The stages of comms in a crisis

It's difficult to say exactly when the virus hit the UK, but according to the BBC the first confirmed case was 29th January when two Chinese nationals fell ill at the Staycity Aparthotel in York.

It's now May and clear that the adrenaline of the initial crisis comms response has passed. It's also clear there are definite stages on how to communicate to employees during a crisis. For businesses (not that this is anything new) engaging with employees across all 'pressure points' as I have called them is crucial for long-term success. I've split the phases into six.

Expect – phase one. Let's be clear, no one could have predicted the terrible loss of life Covid-19 has brought. From a comms point of view, early signs of the virus gaining momentum happened in February and at this stage no matter what your business does you need to understand your threats (i.e will the business be OK if everyone can work from home?) Think of the worst-case scenario and plan around it. Communicate to all employees you are aware of the growing situation and are seeking expert advice.

Plan – phase two. Once you've established your threats, plan for what you are going to say at the various pressure points you've predicted (i.e the government telling everyone to stay at home) To ensure you are communicating effectively and with the right messages, for goodness sake get the right people involved – if you are delivering via video then that person has to be media trained, if it's via email, get a copywriter. Employees will be feeling nervous and need to be reassured the business is doing everything they can for the interests of all staff.   

Crunch time – phase three. You have a plan and communicate what you know when you know it. At this phase, there is no such thing as over-communicating. Keep the communications lines open and make sure everyone can have direct access to the spokesperson (in most cases the CEO)

Getting back to a new normal – phase four. The initial shock has eased but the messaging should still be the same – about the well-being of employees. At this stage, strike a balance between frequency and relevancy. Over-saturation will isolate people further because they won't be engaged.

Living the new normal – phase five. Most employees will have adjusted to the new norm at this phase (but of course be aware of individual circumstances)

Judgement – phase six. Finally, how you acted in phases one, two, and three will get back to you. It always does.