First of all, let's face it: while a clear vision is a key aspect of leadership, it is not a natural defence against the pressure and emotional anxiety your employees or customers are feeling right now. Combined with self-motivation, vision can even lead to burnout, which is more harmful in the long run.
Instead, leaders should focus on interpreting and communicating what is happening in these uncertain times. Taking responsibility for analysing the changing environment, rather than focusing on a bright future, will help alleviate the anxiety of staff and customers. In times of crisis, companies and team leaders should focus primarily on communicating security and justice, while encouraging dialogue and employee participation in decision-making.
Once management and leaders have a clear idea of how they want to be closer to people in a crisis, the next step is to draw up a communication plan. It is important that leaders work with colleagues and communicate a unified company strategy. An emergency situation is not the right time to build new alliances. Be especially amicable towards those who can help you implement your plan.
When setting up communications, try to identify the victims of the crisis. Consider and acknowledge the consequences the crisis will have on your employees. Sometimes it is wise to admit your own shortcomings. Employees understand that disasters are unexpected and some incorrect action is almost inevitable; however, ignoring failure generally signals a lack of care or willingness to learn from mistakes. It is equally important leaders take responsibility rather than blame other people. Regardless of blame, how we respond to the crisis is under our own control and it affects the attitudes of our employees. Honesty and transparency, even in unexpected situations, is more beneficial than neglected communication.
As regards recommendations for preparing a communication plan, even though you may be in the middle of a crisis right now, visualising the possible impact of your communications and actions in the next few weeks may be useful in shaping your approach.
Finding the right words in crisis
People are inundated with information about the crisis, so it is especially important to communicate in a way that is easy for your audience to digest. One of the tips recommended for communicating a message is to replace long words with short ones. The characteristic feature of a professional communicator is to speak and write in such a way that the audience catches the flow of ideas and can relate to them. Long and complex statements could be interpreted as distancing yourself from your employees or customers at a time when they need you most. So drop the jargon and speak to people clearly and plainly.
If possible, seek suitable analogies that will help the recipient of your message even better to understand what you are saying. At the same time, for all e-mails, ensure the subject accurately describes the content and take an extra moment to keep the body of the message concise.
Try also rule three. People have a limited working memory capacity and if you overload them with many challenges, they will probably forget some. So divide messages and requests into three key points that are not hard to remember, making it easier to achieve the desired effect.
One final recommendation in conclusion: while you may be tempted to share information as it comes to you, it is important to pause for a moment and wait until you have all the facts. You don't want to overwhelm employees or customers with information they can't absorb.
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