How do you communicate effectively with parents and community during a crisis?

1 Know your purpose and goals

Before you communicate anything, you need to have a clear purpose and goals for your communication. What are you trying to achieve? What are the key messages you want to convey? How do you want your audience to feel and respond? Having a clear purpose and goals will help you craft your communication plan, choose the appropriate channels and tools, and measure the impact of your communication.

2 Be proactive and transparent

One of the worst things you can do in a crisis is to delay or avoid communication with parents and community. This can create confusion, anxiety, and mistrust, and damage your reputation and credibility. Instead, you should be proactive and transparent in your communication, and provide regular updates and information as soon as possible. You should also acknowledge the situation, express empathy and compassion, and explain the actions you are taking to address the situation and support your students and staff.

3 Adapt to your audience and context

Different audiences and contexts may require different communication styles and methods. You need to consider who you are communicating with, what they need to know, how they prefer to receive information, and how they might react to your communication. For example, you may need to use different languages, formats, tones, and levels of detail for parents, staff, media, and community partners. You may also need to use multiple channels and tools, such as emails, phone calls, newsletters, social media, webinars, or press releases, to reach your audience effectively.

4 Listen and respond

Communication is not a one-way street. You also need to listen and respond to the feedback, questions, and concerns of your parents and community. You can use surveys, polls, forums, or meetings to solicit their input and opinions, and show that you value their perspectives and involvement. You can also use FAQs, Q&A sessions, or hotlines to address their queries and issues, and provide clear and accurate answers. Listening and responding will help you build trust and rapport with your audience, and identify any gaps or challenges in your communication.

5 Collaborate and coordinate

You are not alone in communicating with parents and community during a crisis. You have a team of staff, colleagues, and partners who can help you plan, execute, and evaluate your communication. You should collaborate and coordinate with them to ensure that your communication is consistent, coherent, and aligned with your vision and values. You should also leverage their expertise, resources, and networks to enhance your communication quality and reach. Collaborating and coordinating will help you avoid duplication, confusion, or contradiction in your communication.

6 Evaluate and improve

Communication is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing process that requires constant evaluation and improvement. You should monitor and measure the effectiveness of your communication, using indicators such as feedback, engagement, satisfaction, or behavior change. You should also seek and incorporate suggestions and recommendations from your audience and stakeholders, and identify areas for improvement or innovation. Evaluating and improving will help you learn from your communication experiences, and adapt to the changing needs and expectations of your audience.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?