Apply this business communication strategy to stay ahead of crisis events
Like many nations around the world, several organizations waited until the Coronavirus was a direct threat and ultimately too close to home to begin communicating with their teams. This is especially unfortunate for multinational organizations with globally dispersed employees. This reactive crisis communication strategy is not uncommon as, without careful planning, most communicators naturally adopt a US-centric approach to communication.
How do we get ahead of major employee-impacting events like a global pandemic, ensure business continuity, and keep our employees informed and engaged? Here are a couple of things communication leaders should consider before, during, and after a crisis.
BEFORE
Every organization should have a robust business communication plan in place before a crisis demands one. The strategic framework for that plan should include three main plan types:
A run-the-business communication plan that looks at the day-to-day communication activities to support the business and its leaders.
A crisis communication plan that outlines the general approach to take during critical or unexpected events with emphasis on a specific tone or response to the issue, how to communicate with internal and external audiences, and how to minimize overall impact.
A project/program-specific communication plan that details communication support for various projects and programs within the organization.
DURING
We live in a time when employees demand that their leaders respond to social impact issues in ways that align with their own views and convictions — making it essential to set the right tone during times of crisis. Your employees and customers need to know you care and that you are thinking through the long term impact of the current events and ways to mitigate. This may mean downplaying the company's economic impact and prioritizing the well-being of employees and their families. Here's a simple framework to consider when building out your communication plan:
Develop a cadence for communicating with employees and customers and stick to it. This should be informative and timely without being overwhelming.
Have a heightened sense of awareness of how the current events may personally impact your employees. This should help define your overall response to the crisis.
Offer immediate solutions with clear instructions on how to access and reinforce your company values.
Offer a sense of what the future will look like as early as you can.
AFTER
Since most crisis events have an end in sight, you will need to start thinking through your post-event communication strategy in advance. At the end of a crisis, you are likely to meet new issues and concerns from your employees and customers. Be prepared to accurately address those concerns. Lack of preparedness for this stage could send you into another catastrophe. Employees will appreciate your forward-thinking, and it reinforces your earlier messages that you care about their well-being. Take the following steps in this stage:
Do a post-event impact assessment and share key findings with your team.
Continue to offer solutions for those impacted beyond the event.
Return to business without sending a "business as usual" email. It's important to get back to your normal operations once the event passes. However, a business as usual tone can send the wrong message, especially to those who were personally affected. Messaging will be critical at this stage. Focus on your strength as a company and how the recent events provide perspective and deeper commitment to the overall mission.
This strategy requires master storytelling and savvy communication tactics. Connect with a member of our team today for more information on how to deploy this and other business communication strategies within your organization.