Crisis Communication Strategies

According to?research on crisis communication,?47% of employers?say that they have the capabilities or processes they would need to meet a crisis with the best possible outcome.

In addition, fewer than half of the total respondents say they have a “playbook” that sets out some of the options, actions, and decisions that may be required for specific, defined crisis scenarios.

Organizations that are trying to excel in their crisis management strategies?need to address crisis with a more strategic approach.

What is Crisis Communication?

The main goal of every workplace crisis communication strategy is to?enable seamless communication during crisis within an organization.

Messages used in crisis communication are meant to?provide employees with the knowledge?needed to make the right decisions during crisis and mergencies. Some of the common situations in which crisis communication is used include product recalls, data breaches, workplace injuries, bankruptcies, and other workplace situations such as sexual harassment.

To communicate crisis,?leadership,?internal communications?and PR teams use employee communication tools to share updates and important company information during the crisis.

When thinking about the new challenges of handling crisis in?digital workplaces, communication and executives charged with managing risk worry about?spotting unprecedented situations and preparing their workplace.

Having sophisticated technology that monitors all channels of communication in the workplace is the first step in preventing catastrophe!

5 Pillars of Successful Crisis Communication

There are certain rules crisis communicators should follow when speaking to their audience. These pillars eliminate the?challenges organizations face when managing the crisis and communicating their strategy?to employees and customers.

• Keep it simple –?keep your crisis communications simple and easy-to-consume for everyone. When communicating in times of crisis, simplicity is best, and clarity is king. Ensure your message has a clear objective, and make it relevant and tailored to your target audience.
• Make it credible –?Do you and your crisis communication team have credibility? Does your audience trust you? This is where it’s important to make sure that your delivery matches your message. Ensure you always present the evidence to support your message.
• Show empathy –?showing empathy during crisis is crucial. The best way to show empathy to people affected by the crisis is by active listening and encouraging bottom-up feedback.
• Show competency –?In times of crisis and change, highlighting your organization’s competency is important. Do you have the skills, knowledge, resources, and people to follow through and get things done? If so, remind your people that you are ready to handle unprecedented situations.
• Make it share-worthy –?make your crisis communications visual and share-worthy. Word-of-mouth will help spread your message and reach a wider audience. Encourage your people to share the message internally and externally where relevant.