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What is that one thing that successful brands have in common?

It is the art of communication!

Understanding how quickly and drastically the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone’s personal and work lives, only effective communication during a crisis like this can help in elevating the great uncertainty and anxiety.

Employees are looking to their leaders at workplaces more than ever for guidance and support.

As a leader your internal communication during the COVID-19 pandemic as to what you say and how you convey will play a significant part in determining how your organisation performs during a crisis.

Given the extraordinary crisis we all have faced, the importance of communication during the crisis was felt even more than before. And in such difficult times, employees look to leaders for cues.

According to PR firm Edelman, 63% of respondents said that they would believe information about the virus from their employer, as against the 58% that trusted government websites or 51% that trusted the traditional media.

These employees were surveyed for who they considered the most credible source of information about the coronavirus.

Organisations can make or break employee commitment through their internal communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, organisations—big or small—should have a strong communication strategy in place to address issues, overcome challenges and maintain future operations.

When leaders in workplaces communicate with transparency and empathy, it helps employees to stay safe, adjust, and cope emotionally, while at the same time drawing meaning from what is happening around them.

Read also: Recommendation/Reference Letter for Employees with Samples

Important Points to Ponder for Communicating with Employees During a Crisis

At difficult times like the coronavirus pandemic, employees look for trustworthiness and reassurance, hence organisations should provide stability in their communication. Follow these steps to develop and implement an effective communication during the coronavirus crisis:

1. Communicate frequently and swiftly

During a crisis, organisations, and especially leaders in workplaces need to communicate with their staff far more often than they think is necessary and quickly.

Sometimes, organisations undervalue how much their employees depend on them as trusted sources. Only internal communication during the COVID-19 pandemic which is fast as well as frequent can help reduce fear and uncertainty.

Leaders may experience fatigue from repeating messages, but they need to realize that employees need to hear these messages multiple times.

Also, each employee may need to hear messages in different ways and through different channels.

2. Provide safe channels for feedback

During a crisis, information needs to evolve and varied communication channels help employees to stay safe, cope mentally, clear uncertainty, and connect to a deeper sense of purpose and stability.

For effective communication during a crisis, organisations should establish a crisis team comprising five to six individuals from varying departments such as human resources, operations, marketing, legal, etc.

Forming a crisis management team helps to streamline communications.

Creating such a team is important because each employee must be able to express their concerns or feedback to their leaders without hesitation or fear.

3. Help employees to be effective and productive

Employees fear losing their jobs, especially in times of crisis. Organisations should assure their employees that their employment is secure when this is the case. When employees feel they have what they need to remain productive and successful, they are more confident to face a crisis.

Due to the impact of covid-19 on business communication, studies have shown that clear communications improve trust and organisations observed to have good intentions are more likely to be trusted by their employees and staff. Hence, transparency in communication builds trust.

4. Provide a plan for the future

Employees are anxious about their future and look to organisations and leaders in workplaces for cues. Therefore, when communicating, employers should emphasise what is going well for the organisation.

Further, organisations should share as much as they can about their strategy and planning for the future. In a crisis, organisations should also recognise and acknowledge employees who have gone the extra mile to drive business results or help colleagues.

Simple Tips: Cultivate the Five “C” for Effective Communication for Leaders During a Crisis

1. Calm: At the onset of a crisis, employees, stakeholders, and clients are going to be looking to you as a leader to project a sense of calm through this difficult, uncertain situation. Act calm, but not still-water calm and be responsive.

2. Confidence: With a minimum amount of hurt to the company, assure confidence to your employees as well as stakeholders that you are going to see this through successfully.

3. Communication: You have to relentlessly and continuously communicate. This is to avoid rumors and to prevent a situation from getting more confusing or complicated.

4. Collaboration: This is a time for you to call on the resources—employees & team members—and bring them together in task forces and potentially have a role for everyone in which they feel they can contribute to overcoming the uncertainty.

5. Compassion: Compassion in a time of crisis is a very important manifestation of leadership. This is because there may be some employees in the organisation who are not necessarily as resilient as compared to their co-workers.

Conclusion

Any crisis is complex, such as COVID-19, it has multiple trigger points—health, policy, the economy—and leaders should tailor their communications to the stage of the crisis their employees and stakeholders are experiencing. Tips for business communication in Leaders are required to instill resilience in employees and tap sources of hope, trust, and optimism to unlock creativity and build momentum for the future.

Research has suggested that social bonds grow stronger during times of great uncertainty. Leaders encourage people to come together under common values of mutual support and achievement. Hence, channeling positive sentiments and encouraging a sense of broader community will be critical elements in building that momentum.

Frequently Asked Questions