A Rule Book for Crisis Communications

Navigating communications during a crisis can be a headache for any startup. And there have been plenty of crises going around lately.

Following my previous piece on How to build relationships with journalists, a guide on how to share content effectively when times are good - I thought it would also be timely to share some advice on how to prepare communications for when things aren’t.

Whether it's problems with payroll, layoffs, or other unexpected critical issues, how you communicate with your stakeholders; customers, employees, and investors makes all the difference in how they’ll view your company.

Even if not necessarily media-facing, communications during a crisis will impact your reputation - something none of us want to risk. So, for the Founders, CMOs, and Communications Leads out there, I wanted to put together my advice and a short rule book for how to prepare in advance, communicate openly, and demonstrate empathetic and stable leadership during challenging times.

1. Plan in advance

Outside of extreme events, layoffs or runway challenges shouldn’t come as a last-minute surprise. Most horror stories about layoffs or runway communication are due to companies refusing to prepare for the eventuality. If you plan for different scenarios (and identify key spokespeople, establish messaging and channels of communication) ahead of time and communicate early enough, then your employees are given a fair warning. And those affected can then be told on a one-on-one basis with their line manager, a much more human way than an impersonal group call put in their diary the day before.

2. Make communications with your employees the priority

While it’s beneficial to be prepared with an external strategy if your news is leaked, you should be making internal audiences a priority. They need to feel supported. In the case of layoffs, you of course need to plan communications with those affected, but you also need to manage the well-being of staff who stay behind. Everyone will feel affected in some way, and how you manage the situation will stay embedded in your culture for a long time. You need to work twice as hard to motivate and lead the ones who stay. Note though, be prepared for your internal comms to be shared externally.

3. Be proactive, empathetic, and authentic

Share your plan with stakeholders proactively to help build trust and minimize negative perceptions. Put yourself in the shoes of your employees and stakeholders and imagine what information you would like to receive (ideally you already have established channels of communication with all your audience groups and are engaging with them on a regular basis already). Really double-check any statement you make to ensure they are interpreted as authentic to the voice of the leadership and don’t come across as too corporate, just because it’s a sensitive issue. People need human leaders during those times.

4. Be transparent and clear about what comes next

Acknowledge your responsibilities - that includes addressing what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re doing to make things better. Admit changing information and commit to regular updates. Then lay out your plan clearly and concretely: give as many details as possible on the impact on employees. Cover as many questions about layoffs -such as timeframes, severance pay, and actions people can take now - as possible pre-emptively in group and individual chats.

5. Communicate frequently

Even if you’re busy with your leadership team trying to hold things together, be aware that the frequency of your communications to your stakeholders - and your employees in particular - has a major impact. Even if it’s time-consuming and draining, sharing the same messages in different ways and in a variety of places repeatedly has been proven to massively reduce anxiety for all people involved. Silence and anticipation are what stress people out. Do it on Zoom, on Slack, in emails, several times a week during the crisis period.

6. Find the bright spots - but do it smartly

Some leaders, wanting to motivate teams and reassure them, clumsily celebrate the company’s successes and exciting perspectives while layoffs or financial challenges are still happening. That’s the opposite of helpful, as it both sends mixed messages to teams and triggers bitterness with employees leaving as a result of the situation. Instead, find examples of situations where the company has shown resilience in the past and celebrate those behaviors to reassure remaining teams that you are still going and will get over this difficult time together.

7. Give your stakeholders open but secure places to express themselves

Investors, clients, and employees all they need to be able to express their concerns and give feedback to your leadership team in a secure way. Employees in particular need to have the choice of the channel they feel most comfortable with. For example, Harvard Business Review recommends offering the following processes for employees to communicate during a crisis: reaching out to HR, talking to a senior leader, bringing issues to a regular one-on-one meeting with a manager, and having an anonymous suggestion channel. Of course, use that feedback to create follow-up actions to show that you are actively listening to your workforce - that’s true of crisis times, but also generally.