7 tips for effective internal crisis communication
If the last few years (or few months, in our case here in south-east Queensland!) are anything to go by, it’s very obvious that a crisis can happen at any time, in a myriad of ways, no matter what industry you’re in or the size of your business.
If you haven’t got a crisis communication plan prepared, it can make things harder to manage quickly when a crisis strikes. But there are some core principles you can apply to any situation even if you don’t have a plan in place.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Get in quick
The ultimate goal of crisis comms is to reduce uncertainty, and one of the ways you can do that is quickly showing you are on top of things. Releasing an initial statement - even if it’s to say you’re aware of an incident but don’t have details yet - shows your people you are on top of it, and you’re working to control it.
Stick to the facts
If you are still waiting on details, don’t try and fill the gaps by speculating or guessing - that could come back to bite you later on! Instead, stick only with what you know and what has been verified. It’s okay to say that you don’t have all the information yet, but that you’ll share it once you do.
Acknowledge feelings
A crisis causes various emotional reactions from your team, and by acknowledging their feelings you’re showing that you care, that they are valued, and that you care about how the crisis will impact them personally. This helps to build trust, which is integral when navigating a crisis.
Keep people updated
Regular updates help to reduce uncertainty. Again, even if there’s no new information, it’s still important to check in regularly with your team. And if you commit to keeping people updated, then you need to uphold that commitment.
Be consistent
No matter which leader is speaking to which team, they all need to be consistent in their messaging. Rumours will spread quickly, as will misinformation. All leaders need to be aligned in their messages.
Be clear on the rules
This is where preparation is key, but if you don’t have a plan in place, then a quick regroup of key internal stakeholders is vital to set the ground rules. For example, who can speak to the media and who can’t? Who can post to social media? These guardrails are critical to ensure consistency of messaging, and bringing some order to the chaos!
Approve quickly
In a crisis, you don’t have time to argue over semantics. The people who are reviewing and approving communications need to understand that time is critical - they need to drop everything to review and approve materials quickly, so comms can be distributed before they become irrelevant. The quick turnaround also helps to dispel more uncertainty.
Does your organisation need help developing your crisis communication plan? Do you need to build crisis communication capability in your business? Our communication skills training and our crisis communication packages might be able to help - check them out here.
