Our CEO Said WHAT? Developing a Crisis Communication Plan for CrossFit After George Floyd’s Murder

Organizational crises are becoming more frequent, highlighting the need for developing leadership skills to manage them effectively. To help business students build these skills, this exercise places them in the role of creating a communication plan in response to a real organizational crisis that generates significant stakeholder pressure. Through a threepart case scenario, students learn about the crisis triggered by the CrossFit CEO’s controversial response to the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Taking the role of CrossFit executives, students create crisis communication plans for the company. They then reflect on their roleplay experience, present their plans, receive feedback, and compare their plans with CrossFit’s actual response. The exercise concludes with a debrief session where students discuss strategies to prevent similar crises and review the leadership and managerial skills required to effectively manage crisis situations.