Internal crisis communication: What matters now

If it wasn’t already top of Swiss companies’ agenda, crisis communication certainly is now. Since the Federal Council announced its first measures to limit the further spread of coronavirus on 13 March 2020, companies are tasked with steering their people through this crisis and the changes it brings to working life. With daily reports of new horrors, there’s little hope of improvement any time soon. What are the challenges of internal communication right now, and where should companies focus their efforts to navigate these turbulent times effectively?

Steep learning curve for many companies

In recent weeks we have seen crisis communication take on a new dynamic – not only at the federal level, but also within many organizations. Many companies have had to undergo a steep learning curve as the severity of the public health emergency became clear. While some were still strategically “downplaying” coronavirus at first, everyone should by now have understood that implementing the measures prescribed by the federal government is essential to prevent the worst from happening.

A crisis brings out the best and worst in leadership

As the world faces this unprecedented crisis, it has also become apparent that good or bad leadership is directly linked to good or bad leadership communication. There’s nothing like a crisis to bring out the best – or worst – in leadership.

Tone from the top

Internal communication plays a crucial role in managing the COVID-19 crisis. For credibility to develop, it is particularly important to know WHO is communicating with whom, how transparent they’re being and how frequently they are talking. In these strange and troubling times, clients and employees expect the CEO to make a personal, transparent and credible statement on the crisis. Employees want a clear answer to the question of what exactly this crisis means for them. At the top of the company, it is essential to strike a balance between the greatest possible confidence and the highest possible level of transparency.

Transparent and comprehensible communication

This is no small task for CEOs and their leadership teams. Only those who communicate transparently and comprehensibly now will be able to secure the trust of employees (and also clients) in the long term. CEOs have the unenviable task of communicating – rather than covering – uncertainties, but without unduly scaring the entire workforce. One piece of advice is likely to be to show empathy – one of the most important leadership qualities, not just on paper, but in daily actions.

Crisis communication becomes a mirror for the corporate culture

For organizations to appear credible in their internal communications, it is not only the CEO’s messages that matter. The type of crisis communication quickly becomes a mirror of the entire corporate culture. Are the CEO and management team pulling in the same direction, or is that Swiss “canton mindset” also prevailing in the boardroom? This is where leadership and leadership communication meet.

One voice

No matter how good and how transparent the CEO’s messages, it is simply not possible to lead the organization successfully through the crisis without having the leadership team on side. In crisis situations it is essential that leadership teams communicate with one voice – a voice that tells the same story. Failure to get this right will lead to even greater uncertainty among employees who are already unsettled.

Coordinated communication – a potential challenge for agile companies

Coordinated communication is a major challenge even for very agile companies. They must take great care to avoid having every department communicating independently of the others and before the extent of the crisis and the shared approach are clear. An uncoordinated approach only serves to increase employee uncertainty.

Walk the talk

Even the best and most coordinated communication is of no use unless it’s followed by action. Measures that are defined in a crisis must be adhered to consistently. If they’re not, companies risk a major breach of trust with employees, which in turn will have an impact on client relationships.

Restart for change

The coronavirus has redefined the concept of agility. Current strategies and business models will have to be fundamentally – and rapidly – rethought in the coming weeks and months. Willingness to change will take on a whole new significance as a decisive competitive advantage. Companies will have to make painful decisions very quickly, even those that have fared relatively well so far.

A world before and a world after coronavirus

For very many companies there will be a world before and a world after coronavirus. The way companies communicate now and act on their communication will have a great impact on future employee and client relationships. Amid all the uncertainty and turmoil, one thing is sure: getting communication right is all the more important today.

Stay healthy!