The End Is Near: Communicating Early and Understanding the Impact on People

I happened to be staying at my mother’s house during the winter storm that caused much of Texas to lose power and clean drinking water. In the moment, I realized a) how reliant I am on 21st century amenities aka. Wifi, and b) how unprepared I was for the mental, physical, and emotional rigor that came from that week. If Texans were at all unaware of what the people of Flint, Michigan went through in 2014 - and are still going through - when their local government turned a blind eye to their drinking water crisis, then they quickly became aware of it.[1] Yet, many credit the attention of MSNBC anchor, Rachel Maddow, for the eventual response that was desperately needed in Flint, a piece that awarded Maddow with an Emmy. [2] Unlike Texas, it took Maddow’s global platform to drive the response in Flint, but up until that point the people of Flint were without water, hope, and leaderless.

People often see a crisis through their own lens, focusing on how it will impact them rather than seeing the bigger picture. And who can blame people in the middle of a crisis? Yet, leaders are called upon to see the full picture. We often turn to our leaders for hopeful, encouraging words that shine a light during dark times and some leaders use those moments to gain ground with their constituents. That tactic can have an adverse effect causing greater anxiety, confusion, and unnecessary blow-black. In the case of Flint, the lack of communication about local drinking water contamination caused an unstoppable rippling effect still felt today. Whereas the immediate attention to the winter storm in Texas ensured the situation would not go unnoticed, giving Texans a voice and hope for relief. The impact of communicating early meant that Texans had a better chance of rebounding from the crisis than the people of Flint.

In the first 100-days of the Biden/Harris administration, a campaign promise to put 1M shots in American’s arms was announced. And once that was rapidly achieved ahead of schedule, in March 2021, the new U.S. President and Vice President announced a second challenge saying, we will have enough vaccine to vaccinate all adult Americans by the end of July 2021.[3] An ambitious goal, right? Yes! But, the administration acknowledged the Herculean-like logistical effort to achieve this target. Yet, on March 12, President Biden made the critical point when he said, “I will always tell you the truth.”[4] If there’s anything this administration has learned, it’s to tell the truth.

In a phone interview on February 7, 2020 with Bob Woodward, Former U.S. President, Donald J. Trump announced the COVID-19 virus was airborne and present in America, this announcement came well after his first briefing on the situation originating in China which was received as early as the Fall 2019.[5] The misinformation that followed fueled controversy, confusion, and political and social unrest globally.[6] Trump’s messaging ranged from COVID-19 is a hoax, to sunlight and warmer temperatures would kill the virus, to later remarking that drinking household chemicals would prevent the virus from taking hold.[7] Even though the former U.S. President released an enthusiastic and optimistic goal early on saying, the whole thing will be over by Easter, his statement was not based on science, facts, or reality.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a communications strategy which explains how to effectively communicate early and one of the guiding principles for WHO communicators is to be “timely”. The WHO says, “WHO communicators work at a fast pace to ensure that urgent health information reaches decision-makers in time to protect health. This information must be accurate to maintain the Organization’s reputation and credibility. The need to be quick and accurate is a fine line when communicating public health information. The WHO goes on to say they cannot sacrifice accuracy, but can still rapidly communicate details it does know, and also explain what the Organization is doing to find answers to areas of uncertainty.”[8] This approach is essential to the work of the WHO, and it’s clear that the Biden administration concurs with their desire for transparency in early communication. As we learned from the Trump administration, it is imperative to get the story straight.

It is important for leaders to consider the impact of others and think carefully about what they say, regardless of the situation. There are four cornerstones to communicating early that every leader should consider before speaking publicly, they are questions to ask themselves, is it: truthful, accurate, transparent, and consistent? Leaders should pose these questions not only because it will help pressure test their narrative (without spin) or save their reputation, but for the impact their words will have on the people they lead and represent.

Including these four key points for early communication ensures an effective and less harmful message to your audience.

Truthful: In matters of law, they say the truth will set you free and I’ve always thought how great an unvarnished story feels; it means you’re blameless, guiltless, and without controversy. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines truthful as: telling or disposed to tell the truth.[9] Leaders should not go by their own truth barometer but go by the definition of the truth. Leaders who think their message is truthful, when in reality or by any fact-based measure their message is not, should stop and rethink what they’re planning to say. Releasing a dishonest message, even when you think it is truthful, will not ensure a positive outcome. It means a retraction and walking back of what you said; in effect leaders who lie or present false statements lose their credibility.

Accurate: I was taught the Three C’s of effective communication during my Corporate Communications Masters degree program: clear, concise, and cogent, and leaders should use the Three C’s to guide their messaging and a great way to do that is through fact-based information that demonstrates exemplary merit. Other fields like Psychology use different “C’s” that are also helpful in driving effective communication.[10] Regardless of your field, facts support a message and a leader’s credibility, they show their audience that they’ve done their homework and know their stuff. If your narrative does not, as they say, hold water, then shore-up the tide with evidenced-based statistics. Knowing the facts, stating them clearly, and defining the impact succinctly is the hallmark of a strong message.

Transparent: Former President Nixon’s lies on Watergate, Kennedy’s on Chappaquiddick, Clinton’s on Monica Lewinsky, and Trump’s numerous lies but recently about the Coronavirus, these Presidential leaders struggled to steer their message because they were riddled with secrets. When crafting a story, remember, the greater the lack of transparency, the greater the blow-back. Leadership messaging should be open, and omissions should only be made out of an abundance of caution like covert missions or identity protection.

Consistent: The late, great U.S. Representative John Lewis said, I got into “good trouble”; a pursuit with the greater good in mind.[11] Many leaders claim they don’t reveal key points or plot lines because of the “greater good”, when in many instances the people’s welfare has little to do with it. Leaders often get themselves into a trap over wanting to be a “good leader” who shares messages meeting the above three criteria, but they often fall short for reasons like self-preservation (e.g., arguably examples are Nixon, Kennedy, Clinton, and Trump). Leaders are most often put into positions of power because of their ability to influence others and a belief that their positive influence will have an impact that spreads like wild fire. Leaders like Former Rep. Lewis and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have demonstrated powerful consistency in their messaging and we should all learn from their example.

Leaders cannot let their own agenda, ego, or personal benefit inhibit the truthful, accurate, transparent, and consistent messaging from their people because if they do, then the greater good suffers.

Final tip: Recently, the CBS Sunday Morning show covered a piece on MasterClass; the online learning medium founded by Aaron Rasmussen and David Rugier. In that piece, Helen Mirren explained that when she receives a script, she immediately flips to the back page to see whether her character is on it, and that’s how she measures a great part or character.[12] I think the same approach to early communication should be taken. If a leader can tell the story as if it has already happened and the story rings true, then it’s a good measure for early communication. If not, then it is worth revising the approach and retelling the story back to front.

I would be remised if I didn’t share facts on the topics discussed in this piece. At the time this article was published:

- 597K people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. and 3.24M globally, and there are:

• 32.6M confirmed cases in the U.S. and 155M globally
• 148M+ have received one dose, and 107M+ people are fully vaccinated in America compared to
• 623M+ have received one dose, and 290M+ globally are vaccinated (i.e., 8.0% and 3.7% of total population respectively).[13]

- It is reported that thousands of Flint Michigan’s population is still without clean drinking water,[14] and

- In a March 2021 Vox report, over 300K Texans are without clean drinking water.[15]

The words and actions of leaders have grave consequences on people’s lives and future generations. I hope this article encourages leaders who read it to share it and then act to improve the lives of others, particularly their team members for whom they have responsibility. By communicating early, as Matthew McConaughey did during his virtual arm-hug for Texans on We’re Texas | Giddy Up to Give Back YouTube livestream event, we’re giving people both near and far a little grace while we give each other the necessary space. Discrediting false narratives that say, ‘the end is nigh’ when, in fact, we have a great deal to live for gives us hope.[16]

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Sarah Dyer is a communication professional and thought leader who champions #BuildingStrongerTeams through Strategic Communications. She promotes her stories in organizations and on LinkedIn. She believes that each person, each team can drive lasting and value-adding change through strategic communication. She believes that when communication stops, everything stops. The views and observations expressed in this piece are her own and are not affiliated with any organization. 

[1] Kennedy, M (2016, April 20). Lead-laced water in flint: A step-by-step look at the makings of a crisis. Retrieved 12, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/20/465545378/lead-laced-water-in-flint-a-step-by-step-look-at-the-makings-of-a-crisis

[2] Hinds, J. (2017, October 06). Rachel Maddow’s dedication to covering Flint water Crisis wins her an Emmy. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/2017/10/06/rachel-maddow-emmy-flint-water-crisis/740242001/

[3]  Isaac Stanley-Becker, L. (2021, February 2021). Biden says U.S. will have enough vaccine for 300 million people by end of July. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from washingtonpost.com/health/2021/02/11/vaccine-supply-biden/

[4] Quinn, R., & Founding executive director of Scholars at Risk. (2021, January 27). Biden promises truth after Trump's LIES. how to hold leaders accountable for their words. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/biden-promises-truth-after-trump-s-lies-how-hold-leaders-ncna1255905

[5] Cook, N., McGraw, M., & Cancryn, A. (2020, September 11). What did Trump know and When did he know It? Inside his FEB. 7 admission. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/10/trump-coronavirus-bob-woodward-412222

[6] Paz, C. (2021, February 23). All the President's lies about THE CORONAVIRUS. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/11/trumps-lies-about-coronavirus/608647/

[7] Burris, S. (2021, April 25). Rachel Maddow Does epic and hilarious remembrance of TRUMP'S Bleach anniversary. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.rawstory.com/rachel-maddow-trump/

[8] Communicate early. (n.d.). Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.who.int/about/communications/timely/communicate-early

[9] Truthful. (n.d.). Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truthful

[10] The 3 C's of effective communication. (n.d.). Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201304/the-3-cs-effective-communication

[11] John Lewis: Good trouble: A Magnolia Pictures film: Own it on DVD or Digital HD. (2020, July 03). Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.johnlewisgoodtrouble.com/

[12] CBS News. (2021, March 21). MasterClass, where experts share in the joy of learning. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.cbsnews.com/video/masterclass-where-experts-share-in-the-joy-of-learning/#x

[13] Google search. (n.d.). Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.google.com/search?q=covid%2B19%2Btracker&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS877US877&oq=covid&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39l2j0i433j0i433i457j0i402l2j0i433j0j0i131i433.1911j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[14] November 08, 2. (2020, May 01). Flint water crisis: Everything you need to know. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know

[15] Pike, L. (2021, March 01). "It's after the storm that's the HARDEST PART": 390,000 TEXANS still don't have clean water. Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://www.vox.com/2021/3/1/22305616/water-texas-winter-storm-outage-california-fire-climate-change-infrastructure

[16] We're Texas: Giddy up to give back. (2021, March 21). Retrieved May 06, 2021, from https://youtu.be/i-fFaTsgmbY