We’ve certainly become used to living in times of crisis during the coronavirus pandemic. In the coming months, businesses are likely to face hard times in one way or another.
One of the most difficult aspects when handling a crisis is communication with your workforce. With it comes many questions:
Am I oversharing?
Am I undersharing?
Am I over-complicating?
Is my message clear?
This blog covers a range of topics you might want to consider when designing an internal communication plan during a crisis.
Be honest
Honesty is always the best policy. Your employees will be able to tell when you’re not being truthful, and the resulting gossip will undoubtedly be worse than the truth.
That said, be cautious about oversharing. Divulge the information that’s needed but don’t allow yourself to be pulled into sharing knowledge that isn’t relevant to your staff. Your aim should be to ease any concerns, rather than unnecessarily add any more.
Keep it clear and simple
When you’re worried about saying the right thing, it’s easy to over-complicate your message.
Consider what you want your employees to take away from your communication and make it clear. Avoid the waffle and get straight to the point. When there’s a crisis, no one wants to have to read between the lines.
Ask questions!
Want to know how your employees feel? Just ask. Using regular pulse surveys to obtain feedback from your staff allows you to make changes that make a difference, while they matter. If you’re not sure what you should (or shouldn’t be asking) in your surveys, we’ve done a rundown.
Top tip: making your surveys anonymous will increase your employees to be more open and honest about their feelings.
Then listen to the responses
Asking questions is only the beginning. It’s what you do with the feedback that really counts. CRM provider HubSpot takes pride in caring deeply about the data that they gather. They communicate with their employees about the feedback they are acting on, what they’re not and why.
Keeping your staff in the loop about the actions you’re taking, or not taking, shows that their comments make a difference.
Words aren’t everything
“Practice what you preach.”
“Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk.”
You get the idea. Communication isn’t just about the words you use. It’s also about body language, tone and actions. More so in a crisis situation, your employees will look to you to take the lead and reassure them so, if you’re preaching, make sure you’re practicing.
Prioritise face-to-face communication
Because words aren’t everything, it’s important to focus on communication that extends beyond a phone call or an email. Seeing the face of the person you’re talking to adds depth to the interaction and allows you to read their non-verbal response.
This doesn’t need to be in person. Many teams are working remotely so make the most of the technology available. You probably already use a video calling tool but, if not, this is your opportunity to investigate your options.
Make it personal
A one-size-fits-all approach isn’t suitable for a crisis situation – or any situation, really. Responses to the crisis will vary across your team, so take the time to discover the concerns of individuals and address them directly.
You’ll show your staff that you care about the effect the crisis is having on them and, in turn, encourage open communication.
Work isn’t everything
In our blog about your keeping team feeling engaged and valued while remote working, we covered the importance of non-work discussions in the workplace. Everybody has a personal life so make sure experiences can be shared at work.
Personal interactions add value to your employee’s day. Show them you care by being interested in their life outside the office.
Every crisis is different, so take your time to consider your options, given the circumstances. Remember, any communication is better than none.
