In these wildly uncertain times, crisis communication has come to the forefront of our work. Many of our nonprofit and socially responsible corporate clients are working to anchor their organizations against in unrelenting tides of change that are affecting their operations. From museums that was used to welcoming thousands of people a day needing to quickly close their doors, to an organization whose entire mission is to improve the systems through which our state gets food to families, many more of whom will now be in need, Teak’s clients continue to communicate with a myriad of constituents, including employees, volunteers, the public, board members, vendors, state departments, other nonprofits and companies, and the media.
While the situation with COVID-19 is unique, the way in which organizations and companies must communicate around it are based on the foundation of good crisis communications – be quick, clear, concise and seek closure. As a result of our wonderful client base, at Teak, we often find the opportunity to add another C: compassion. In the case of coronavirus communications, compassion is certainly in order. No matter what is going on within organizational operations, it’s the end user, the recipient of the organization’s good work, who is being hit the hardest.
Teak’s Top 10 Tips for Crisis Communication stem from our work in Fearless Communications, which help nonprofits and responsible companies overcome challenges and misperceptions. Messaging around the coronavirus should follow the same principles, starting with having a sound team in place (hopefully before the virus became all-encompassing) and writing down and getting agreement upon the key messages.
The next most important step is to know your audiences and the message each needs to hear. They may not all be the same. In the example of the closing museum, the public needed to know when and for how long; board members needed to know the financial implications; vendors needed to know what that meant for previously placed orders; employees needed to know about salary, and so on.
Then there is the question of how to communicate the different messages to the many constituents. From informing the public through the website, social media, and media, to informing employees, board members, and other stakeholders more directly via phone and email, following a predetermined order ensures that everyone feels cared for, part of the team, and well-informed. No one wants to learn bad news that will directly affect their life on Facebook.
In Fearless Communications workshops, we emphasize that in times of crisis, honesty should be at the center of all messaging. A wise advisor once said, “I’d rather address what I did than have to apologize for covering up what I did.” While no one did anything in the case of COVID-19, there is plenty of opportunity to get the messaging wrong when so much is happening so quickly and so much is at stake.
Keep calm and communicate without fear. The last principle of Fearless Communications is that everything (both good and bad) is temporary. Starting with the end goal in mind and keeping the temporary nature of crisis in mind will be helpful as we navigate the coronavirus crisis. After all, the Chinese symbol for crisis is made up of two other symbols, one for danger and the other for opportunity.
