Now is Not the Time to Clam Up!

Crisis situations can make even the most communications-friendly executive run for the hills. As professional communicators, however, it's our job to help our business leaders overcome reservations they may have about communicating openly, honestly and frequently—even in times of uncertainty.

Let's start with some myth busting.

Myth: Communicating the wrong information could open the company up to liability.

Reality: Internal legal counsel may raise some red flags—and some may even be legitimate. But this challenge is not insurmountable. The key is to provide business leaders with all perspectives and information so they can make an informed decision about the importance of communicating during times of crisis.

Myth: We shouldn't communicate if we have nothing new to say.

Reality: Ignoring the anxiety that employees are feeling shows a lack of leadership. Worse, not communicating will result in employees filling the news gap themselves—likely with a more negative scenario than what may be the case.

Myth: Communicating about the financial crisis (or any other crisis for that matter) will distract employees from focusing on their work.

Reality: Employees are already distracted.

So what advice should we give to our executives? Here are five strategies to consider:

1. Acknowledge the situation... and legitimize employees' feelings. Employees are looking to their leadership to, well, lead. They also want to know that their management is not in denial or out of touch about the reality of the situation. Simply acknowledging the crisis and the anxiety it's producing will go a long way toward minimizing employee angst.

2. Keep it real. Don't make the mistake of sending a sincere e-mail message or memo from a top executive only to follow it up with business-as-usual newsletters or intranet postings that lead with headlines about how great business is doing or lines like, "Let's keep it up!" The disconnect between corporate spin and how employees are feeling will result in lost credibility.

3. Introduce new programs. It may seem counterintuitive when financial performance is down, but now is a great time for management to introduce programs that boost employee morale and engagement. The key is to find programs that won't cost a lot. For example, companies can institute jeans day each Friday, consider going to a four-day work schedule or implement new professional development opportunities, such as mentoring, job shadowing or rotational opportunities.

4. Engage managers. During times of business uncertainty, managers play a crucial role in retaining key talent by serving as the primary communication channel for employees to learn about business changes and progress. Be sure your communications plan directly engages managers. Consider offering manager communications training (like the interactive sessions Bon Mot provides). When possible, give advance notice to managers on major announcements so they aren't caught off guard. And provide talking points and guidelines for managers to use with their employees to facilitate candid discussion.

5. Don't forget about your customers, clients, shareholders and other external audiences. With all the upheaval in the financial markets, very few financial institutions provided direct communication to their customers about the current crisis. That was a missed opportunity to build and maintain high levels of trust with a key stakeholder group.  

Copyright © Bon Mot Communications LLC 2008

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