What do you do if your strategic communications plan fails and trust is lost?

1 Acknowledge Failure

When a strategic communications plan fails, the first step is to openly acknowledge the failure. It's crucial to communicate with your stakeholders with honesty and humility, expressing your awareness of the issue and its impact. By doing so, you set the stage for rebuilding trust. Avoiding denial or deflection shows that you respect your audience's intelligence and are committed to addressing the problem head-on. This initial acknowledgment is a powerful step in demonstrating accountability and setting the tone for the recovery process.

4 Engage Authentically

Engaging authentically with your audience is crucial in the wake of a communications failure. This means fostering a two-way dialogue where you listen to feedback and concerns as much as you convey your own messages. Authentic engagement involves being present, responsive, and empathetic across all communication channels. By showing that you value your audience's input and are genuinely interested in their perspectives, you can rebuild trust through meaningful interaction.

5 Rebuild Trust

Rebuilding trust is a gradual process that requires consistency and patience. After adjusting your communications strategies, it's important to follow through on the promises and commitments you've made. Consistency in your messaging and actions will slowly restore confidence in your organization. Additionally, you should highlight any positive outcomes or improvements that result from the changes you've implemented. Demonstrating progress is key to proving that your efforts are sincere and effective.

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?