The 10-point guide to effective employee communication during a company crisis
Business crises can take many forms. But whether they are accidental, financial, legal, or otherwise, there is one thing that all affected companies have in common: a critical need for effective communication with external and internal stakeholders, as well as a successful managerial and operational response. Here, Oliver S. Schmidt, managing partner of C4CS, lists 10 practical steps to help ensure effective employee communication in times of crisis.
Employees are a key stakeholder group that must be communicated with during a business crisis. Any company that fails to do so puts the entire crisis response at risk. The following tips are designed to help decision makers at all levels of the corporate hierarchy manage potentially crippling adversity and actively preserve and even enhance the company's reputation and competitiveness.
1. Plan ahead and be prepared
A successful response to a business crisis typically demands making and effectively communicating far-reaching and emotionally difficult decisions while under pressure and perhaps lacking complete or fully accurate information. Proper crisis preparedness planning therefore inevitably calls for putting the necessary organizational structure, processes and tools in place before a crisis hits.