FEATURE
James Burstall , Founder and CEO , Argonon trust and shows respect for employees by assuming they are sufficiently intelligent and resilient to cope with this openness .
If your communications are going to be effective , your audience must trust you and what you are saying , especially in a crisis . We decided to maintain transparency and be honest about where things stood , and I was not afraid to show vulnerability . I felt it was important to show empathy . And acknowledge fear , pain and suffering .
Demonstrating vulnerability , sharing your own feelings and acknowledging emotional turmoil can help build trust , but you need to be careful not to go overboard here . BP CEO , Tony Hayward ’ s remarks after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill spring to mind .
You can also communicate too frequently . Quality communications are required . You have to find the right balance of not overly communicating or alarming teams where it is not necessary .
A helpful way of offsetting bad news is to remind people of times when they overcame challenges in the past , especially during previous crises .
People also tend to pay more attention to positively framed information , so we told people what they should do rather than what they shouldn ’ t ( dos rather than don ’ ts ).
As a crisis evolves , you may have to help people cope emotionally with the trauma of sudden change and adjustment to the ‘ new normal ’. I recommend allowing employees to be able to
express their concerns to management without fear of damaging their careers . Periodically reporting back with feedback and follow-up actions builds trust in your leadership – not only during this critical period but also continuing after the crisis .
As a crisis deepens you will need to build resilience in your team , foster a sense of hope and optimism to supercharge creativity and plan for the future . You can do this by celebrating the positives , even small wins . Share uplifting moments about how your people are adapting to new ways of working . Publicly thank staff , speaking to them directly or sending personal thank you notes .
As people adapt , your comms may increasingly focus on helping them to make sense of their experiences in the crisis . Encourage a sense of common social identity and belonging based on shared values of mutual support and achievement by highlighting your shared sense of purpose , how your organisation is responding and set out a clear vision for how your organisation and its people will emerge for the future , with two or three simple goals .
You must then take actions to realise those goals , because communication not only consists of words but also actions , and people will take note of what you do to follow up on your words .
You may find that communication is your most important skill as a leader .
The Flexible Method : Prepare to Prosper in the Next Global Crisis by James Burstall is out now . x www . intelligentcxo . com
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