The first Monday of each month, I dust off a favorite post from the Bennis Inc Blog archives and give you another chance to enjoy the wit and wisdom that’s been shared. Enjoy this month’s treasure – and if it inspires you – be sure to share it with family and friends!
We have touched upon the topic of crisis communication before, but there are many more aspects of this valuable area of PR we need to cover. While it may not be the most comfortable or pleasant topic to discuss, it’s fundamentally important to your customers, employees and ultimately your brand.
Crisis communication certainly includes how you communicate a consistent message to the media, but it also covers how you communicate and handle such matters internally. An informed and empowered staff can be among your greatest assets during this challenging time. Let’s now look at five best practices for executing an internal communication strategy should your business experience a crisis.
Keep an updated contact list of staff emails, phone numbers and addresses.
Empowering your staff with consistent messaging is one of the smartest and most helpful things you can do during a crisis. Make this process as easy as possible by keeping an up-to-date list of employee contact information. During a crisis, you will not have the time nor the resources to locate this information if it is not readily available. Plan ahead and gather this important information and commit to updating it on (at least) an annual basis.
Establish a quick and efficient means of communication.
With the updated staff information, you’ll want to prioritize how you will use it to communicate internally during a crisis. Email is likely going to be your most effective option. It’s important to stress to your staff that they should regularly check their email so this information is not overlooked.
Don’t rely on just one means of communication. Especially in a serious and time-sensitive crisis, you will want to communicate the details, and your response to the details, in several different ways. Establish a door-to-door messenger system in which someone from your staff can go to each office or cubicle and share the information via a written memo or even verbally. For extreme situations, establish protocol for a company-wide meeting. Gather in a common space for a quick briefing about what’s going on and how it will be handled. This also provides the valuable opportunity to ask you any questions or voice their concerns directly.
Set a policy for social media sharing in a crisis situation.
In our world of ever-growing technology, social media is readily available. Your staff may take to these communication channels with improper or false information should you not have a policy in place. It is recommended to make it clear to all staff that posting to social media accounts regarding sensitive business-related matters, like a crisis situation, is not allowed. Be sure to explain that this is in the best interest and safety of everyone involved. You can also empower your staff to report any social media posts that may breach this policy so they can be addressed immediately.
Share with them the news you plan to share with the media and community.
Once you’ve established your core messaging, keep your staff apprised of the statements you plan to make public. Share this via the internal communication channels we just discussed. Especially for situations that immediately impact their safety, or changes something about their normal work schedule (i.e. a closing due to an environmental crisis), this information should be communicated quickly and directly. Don’t wait for the media to do it for you!
Empower staff as your advocates by equipping them with the appropriate facts and planned-out media responses.
Again I will emphasize the importance of empowering your staff with accurate and timely information so they can help communicate these details with their networks. Let them hear from you directly before they receive the information from other, less substantiated sources. Your own staff can be some of your best and most powerful mouthpieces to the community. Make sure they have the facts they need to help you manage your crisis and maintain a positive brand!
Do you have a crisis communication plan in place? Share how you would handle your internal communications in the event of a crisis!
