Article #563
Communicating Through the Coronavirus Crisis
Published in the Harvard Business Review, Paul Argenti’s article “Communicating Through the Coronavirus” highlights the importance of effective communication, especially from those in corporate leadership positions, during times of crisis.
Argenti outlines four main steps for effective communication during uncertain and rapidly-developing situations, including;
1) Create a Team for Centralised Communication – in an emergency situation, you need a crisis-response team to formulate plans and execute tasks.
2) Communicate with employees – informing employees is key, as they are your most important constituency and act as ambassadors to the community.
3) Communicate regularly with customers – focus on what is important to the customer, and aim to provide both empathy and relief where possible.
4) Reassure Stakeholders – it is your responsibility to keep stakeholders well informed and reassured regarding both the outcome and possible flow-on effects.
Argenti’s four steps are a fantastic guide to organisational communication in times of crisis, and can be applied to both corporate and non-corporate environments.
Here at Ascent Leadership, we understand that in this new era of technology, innovation, and change, we are forced to lead in increasingly volatile, uncertain, and complex times – which calls for exceptional leaders who can ‘lead from the front’ and be highly visible during a crisis.
For many Australians, the response of the NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons during our recent bushfire season is a fantastic example of exceptional leadership in a time of crisis. Despite the chaotic and tragic nature of the situation, Fitzsimmons stood as the main source of information, regularly reporting what information he knew as it arose. In his communications, he demonstrated total transparency and empathy, providing Australians with a leader who was both trustworthy and extremely relatable.
With regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, while we await a more cohesive international response to the crisis, we can certainly act within our own spheres of influence and communicate more effectively by focusing on transparency, regularity, and empathy.
Read the full article here: https://hbr.org/2020/03/communicating-through-the-coronavirus-crisis