COVID-19

Stefanie Shelley

CMO Advisor & Board Member

How is Coronavirus different from previous crises you might have dealt with?

I worked at JP Morgan Chase near ground zero on 9/11 and we had to manage a crisis we never knew we could have.  Our job was to find all of our employees and their families, get our bank branches up and running and manage the fears and sadness in the company.  There are some parallels with the Coronavirus outbreak as our job is to keep our employees safe, but the difference with the virus is that it can single handedly affect our employees.  Back during 9/11, even without the technology we have today, we stayed in very close communication with our leadership teams, external governing bodies and our employees regularly. The key that made it all work is to stay alert and on top of things you’ve never seen before and show your authentic care for those you are communicating too.  With the Coronavirus, there is a difference that this is a crisis that is not contained and can directly hurt your employees and that impact can change exponentially every day. With this vast, fast changing unknown situation, it will be even more important to stay in closer touch and we can use all of our technologies (cell phones, emails, texts, videos, social media, etc)  to stay in real-time touch.

What’s one thing communicators need to think about right now?

With a “once in a lifetime” crisis like Coronavirus, you don’t need to think you should be an expert on health and epidemics.  It’s most important to be the best leader you can be right now and gather information from key information sources (within and outside of the company) regularly so you are up to date and then build a real, authentic relationship with those you’re communicating with.  With employees, it’s critical for them to feel that you really care for them and you’re doing everything you can to care for them. I find that people feel most comfortable with people who are real and authentic who will say they may not “know the answer”, but they show they have a plan with the proper connections and are very responsive to keep up to date on knowing what’s happening.

How should communicators stay ahead in a rapidly evolving situation?

Aside from building out your own leadership teams and communication channels to key constituents, it’s important to think through the different scenarios that may happen.  In situations like this, we really don’t know what will happen, but we can think of 3-4 different scenarios on what could happen. I’ve been in situations as an Executive and Board Director with an evolving crisis and I’ve found it incredibly helpful to plan out several different scenarios.  You can think through what could happen in each one and identify the other big risks and what type of communication based on the severity of the situation. It can stress you about “what else” could happen, but at least you know what the worst of it could be and you can think through about the paths forward and communication.

Any advice on internal communications and messaging to employees?

In my experience in Executive roles for many years, I found it very important to start communications early whenever there is a crisis developing.  It’s important to build a relationship with your employees and build a strong level of trust throughout the company. They will know that you are not necessarily experts in a particular area, but you will be doing everything in your power to protect the employees and steer the company.  It’s helpful to share how you are staying up to date on the situation, communicating with authorities and others and making difficult decisions in favor of employees early, to show your level of commitment. I always found that fostering trust throughout the company was key to keeping everyone calm and informed, which keeps the company’s operations working and the health and welfare of the employees doing well.

Any general thoughts?

 In our world today, in addition to our usual stakeholders – customers, employees and shareholders – there is also our social impact in this world.  This is one of those “once in a lifetime” situations where people and companies can step forward that might be at the expense of their own company. We are seeing the opposite of that in some ways, like spiking up the price of purell and hand sanitizers.  At least for now, we see airlines waiving fees, but there may be some overall improvements to our global economy or personal health care with this major crisis. We hope to see some “lemonade” coming from the “lemons”. 

One short comment I added

The key to leadership in a time of a crisis means thinking ahead, staying closely connected to information sources, building a deep level of trust with employees and communicating with them regularly.

Bill Wreaks

Gramcery Institute

How is Coronavirus different from previous crises you might have dealt with?

The coronavirus crisis is different from most other crises we’ve experienced in the past primarily due to the lack of reliable information we have about the crisis. Business audiences do not respond well to the statement, “we don’t know.” still, there are positive action steps lead communications professionals should take. The first question that we’d like to answer is “what is the full scope of the crisis?” The answer to this question–at this moment– is “we do not know.”

If the scope of the situation truly is unknown, it is better from a communications perspective to state that fact, rather than create momentary appeasement’s to temporarily alleviate concerns.

It short, it is OK to say “we don’t know” if this is truly the case. 

At the same time, if there are any statements of fact that may be helpful to express, it would be beneficial to state them. It is this uncertainty that leads directly to other disturbances such as market fluctuations, shortages, limited business planning ability and logistical re-workings. 

What’ s one thing communicators need to think about right now?

Communicators, right now, need to communicate. And it is important that their communications be based in fact, not in hearsay or opinion and certainly not in hype. 

Intelligence is defined as “the ability to anticipate in the next move.” Audiences seek to be well-informed and empowered with the ability to make their next appropriate move, even if that next move is to stay in place for now and wait. 

How should communicators stay ahead in a rapidly evolving situation?

During times of crisis, the expression that “no news is good news” does not hold water. Audiences need input during crisis or they begin to imagine the worst. Right now, communicators are being well-challenged in our industry. There is a heavy burden on the shoulders of communications professionals today.  Communications professionals must communicate often and regularly to stay out front. More than anything else, they need to base their communications in fact.

Any advice on internal communications and messaging to employees?

Internal audiences are critical to the deployment of any effective communications plan. Not only do internal audiences need to be kept apprised of company and regulatory policy and policy changes, but they also need to become communicators themselves. All of them–Especially during times of crisis and uncertainty.

This said, Communications professionals must take great care in regular communications with their teams and other internal audiences. Clear communications are imperative. In addition a rationale behind any instruction or communication is also important. It is critical that internal audiences understand not only the what, but also the why.  

Remember,  internal audiences need to explain policies and procedures to external audiences. They should be equipped to do so in factual and straightforward ways. Furthermore, and of equal importance, is that internal audiences all need to be singing off the same song sheet.

Any general thoughts?

Thought 1: Leader ship is important during times of crisis. It might seem easier and perhaps less riskier to sit back and lay low rather than stepping to the plate to lead. I consider times of crisis to be the times when true leaders in our professional community will step forward and help others understand the facts of what is happening as well as define the parameters of what might currently be unknown. 

Irrational fears can create new crises. Leadership should look to keep everything in factual perspective.

Thought 2: One of the most significant business challenges during times of crisis is that plans are put on hold. This is natural, as teams of professionals may not know in which direction they should proceed.

I encourage communications professionals as well as other professionals to consider various scenarios and plan for any number of reasonable outcomes. What would happen if X happened? What would happen if Y happened? What would happen if Z happened? Not knowing how to proceed should not stop us from considering various ways that we may wish to proceed based on eventual outcomes.