As COVID-19 silently crept onto our shores you may have been in regular crisis meetings as the virus’ huge impact took hold. Now, you may well be moving from that heightened crisis state to living with the new “normal”, whatever that looks like for your organisation.
As we all bed into week 5 of the lockdown we thought we’d share some insights on how to adapt from crisis to business-as-usual with some suggested next steps and evidence from our client work.
Top Tips
Visibility
You may be forced to keep your distance from staff, suppliers, customers etc but they still need information and updates. Try to make it personal.
What our Clients are doing
We have seen public sector teams, under huge pressure, make leaders accessible in person several times a week through virtual webinars, pre-recorded video messages or live chats. So much more engaging than an email.
Listening
You may not be bumping into each other in the office anymore and you don’t want those working at home to feel alienated – members of staff need to feel heard as they are your best brand advocates.
What our Clients are doing
Our global clients are listening to frontline teams and using their insights and concerns to inform the comms strategy. Giving staff a dedicated channel for this helps to avoid individual issues escalating into reputational risks.
Monitoring
Make sure you are monitoring and analysing what is being said about you. Go to sources for fact-checking are critical. The Government has sought to limit fake news on COVID-19 and promote informed sources so stakeholders get accurate information and quash misinformation.
What our Clients are doing
Let people know where they can get information about you. No-one has all the answers so whether it is a colleague or a journalist asking, be honest, say ‘I don’t know’ and commit and stick to a realistic time frame to get more detail.
When things go quiet
As a crisis recedes and the adrenalin subsides, people can feel a bit abandoned, particularly if they’re now working from home. Being live to the needs of others is critical to maintain morale.
What our Clients are doing
Positive news always has currency. We’re seeing it with the media looking for a hero story and the same is true internally. The smallest actions speak volumes, our clients are encouraging teams to share good news and celebrate success.
It ain’t over till… in the case of COVID-19 you will have noticed how experts are refusing to speculate. Assume colleagues and stakeholders will have ongoing questions, even as the organisation steps down from crisis mode. Be open to those questions and start thinking about your answers now.