Communication is one of the most important factors that guide our lives, enabling us to achieve what we want in life. Ultimately, everything comes down to people. People can also act through communication and realize their thoughts or dreams. When discussing communication rules during disasters and crises, let’s start with an article written by Azime Acar:
10 COMMUNICATION RULES Taught by the Pandemic
Azime ACAR
Unforeseen crises bring unforeseen challenges.
In times of fear and uncertainty, the need to communicate increases, and people desperately need information.
Yes, the situation is serious, and unfortunately, it’s open-ended.
We’re not immune yet.
We now have indispensable rules like “washing our hands and maintaining social distance” to protect ourselves. Companies are also struggling to discover how to survive.
It’s time to share 10 communication rules to guide managers and crisis management teams who, instead of doing nothing out of fear of making mistakes, have succeeded in saying, “Human first, then human again.” It’s time to share 10 communication rules to guide them.
- DON’T MAKE DECISIONS ALONE
No organization’s infrastructure is sufficient to manage this type of crisis; it’s a crisis of countless unknowns.
Work with a team, not alone.
No system, data, or software is sufficient to manage the crisis.
As a crisis team, focus on taking responsibility and ensuring that employees own the decisions made.
Remember, as the situation rapidly changes daily, teams that fail to respond and resist fail. Simple things done with kindness and grace can lead to big things.
It’s time to reduce biases and preconceptions, increase your foresight, be flexible, and repeatedly review and update the facts.
- DON’T STOP COMMUNICATION
As we strive to deal with urgent matters on countless fronts, it’s necessary to communicate more than usual, even “overly.”
This is not the time to try to hide the truth or blame others.
According to the PCW 2020 crisis research, three-quarters of those who are in a better place after the crisis are those who “collected factual information accurately and quickly in the midst of the crisis and used that data effectively.”
It’s time to convey information regularly, without misleading, in understandable language, and concisely.
- BE FAST AND TRANSPARENT
Should you gather all the factual information and communicate, or communicate briefly and frequently with the limited information you have, even if it’s incomplete? Free yourself from this dilemma.
In your pursuit of perfection, you might appear too late and too slow.
When you don’t communicate, the void is filled with misinformation, assumptions, and falsehoods shared on social media.
First, accept that there are many unknowns and that you must operate with incomplete information. Then, speak what you know and acknowledge what you don’t know with transparency.
As you know, trust begins with transparency.
One more thing: if you have any broken links in your stakeholder communication, quickly repair them and keep channels open. It’s time to communicate promptly, quickly, and transparently.
And with all your stakeholders.
- BE VISIBLE
Emphasis on the power of non-verbal communication.
If you rely solely on written explanations, no matter how accurate the text, you’ll miss the powerful impact of necessary vocal tone, eye contact, and body language.
Let them see you and connect with you emotionally.
As Marshall McLuhan said, “the medium is the message.”
So, it’s time to be in the medium.
- CONNECT YOUR MIND WITH YOUR HEART
A look, a stance, a photo doesn’t make you an effective leader.
People immediately know whether what you say comes from your heart.
Even if you choose the right words, if you don’t want everything you say to be perceived as ‘empty,’ act as if it’s happening to someone you love deeply, conveying your feelings with love and compassion.
For example, Toyota Türkiye CEO Ali Haydar Bozkurt’s statement:
“Even if we don’t sell vehicles for a year, we will pay salaries, we won’t lay off anyone, and we will leave government support to those in need.”
It’s time to avoid appearing opportunistic and insensitive.
- BE A TRUSTED SOURCE OF INFORMATION
We are in an age of excessive information and fake news. There’s a lot of misinformation floating around.
Misinformation is as contagious as the virus itself.
Your employees are talking about it every day; it’s only natural; the whole world is talking about it.
Be the one providing accurate and up-to-date information.
It’s time for organizations to position themselves as a trusted source of information.
- PROVIDE INFORMATION
As management, keep employees informed.
It’s time to explain the decisions you’re making and why.
- CONNECT
Connect with employees.
Ask them how they’re feeling, how they’re adapting, and try to understand the challenges they’re experiencing personally and professionally.
Allow employees to reach out to you, keep communication channels open, and meaningfully engage them.
Centralize, review, and address questions that are bothering them.
Instead of engaging in lengthy discussions about the facts you receive, take action quickly, and offer the support you need.
It’s easy to say, but hard to listen. It’s time to listen.
- GET INFORMED
Collaborate with your employees and stay informed.
Encourage your employees to use creative approaches to address unexpected needs. For example, ask for their suggestions.
- UPDATE YOUR SCENARIOS
Prepare for the next crisis.
COVID-19 isn’t the only threat; it appears many more pandemics await us.
This pandemic has shown us that one-third of companies globally still don’t have a business continuity plan, and nearly half don’t have a Crisis Communication Guide.
Rapidly developing crises reveal the weaknesses, inadequacies, and difficult decision-making processes of organizations.
Once the immediate part of the crisis is over, you’ll forget the feelings you experienced at the time.
Now is the time to ask yourself how the pandemic has changed us, how we should modify existing plans, what lessons we’ve learned, and how we can update and adapt scenarios.
TOMORROW IS NOW TODAY
COVID-19 has already changed the business world and society in many ways, and it will change it even more.
The Harvard Business Review defines the winners of the last three recessions as those who “have struck the right balance between short- and long-term strategies by investing comprehensively in the future.” This pandemic is a period of recovery marked by powerful learnings, and it’s about preparing for the next normal and directing resources accordingly.
With so much preoccupied with short-term concerns, it’s time to take our minds off the current situation and scan the horizon, thinking about tomorrow and beyond.
Yes, the situation is serious and open-ended.
We are not yet immune.
Continue to assess the risks, manage the current situation, and stay informed by balancing our minds with our hearts.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
I have some good advice to add. I continue:
PUT HEALTH FIRST AND IMPLEMENT IT
Inform your employees, customers, and all stakeholders that health comes first, and share the necessary precautions accordingly and implement them accordingly. To give an example from our own actions, we’ve made it mandatory for everyone to wear masks when going out since last March. Last month, we also made the radical decision to close our headquarters.
DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO KEEP YOUR MORALE AND THE MORALE OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT HIGH
This can start by always trying to be positive. Everyone has something that lifts their spirits. You can start with this. Remember, your positivity, or conversely, your negativity, is contagious. If you manage to be positive, this will spread to the professionals and customers you work with, creating the most positive environment possible during this crisis.
PLACE MORE IMPORTANCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAN EVER
We can say that the media is shaping up in the current era, and communication management has evolved to address social media. This is because social media doesn’t involve monologue (i.e., one-sided) communication like conventional media. It’s a dialogue, a two-way communication platform. It’s a platform that triggers information, allows for the exchange of feelings and thoughts, and allows for discussion of issues. Of course, this has unfortunately become a bit of a lynch culture in our country. However, I want to emphasize the need for dedicated work on social media, not ignoring this reality. The fast, frequent, and constant communication Azime Hanım outlined in her article also applies to social media. This is how you can make a difference in times of crisis.
I hope this information has been helpful. I’d like to conclude by thanking Azime Hanım for her contributions to this article and finally offer this advice: To achieve your dreams and overcome challenges, take communication seriously and make it a priority in every aspect of your life.
Tag: education
