Whether you lead a small team or an entire country, eyes are turned towards you right now.
You’re leading people in crisis, some barely staggering out of the remnants of COVID and now dealing with the worry of international warfare and devastating floods, whether directly or through the distressing imagery pouring from every media outlet
Perhaps you never thought of yourself as a disaster communicator, yet that hat has somehow found its way to your head.
There’s no shortage of public information about this year’s growing menu of large-scale public crises, but quantity of detail isn’t the problem here.
In the fake news era, people don’t know what to believe. Government messaging is confusing. News stories are hit and miss in their credibility. Social media gets us hooked but most know to be sceptical about its reliability as a source.
We’re looking to our leaders closer to home – our bosses – to be the steady ship we’re craving.
If you’re fumbling about what to say and how to say it to your team amid such turmoil, you can draw on some key crisis communication principles.
Genuinely consider who you’re communicating with and frame your information from their point of view. Think specifically about what they’re experiencing right now. How will that influence the way they receive and process your information?
That doesn’t mean telling people only what they want to hear. However, it highlights the importance of avoiding the behaviour we see from the type of political leaders who are accused of being “tone deaf” – speaking or acting in a way that’s at odds with how people are likely to be feeling.
If members of your team are stressed or upset, being flippant to try to lighten the mood probably isn’t going to get the best result.
Don’t sugar-coat your message. This is an extension of my first point, not a contradiction. When the pressure is on, leaders who are outstanding communicators show empathy to their team but also respect them enough to tell it like it is. False information is all around us, we don’t need more of it from our leaders.
If there’s bad news to deliver, tell it straight by stating what has happened, what’s being done about it and what needs to happen next.
Rethink additional change that can wait until a better time. The cumulative effect of the crises of the last two years has taken a toll on many people. That doesn’t mean the world has to grind to a halt, but now probably isn’t the best time to introduce extra large-scale changes in your organisation or business unless there’s no alternative.
Some leaders tell me they’re re-thinking major projects and the way they communicate about them because they can see that their people simply can’t take on another challenge right now.
If you’ve found yourself in the role of accidental crisis communicator, consider it an opportunity to give an incredible gift to those around you who need it most.
Embrace it. Be credible by showing that you’re authentic and caring, while also helping struggling team members see the glimmer of possibilities on the other side of the crisis. You never know the positive impact you’ll make.
