Top tips for Crisis Communications

In a time of crisis, the messages being attributed to senior leaders will significantly impact confidence in the organisation and can seriously damage the personal reputation of the people at the top. It is so important to get this right.

We have put together some top tips from our crisis communications expert, Michelle Nichols:

• Don’t wait until you have all the information to hand before you communicate as that might never happen.
• Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t have all the answers
• Communicate bite sized messages on a regular basis
• Be clear about where updates will be published and how often. Set a communications drumbeat so everyone knows when the next communication is due
• If there is no update, then communicate that there is no update – don’t be silent
• Know what you want the impact or effect of your message to be on the person receiving it, what do you want them to think, feel or do.
• Don’t use clichés – ‘business as usual’ and ‘we’re all in this together’ aren’t particularly helpful when trying to reassure people in a crisis.
• Be honest, authentic and show empathy – if you’re a senior leader then ensure the language and tone of the message actually sounds like you
• Ensure all crisis messaging is attributed to or sent from a real person and not from a department or mailbox.
• Minimise the number of people required to sign off on any crisis communication. Ideally sign off should be limited to a subject matter expert who can check the facts and the person it is attributed to.

For more information about Crisis Communications support from Purple Pitch PR click here – Crisis Communications