TOP TIPS: The 10-point guide to effective employee communication during a company crisis -

1. Plan ahead and be prepared A successful response to a business crisis typically demands making and effectively communicating far-reaching and emotionally difficult decisions while under pressure and perhaps lacking complete or fully accurate information. Proper crisis preparedness planning therefore inevitably calls for putting the necessary organizational structure, processes and tools in place before a crisis hits.

Develop, implement and continuously improve a crisis communication strategy and matching crisis communication plan tailored to the company’s needs. Assign responsibilities and thoroughly train the designated employees and their back-ups. Put communicators on the corporate and, if applicable, the regional and local crisis management teams. Conduct vulnerability audits and use the findings to build realistic crisis scenarios upon which recurring media training and crisis management drills are based. Remember that effective employee communication is a crucial component of any comprehensive crisis management strategy and indispensable to minimizing crisis-related damage, seizing the opportunities a crisis may present and converting resulting organizational change into competitive advantages.

2. Maintain ongoing dialogue You have a much greater chance of achieving your communication objectives if there’s already an ongoing and constructive dialogue with your stakeholders long before a crisis occurs. Unfortunately, many companies fail in this and also lack an issues management program and a risk-communication strategy. In-depth stakeholder analysis is a prerequisite for compelling and targeted stakeholder communication. Use automated Internet and intranet monitoring to identify and better understand stakeholder needs and customize your external and internal crisis communication accordingly. If employees are used to regular communication through certain channels, use them in times of crisis along with communication tools that were developed for specific crisis situations.

 3. Talk to employees first Whenever possible, internal crisis communication should precede external crisis communication. It’s vital employees don’t hear negative crisis-related news from outside sources first, as it may alienate them and hinder the successful crisis response and recovery. Engaging in an honest dialogue with as many employees as possible also fosters better understanding and employee support for possibly unpopular yet necessary steps company leadership may have to take to manage the crisis and secure the future of the business. Whichever method of internal crisis communication a company may choose, the more upfront management is about what is happening, the better-informed and more entrusted employees feel. Those employees who are communicated with in an open, timely and truthful way are not only able, but also often willing to represent their company and support its goals internally as well as externally. This is especially true in a crisis.

4. Eradicate uncertainty Underestimate the importance of effective employee communication during a crisis and you may suffer significant economic damage due to, among other factors, a lack of trust, low morale and the subsequent loss of trained and dedicated employees. In a crisis situation, it’s necessary to increase the internal communication frequency since employees have a high demand for updated information as well as the desire to provide continuous feedback. Ask these questions before communicating with employees during a crisis and as part of the post-crisis evaluation and ongoing crisis preparedness planning: What is the desired outcome of the communication? What will be communicated? Who will initiate the communication? Which groups of employees will be communicated with? How and / or where is the communication going to happen? When will the communication take place? Ask these questions after communicating with employees during a crisis and as part of the post-crisis evaluation and ongoing crisis preparedness planning: Was the communication objective met? How can we do better?

5. Tackle employees’ questions Employees’ questions and concerns should be anticipated, identified and responded to on an ongoing basis. Because employees’ trust in management’s ability to handle the crisis is crucial, even those questions and concerns that seem unimportant or inconvenient should be addressed. Especially in cases where the company may be responsible for any harm to employees and their loved ones, consider communicating regret and empathy as well as a clear explanation of the steps the company is taking to deal with the situation and to prevent recurrences. However, don’t base the messages on the views of management alone. Be sure to take into account the perceptions, opinions and expectations within the different stakeholder groups. Also bear in mind any legal and other restrictions on the dissemination of certain information relating to the crisis.

6. Create communication allies Don’t forget that employees have a vested interest in working with management to prevail over the crisis – many are eager to put in extra time and effort to turn the ship around. Guide employees in their effort to speak up for the company. Empowering employees to take charge in times of crisis creates valuable communication allies who reinforce messages internally and also carry them into the community. Remember that despite the wealth of technology at the disposal of today’s communicator, face-to-face communication between supervisors and their direct reports remains one of the most effective tools.

 7. Be consistent in messaging With the goal of coherent messages and simultaneous communication in mind, many companies implement a one-voice-policy: It means only appropriately trained and designated employees, who are electronically linked with senior management and one another, may act as company spokespersons. The one-voice-policy may be difficult to uphold in times of crisis because employees have a natural tendency to talk about stressful work-related events with family and friends, perhaps criticizing management’s handling of the situation. A disgruntled employee talking to the media may, however, pose a much more serious risk. Not only would this behavior sabotage the company’s one-voice-policy, but it may also threaten the entire crisis response.

 8. Convince leaders on feedback Employees appreciate and increasingly demand feedback options such as face-to-face meetings and two-way intranet-based communication. But the best-laid crisis communication strategy may not work if feedback is not included in management’s decision-making. Use the following three arguments if you need to convince senior managers of the value of employee feedback: Employee feedback allows you to track whether messages have reached the intended groups of employees and achieved the desired results. It enables you not only to track employees’ opinions, perceptions and expectations, but also may reveal what colleagues and external stakeholders are saying to employees. Employee feedback often contains valuable information and suggestions for minimizing damage, seizing opportunities and preventing future crises.

 9. Involve senior management Business crises can cause immense pressure and uneasiness for employees. To prevent rumors, false information and panic, senior management must be involved in providing distressed employees and managers with relevant information, guidance and motivation. Aside from communicating with employees through traditional channels, intranet-based crisis blogs are becoming increasingly popular. Executive or CEO blogs are an excellent listening tool that allows senior managers instant two-way communication with employees around the globe. They can aslo easily be updated during a crisis and create an intranet-based record of opinions and facts that helps to control rumors and speculation.

10. Consider external help No matter how much emphasis a company places on crisis prevention, it will never be completely safe because crises are part of the organizational lifecycle. The key to business survival therefore lies in maximizing the company’s crisis preparedness. If you don’t have the necessary theoretical knowledge or crisis communication experience, consider retaining qualified external consultants. They can assist in boosting the company’s crisis readiness as well as its ability to effectively respond to and quickly recover from business crises. -

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