Every company deals with difficult problems and issues each day. Starbucks’ issue of racial profiling in one of their stores; United Airlines forcibly removing a passenger from a flight; countless companies having issues with data breaches; leadership teams finding themselves in the hot seat for not following through on diversity and inclusion pledges, to name a few.

Over the past year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic proved that no industry or organization is free from the risk of a crisis. As companies worked their way through workplace and workforce implications of the pandemic, we all learned more about the critical importance of communicating during crisis. So, how can corporate leaders apply these lessons when something goes wrong?

4 Steps to Effectively Communicate in a Crisis

We all know that change is part of business and isn’t going away any time soon. Yet that reality can be hard on employees, who are constantly bombarded with so much information of all kinds that they can’t digest it. That’s why it’s so important to place any big change in context to help employees adjust.

By context, we mean the “why,” or the background and reasoning behind a change that needs to take place. For instance, the context could be industry or financial concerns that put pressure on the business. Most recently, the pandemic and racial unrest presented new and obvious challenges, prompting significant changes or adjustments to the overall strategy and approach for many businesses.

Nearly 18 months in, many of us can say we have been changed by the pandemic in some way or another. Yes, we have adapted to different ways of working, learning and living, but we also may have emerged with a new perspective on life and a realignment of priorities. This is true of many leaders who share their stories in David Grossman’s new book, Heart First: Lasting Leader Lessons from a Year that Changed Everything. Just as individuals and leaders have had to adjust as a result of the pandemic, businesses of all sizes have flexed, adapted and changed like never before, and many are grappling now with what reforms they will adopt moving forward.

In times of change or uncertainty, organizations need leadership more than ever. That means the quality and amount of communications need to increase.

I used to work for a manager who said, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” Times of change are a litmus test for leadership, which means sharing with employees what we know and what we don’t know. This is the time for courageous conversations and straightforward communication. This is the time to talk about how our organizations are well positioned for the future and/or how we’re making changes to set ourselves up for future success. Most important, this is the time to share with employees what we need from them. 

Change of any kind in a company can bring uncertainty. And when things feel uncertain, it’s more important than ever to be proactive in communicating. Everyone will have lots of questions about the future, and it’s important not to ignore these questions or pretend no one’s asking them.

What’s the best way to talk about change? Here are four tips for addressing change successfully:

For many of us, the words “I don’t know” are like kryptonite: a sign of weakness. 

In reality, the ability to say “I don’t know” can be a hidden strength. Particularly during times of change, we need to be honest, straightforward and timely in sharing what we know – even when there are open issues and/or there’s much that’s still hasn’t been decided.

The Best Thing to Do When You Don't Have the Answer

It’s crucial to look at your communications as a process of repetition. Leaders who haven’t realized the benefits of communication done well, tend to think of communication as a “check-off-the-box activity. For example, they’ll think, “I sent an email. Therefore, I communicated.” By doing so, they confuse getting the message out with actually creating shared meaning and understanding.

In recent months, however, many leaders have seen the upsides to repeating important messages. When the pandemic hit, they quickly got crystal-clear on what needed to be said about workplace safety, COVID-19 protocols, work from home policies, among other critical topics, and they drove home the message.

Last week we conducted a series of webinars for communicators, focusing on a model we recommend to reboot internal communications through crisis for greater effectiveness long-term, called the 3Rs: Reflect, Reimagine, Reboot.

The sessions brought about fruitful discussion, sharing of best practices and challenges from attendees that allowed us all to engage in a dialogue about how best to approach what’s next.

With so many changes happening in a short time stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and social crises, employers face important decisions on how to go forward in managing their teams and adapting for today’s realities. It’s a good time to look at where your business is now and apply what you’ve learned over the past several months. It’s also important to look at ways you are listening to and connecting with employees, and opportunities for greater focus on diversity and inclusion.