Communicating in times of strain
Sometimes delivering messages is really, horribly uncomfortable. I feel that and I’m someone who naturally reads the room and tries to be sensitive with words in any given situation.
Right now, when the situation is even more strained and delicate, it’s a hundred times harder - and a hundred times more important – to communicate well with empathy and clarity.
Here are my 4 go-to tips to communicate in times of high emotion, things I follow just about every day
Be empathetic
If people aren't worried about their or family's health, they may be worried about their jobs, workloads, pay, homeschooling, their finances, their parents, the list goes on. So be aware and be kind. It’s a solid way to build trust, to encourage people to have faith in you.
Kindnesses are largely not forgotten, and if you take the time to understand that someone needs flexibility or support, it will be appreciated no-end. So, understand what the feelings and sentiments are. It’s no good trumpeting your information with no awareness of your audiences’ needs.
Who is the most decent person you know? What would they do right now? Bear in mind though that it’s really important to balance empathy with the underlying needs of the situation, so I’m not recommending being a pushover. Tricky conversations are always going to come up, and no one ever said they were easy. But allow all parties to have dignity
Be a relationship Builder
This is an important time to show your human side. Be someone people come to. People buy from people, they want to work with people they respect and bond with people they trust. It's ok that you don't know everything and that mistakes will be made; let people know you’ll rectify them as soon as you can.
Through Webex and Zoom, we’re all seeing colleagues in their homes. It’s not always professional – in a Webex with some people I didn’t know last week, my dog made very loud dog noises right beside me. I was embarrassed, lost my train of thought, couldn’t talk properly and all while the dog was out of camera, so I just looked like a nutter). Hopefully I showed in my actions afterwards that I’m a safe pair of hands and get the job done. Or even better, they had a laugh at my expense.
At the end of the day, be available to people, help them – let them know that they can reach out if they need support or have something to discuss. Looking to the longer-term helps, knowing that good relationships last.
Be clear about what you want to say
Get business messages clear and on point, make sure your comms teams, PR, legal, compliance, whoever necessary, are at one with the messages. Review them as the situation changes.
Make sure that team leaders know these messages, so the right information weaves to everyone. You do not want anyone to go off-piste, creating gossip or scaremongering – motivation can plummet, fears can sky-rocket.
Reiterate your messages regularly to your audiences in different ways – this avoids them being boring and helps people understand. Keep them short and bite-sized.
Get comfy with communicating
This is not a time to be shy and retiring. Get comfy with the many different communication tools available. By using more than one communication method, everyone can choose to listen, read or watch in a way that suits them.
Get in front the camera to send short video messages. Write blogs, write emails, hell, use TikTok if it’s appropriate, but make sure the messages address things you've heard from the market or your teams to allay concerns.
Consider what they need to hear, as well as what you need to say. What will help inspire them? What will make them feel you've got their back?
We are all aware that bad news may be around the corner, but I for one, would rather have it delivered with care, leaving me with dignity.