While it’s essential that training occur prior to the tabletop exercise to prepare participants, the exercises allow mistakes to be made in a safe environment geared to learning and not criticism.  The process can be designed to provide varying levels of difficulty and stress for the participants.  Scenarios can be changed at any point in the exercise by injecting a new event or fact into the game.  Hillard Heintze helps clients in many different industries conduct – and learn from – these exercises on a regular basis.