Power, responsibility and humanity

We have seen the sun in the North West of England for much of this week. A week when it started to feel more Spring like, and I became 51 years old. It was also seven days where the horror of war was shown day after day and hour after hour on the news reporters. How do we avoid becoming hardened to these terrible images?

What matters to me is remembering this is not a film or TV programme, these are real people whose lives have been destroyed overnight. Consider how you would cope if you were in similar circumstances. I have tried and I can't which says a lot about the relative comfort we have. This ability to look beyond our own perspective and understanding is a critical skill to ensure effective crisis communication.

If those skills had been used then the Home Office may have changed their approach to processing Ukrainian refugees. I would urge anyone who has not seen it to look at the message that was on a piece of paper greeting those fleeing the war in their homeland and arriving in Calais. A few lines with no emotion or sentiment, no support or humanity directed them to an online form. It may have been practical but it was not acceptable.

It is the way we support people who are going through crises that matters. Do we show them care and support, empathy and a helping hand? Do we rely on discussing processes and policies that are in place? Can we be real people supporting other real people in the most devastating of circumstances? This week has been a timely reminder that all crisis communication strategies and plans need to have supporting people at the very heart of them.

I have been lucky this week to spend time with a number of communication professionals. It reminded me how wide and varied the world of PR and communication is and can be. We all have something to give, and we can all make a difference to someone. Communication is a powerful thing and it is a privilege to be working in this field. And as is often said, with great power comes great responsibility. Let us ensure we are acting wisely and with humanity.