COVID-19 Crisis Management and Communications Webinar - March 18, 2020
Download the Presenter's Key Take-aways.
Are you overwhelmed with the 24/7 news cycle about COVID-19? Unsure how to move forward with all the uncertainty?
Many in our business community are facing unprecedented challenges as the novel coronavirus pandemic disrupts normal operations, forcing companies to shift to crisis mode. To help member companies manage the effects of the crisis, the ACCJ hosted its first webinar addressing two factors critical to maintaining business operations: strategic management and crisis communications.
This webinar was moderated by Debbie Howard, ACCJ President Emeritus and Chairman of CarterJMRN K.K., and featured:
Dylan Scudder, President and CEO of Milestone, Inc.
David Wagner, President of David Wagner & Company
Read on for the most salient points from the webinar, which includes recommended actions, sound advice, and useful approaches.
Scenario planning. Because the global market is constantly evolving, thinking through different types of scenarios helps mitigate the uncertainty that comes with change, especially during times of crisis. Regardless of company size, below are some of the most vital measures you can take during normal and crisis operations to ensure your company can weather pending storms.
Assess the situation. Among the most critical items to identify are the most relevant stakeholders, which shifts in times of crisis, determining the likelihood of continuing operations under current conditions, and prioritizing action items.
Crowdsource solutions throughout your organization. A proper situation assessment requires gathering existing institutional wisdom and transforming them into actionable solutions. Employees can shed light on the challenges faced at various levels of the company.
Shape your response. Use the information you collected to map and re-map your priorities and pinpoint the areas where tradeoffs are necessary, such as resource allocation and stakeholder prioritization. This exercise helps identify the costs and benefits of your options, as well as develop or refine courses of action.
Plan for and practice simulations. Simulations allow your company and its core decision-making team to understand the organization’s response, capacity, and capabilities in different circumstances. It is a systematic approach to target strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots.
Create a crisis manual. Tackle today’s issues with an eye toward a future and compile the lessons you are learning into a crisis manual. If you already have one, treat it as a living document and modify it as needed so that it is easily adaptable to the current environment.
Crisis communications. Communicating what you are doing is just as important as the actions themselves. Implementing the following recommendations and frameworks will help you zero in on the right information to convey and ensure alignment between current operations and messaging.
Distinguish your target audiences. In tandem with identifying your stakeholders is distinguishing the information most relevant to each audience. It is essential to remember that there are stakeholders internal to the organization, such as employees, and external, like investors and consumers. Each group will have shared concerns but varying priorities, which requires customized messaging.
Determine the key messages. Take all the priorities and information gathered to formulate your company’s key messages. It is natural for companies to concentrate on what it is doing for themselves in the near-term but remember to focus on what you are doing for your clients. Recognize their pressing concerns (e.g., business continuity and safety) and share how you are addressing them.
Craft effective and impactful messaging. Imprint your takeaways on people’s minds through regular, concise, and consistent communication.
Select the most suitable spokesperson. And that may not always be the president or CEO. Consider the factors that affect the transmission and reception of information, as well as unconventional candidates throughout the company.
Realize that everyone is a spokesperson. Each person in your company relays the institution’s values and messages during their personal and professional interactions. Actively incorporate them as part of your communications network and keep them apprised of the key messages.
Default to an on-the-record mentality. Media engagement and negative questioning are unavoidable. Your response is more important than the question itself because it is an opportunity to deliver your key messages. Therefore, when thinking of your reply, remind yourself that anything said is easily quotable and envision the headline you want to see.
Exude positivity and anchor to tried and true values. Optimism is contagious, particularly in challenging times. The truth is paramount, but there is nothing wrong with being hopeful. Ground your communications in transparency, honesty, and authenticity.
Check out our Business Continuity Network for more resources to help you navigate the hurdles of COVID-19.
