What are the best practices for communicating change during a crisis?

Remember that lack of communication is not an option. Even in the absence of clear knowledge related to the crisis, it's key to convey presence, calm, empathy, effort to work toward resolution, and any information available; even if that information is at times lean - stay connected to stakeholders.

Over and over I’ve seen business leaders get mired in this first step of “why”. They speak to employees like they are doing a press release, using buzz phrases like “increase collaboration “ or “enhance productivity” or “laser like focus”. This leaves employees in a worse frame (I wasn’t productive and focused before? I thought I was). Leaders need to start communication with the truth, even if it’s unpleasant. Our revenue was down last cycle. We can no longer afford to keep that plant in operation. Employees understand these reasons even if they don’t like the outcome. Spinning the message in leadership perceived benefits only does workers a disservice.

Too many organizations are afraid of being transparent, yet, times have changed. Newer generations not only expect transparency, they expect us to be sincere. Are they wrong? Not really, the same way honestly is the way to go with a spouse, a friend, organization can be more honest and more transparent. Of course, there are limits, BUT if you come from a basis of transparency, employees, partners, customers regulators will respect you more and want to work with you in a time of crisis - let it be layoffs, cyber-hack, ESG greenwashing or other potential wicked risks that your organization may face.

Transparency, honesty, clarity, consistency. These are not just corporate buzzwords. Treat people like grown-ups and they'll behave like grown-ups.

Something I found very useful in managing change processes is to keep the five stages of change in mind that human beings experience and guiding people to get to stage 5 with empathy: 1) precontemplation (no intention of changing; ? I don’t need this“) 2) contemplation (contemplating change but not taking action; ?I‘ll listen to their ideas for change and might think about it“) 3) preparation (setting the stage for taking action; ?I have not done this but will give it a go“) 4) action (the golden moment of actually stepping over the threshold of change - in most cases needing considerable energy and commitment; ?Let’s do it“) 5) maintenance (consolidating the gains of the previous action; ?ok, this seems to be the new normal“

Communicating change during a crisis requires clarity, empathy, and transparency. Here are some best practices: Be Transparent: Provide honest and clear information about the changes, why they are necessary, and what impact they will have. Empathize: Acknowledge the concerns and emotions of those affected by the change. Show understanding and compassion. Frequent Updates: Keep stakeholders informed with regular updates, even if there are no new developments. This helps build trust and reduces uncertainty. Highlight Positive Aspects: Identify and communicate any potential benefits or opportunities that may arise from the change.Lead by

1. Transparency - Address the issue in a holding statement if need be, but don’t hide. 2. Set timelines of when important stakeholders can expect to be updated. 3. Remember to bring key segments of the business with you ensure everyone is fully aligned on message.

Communication during a crisis is a pivotal element that demands careful attention. To effectively navigate crisis communication, understanding your audience and the specific crisis at hand is paramount. Tailoring your communication approach is essential, whether through platforms like social media, traditional print media, wireless systems, or other channels. It is important when using multiple platforms that your messaging stays consistent. Moreover, the nature of the crisis itself can influence the resources at your disposal. Therefore, having a clear understanding of available resources and developing multiple communication strategies for crisis scenarios, including contingency plans, is imperative.

- Identify channels most used by stakeholders (email, social media, website). - Utilize multiple formats (written, visual, video) for varied audience preferences. - Consider accessibility needs (language, visual impairments) when selecting formats. - Use interactive platforms for engagement (webinars, live streams, forums). - Employ direct communication channels for urgent messages (text alerts, phone calls). - Utilize internal channels for staff communications (intranet, staff meetings). - Collaborate with media outlets for broader dissemination (press releases, interviews). - Choose channels with high reach and engagement rates for maximum impact.

Analyse du public et de la situation : Tenez compte de la diversité, de la taille et des préférences du public, ainsi que de la sensibilité et de l'urgence du message. Choix approprié des canaux et formats : Utilisez une variété de moyens tels que les courriels, les bulletins d’information, les webinaires, les podcasts et les réseaux sociaux pour atteindre différents groupes de manière adaptée. Cohérence et accessibilité : Assurez-vous que la communication est cohérente sur tous les canaux et formats pour éviter toute confusion, et veillez à ce qu'elle soit accessible à tous, y compris aux personnes ayant des besoins spécifiques.

Those organisations who manage a crisis best understand that the crisis is not about them. Sure, it's happening to you and you need to manage it, but the impact is all on others, your stakeholders. A crisis is the time to really live those phrases like "customer first" and "we're nothing without our staff". Listen and learn from them without judgement. Don't be defensive but welcome the feedback you get even if it's brutal. Ideally you'll have had a member of the comms team stand in the footsteps of your stakeholders anticipating the questions and responses you'll get in pre crisis planning but you can do it in real time. Be prepared but also be humble if you stumble. A crisis can show your humanity and positive values if you let it.

First recognize honestly the existence of the crisis. This will help build credibility for whatever comes next. Second explain what needs to be changed, the simple rational and how it will be changed. Third, like in any crisis, react very quickly. Fourth, do not stop communicating until crisis is over. It is vital not to disappear at any point in time.

Listening to your audience is one of the most important parts of crisis management because your stakeholders and people most impacted by the crisis must be heard and taken seriously. The moment they feel they are ignored, or worse, lied to, your reputation is tarnished and it will be extremely hard to recover. Someone needs to monitor the feedback and respond in a timely manner based upon vetted and factual themes, messages, and talking points and to stay on message.

Dar voz às equipes, mais do que necessário para vê-las integradas e motivadas a seguirem na empresa, é uma oportunidade de fortalecer ou corrigir algum ponto n?o coberto pela comunica??o e que pode afetar o processo que está sendo impactado pela notícia. As lideran?as devem fazer um convite legítimo, criar um ambiente positivo e seguro, evitar interrup??es sobre pontos apresentados pelas pessoas, utilizar técnicas de escuta ativa e colocar empatia e compreens?o em cada inseguran?a ou dúvida apresentada.

During times of crisis, it is crucial to recognize that the impact extends beyond the immediate entity, encompassing stakeholders, the community, and beyond. Proactively seeking feedback from both internal and external stakeholders before a crisis occurs is essential to build resilience. Furthermore, gathering feedback post-crisis is equally vital for enhancing communication and refining procedures and policies. Despite its significance, the act of requesting feedback is often overlooked and underestimated, yet it stands as a fundamental element in crisis management.

Best practices for communicating change during a crisis, through the lens of Network Science, emphasize involving and empowering key influencers within your network. Identify 'champions'—central nodes with extensive connections and influence. These individuals act as bridges, spreading messages rapidly and effectively across the network. Engage them early, providing clear, concise information and empowering them to communicate changes. Their endorsement can enhance message credibility, encourage acceptance, and foster resilience within the network. Leverage their reach to ensure widespread understanding and support, making your crisis communication more effective and cohesive.

Building the bank of goodwill is the primordial necessity in ensuring that change can be advocated and practiced during a crisis. What do I mean? BEFORE a crisis, work with the stars of your team, the government officials or members of the media to discuss your challenges, progress. This is very important so that when a crisis is unfolding you can work with internal and external advocates who will support your points

- Identify supportive stakeholders (champions) early. - Involve them in change planning and decision-making. - Empower champions to advocate for change. - Provide resources and support for effective communication. - Encourage sharing of success stories and experiences. - Recognize and celebrate champions' contributions. - Keep champions informed and engaged throughout the process. - Utilize champions to address concerns and resistance. - Encourage active participation in decision-making.

Alleine wird eine Kommunikationsstrategie nie gelingen k?nnen. Es ist wichtig, sich eine eigene Basis zu schaffen, die sich die eigene Absicht zu eigen macht und in ihrem Verantwortungsbereich weiter tr?gt. Dabei spielen auch die vorhandenen Ressourcen immer eine Rolle, die es gilt gewinnbringend und zielführend einzurichten.

Treine bastante os seus colaboradores para que eles fa?am o trabalho com excelência e apoia lós por cada conquista, incentivar e dar informa??es precisas sempre.

Having been through one recently and with the belief that the way we handled communication helped to a considerable extent, I would stress on transparency, simplicity and authenticity. It is imperative to break down complex messages into layman terms for junior level staff to be able to relate to and understand, analogies could come in handy for sure here. More important is maintaining utter transparency and this includes admitting there is a crisis and owning up the situation, laying down how we are going to handle it together, step by step, explaining the worst and best case scenarios and hearing everyone out patiently. Last but not the least, be as authentic, honest and genuine as one can be. Admit when wrong or when you don't know.

Always be prepared to change course based on feedback. Always LISTEN as well as inform and persuade. Take people with you and don’t assume your way is the only way.

- Ask feedback, new ideas for improvement. - Listening can help to engage. - Keep it short. - Analyze the results. - Give feedback on the feedbacks.

There needs to be one focal point for people to gather information. Establish that early. Example: Post initial statement on all platforms, then state, all further updates will be posted on X, etc. In addition your own platforms the media is your best source to get information out to a mass audience quickly. Provide frequent briefings so they can share the information. Don't forget internal communications in all of this. You need to keep your own employees informed as well.

Absolutely ESSENTIAL for an organization to use social media, media and internal intranet monitoring to understand how well the messages have resonated with their intended stakeholders. Otherwise, if/when appropriate conduct a post-crisis survey with the right audiences to understand how they think about what was communicated.

One of the characteristics of a crisis is its accelerated tempo, exposing you to a risk of overload. When the crisis is over and time is running out, the reflex tends to be to stop right there, just after the operational management of the crisis has been completed. This is all the more likely to happen when you've had to fall behind on other projects to deal with the crisis. And yet, survival in future crises depends on this fundamental feedback stage. Furthermore, by taking a collegial approach to feedback, involving all those who were affected by the crisis, an organization cultivates the crisis culture it needs to be resilient.

It’s critical to name that you are making decisions based on feedback or lessons learned from past experience. By naming, “last time we heard _____; this time we can do better by _____,” you are instilling trust and a culture of healthy communication. I have found team members to be more willing to share candid feedback based on this responsive and transparent approach.

This is where having a crisis communication plan is key. No incident is going to be ran perfectly when it comes to communication therefore evaluating the incident afterwards is imperative. Having a hotwash or some other type of debrief allows those involved to openly voice the concerns of what went wrong but also what went well which in returns allows for future change and improvement for the next incident. The feedback of those involved is the most valuable information that we can obtain to bring improvement.

In my experience crisis communications most often fails when leadership teams prioritise control over transparency. Audiences don't judge organisations harshly for not having all the answers to all the questions, but they are unforgiving about the announcement of critical information being delayed by leaders who want to have solved the problem before they admit the problem exists. Go early, update regularly and show vulnerability - in my book that's the winning formula.

Often people think "Content is King". Actually, "Clarity is King". When a crisis in communications happens, get on the front foot. Be honest. Be transparent, otherwise the media, your stakeholders, your customers and your employees will fill in the gaps. Own your story. At times businesses have difficult stories to own. Remember, businesses are run by people. People are, by their nature, forgiving when presented with the facts. People in businesses can make mistakes. That's okay. What's not okay is to delay the communication of the mistake. Your Words and Your Story is Your Brand. It can take twenty years to build a Brand and one minute to undo it. So, be brave and invest in clear upfront communications in positive and difficult times.

Transparency, openness and honesty. If you made a mistake, own it. Work together as a team to work the problem in the best way to ensure long-term stability and success. Demonstrate your character and integrity. If you have it, you’ll get through it. If you don’t, you won’t.

Be as clear as possible on what you are doing, what you will know / be able to share and when. So you may not be able to answer all questions immediately but you can say "I'm afraid I won't have an answer to that until the Board has reached a decision / we hear back from a third party / we know more" and then give a sense of when you expect that to be. Don't promise to answer questions and then fob people off. "I don't know yet, but what I do know / can tell you is..." is better than evading the question!

Communicating change during a crisis requires clarity, empathy, and consistency. some best practices are; - Be honest about the situation and share information openly, even if it's difficult. - Acknowledge the impact of the crisis on individuals and show empathy towards their concerns and emotions - Ensure that messaging is consistent across all communication channels to avoid confusion. - Acknowledge achievements and milestones reached during the change process to maintain morale and motivation.