Importance of effective and efficient communication

News headlines are chock-full of organizations, governments, institutions, and even families dealing with crisis situations. It’s true; everyone is susceptible, and a case in point is the current COVID-19 pandemic that is raging across the globe. Whilst rare and considered to be 'black swan events', we must be ready to respond if and when they may arise.

While managing a crisis isn’t an easy walk in the park, it’s important to keep in mind that effective and empathetic communication can go a long way. Understanding what people need to know and how you can help them are paramount as persons try to navigate and keep afloat.

So, how do you communicate effectively during times of crisis?

5 Tips for Effective Crisis Communication

# 1 - Get to know your audience

Having a clear picture of who you’re communicating with can make a huge difference when communicating in the crazy, confusing and uncertain time of a crisis. Determine - Is it your customers, employees, investors, clients, community leaders or the general public?

Understanding who you are talking to will help you determine the message and also the best way to reach your target audience. It is important to look at their demographics, interests, location or even just their current reality and experiences. An actionable knowledge of your target audience will help you tailor your message and deliver it in a way that will have the most positive or calming impact.

For instance, millennials would probably love to hear from you during a crisis on social media or via email, while baby-boomers may prefer to get a phone call. It’s all about personalizing the communication and method of delivery. A very good way to look at this is to recall the young people who expressed difficulty with accessing online learning due to their internet constraints. Funny enough online learning will only be an alternative where the internet is an available resource.

# 2 - Express empathy and Be Authentic

Crisis often creates uncertainty, suffering, pain, and fear. That’s why it is important to express empathy right from the outset of your communication. People are more likely to listen to what you’ve to say when they feel that you truly care about them in an honest and very, human way.

Regardless of whether the conversation is light of very formal, all voices must be heard and respected. People are expecting greater levels of humanity, understanding, and honesty and even more so in difficult times, so brands need to be engaged, committed and genuine in their thoughts and actions.

# 3 - Be clear and concise

When hit by a crisis, it pays to have a solid plan and to be clear on how communication will be managed. This will help to ensure accuracy and consistency of messages and ensure that all channels will be reflecting a united message. Simple messaging is also critical as you can't assume that your audience understands what you are trying to say. Be simple and clear so there is no room for misunderstanding.

Also, remember this is no time to point fingers even if it's as a result of human error. Instead, you should create a plan with clear-cut objectives so you can communicate the facts in detail and upfront. This documented plan should be concise and include specific actions and measures that will be taken to resolve the crisis. In a lot of cases, the main objective is to safeguard anyone (the public, employees, customers, etc.) who might be in danger because of the crisis – but, more importantly, the key audience should be kept in the loop.

# 4 - Be honest and open

Don’t get me wrong; this doesn’t mean that you should release information hastily. Even so, your audience deserves to know what’s happening so they don’t become frustrated, angry, confused or otherwise react negatively to the crisis.

Face the realities of the crisis and respond accordingly. If it’s your fault (or anyone’s fault within your organization, be quick to take responsibility and apologize. Still, do this in a participatory manner, making sure to give your audience enough info and choices to make proper decisions. In a nutshell: be as transparent as possible.

# 5 - Use feedback to tweak your message

Relevance is paramount in times of crisis, which is why you need to seek and use feedback. It will help you tweak your communication and ensure the message resonates well with your target audience.

Also, use information you have about your audience, what they are saying on social media as well as their feedback and questions to guide what and how you communicate. It may even mean that you will have to tweak and change gears based on audience response as you go along.

There you've got it — 5 key ways to communicate effectively during a crisis.

Remember, crisis communication is not a one and done. Let your expertise and competence shine through, making it an ongoing strategy even after the crisis.