First and foremost, the COVID-19 outbreak is a human tragedy, affecting hundreds of thousands of people around the world. It is also having a significant impact on the global marketplace. The virus has the potential to drive substantial business and operational impact on organizations and their employees.
It is important that you establish clear lines of communication with your employees, as well as clients and partners. Even if you don’t see a direct impact on your organization, COVID-19 is likely top-of-mind with your staff and customers.
The following checklist will help you identify critical communications best practices during this pandemic.
Proceed with caution, not panic. We recommend that you proceed with caution, not panic when making business decisions, especially with communications regarding COVID-19. It is vital that you understand that the virus is still a new one. Many data sets in the public domain are still in the beginning stages, and the exact effects are unknown. Consequently, you should prepare. Start by studying market trends, understanding the economic impact of the virus, analyzing health and patient data as it becomes available – but never panicked.
Trust only reliable sources. Providing timely and validated information is crucial for businesses during a crisis. Your organization should focus on providing credible information and resources from established authorities or public health organizations. Reliable sources include the World Health Organization and the CDC. But beware, there is a lot of false information in recent reports. With that said, we wouldn’t advise you to make any business decisions based on data unless the source has been validated by at least one other credible party.
Make decisions with compassion. Practice empathy when making decisions concerning your partners, customers, staff, and their families. The COVID-19 outbreak is first and foremost a human tragedy, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Businesses that successfully navigate through the COVID-19 communication cycle will be the ones that exercise empathy and leave proper room for discretion based on the needs of their stakeholders.
Develop an internal communications plan. Having a clear way to communicate with your staff quickly is critical. Set a process for reaching your team through emails, intranet, apps like Slack, FAQs, or a hub on your website. Your brief should identify simple, key messages, a reliable process, and the vehicles for providing continual updates and collecting feedback from your team.
When communicating with your staff, state the facts. Share timely, accurate information from the CDC, WHO, and your State and County Health Departments. Provide explicit instructions about what to do if workers suspect they have been exposed to COVID-19.
Demystify the dread and outline the steps your business is taking on behalf of its employees. Be sure to articulate preventive actions the brand is taking to avert or contain transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace.
Create an external communication plan. Devising a plan to keep your customers in the loop is critical to ensure your business stays afloat. Emails, a hub on your website, and social media posts should diffuse panic and generate public confidence.
Are you looking for help to you get started with your crisis communications?! Reach out to us today.
