Last updated on December 19, 2022 at 05:10 pm

COVID-19 forced communications teams from all industries to evaluate their existing crisis communications plans and how they support their employees, whether they sit at a desk or work on the frontline of the organization. In this type of unprecedented, emergency situation it’s difficult to have a blueprint of what to do. So, we wanted to share four crisis comms best practices that you can use for future crises.

4 Best Practices for Crisis Communication

1. Enable people managers. In a crisis, employees will turn to their managers first. If you don’t include them early and give them the resources and tools they need, you miss an opportunity to avoid panic.
2. Don’t wait to plan ahead. Don’t wait until the next crisis to fix your systems and create agile strategies. Conduct a Stop, Start, Continue Analysis of your crisis plan today so you are always ready.
3. Embrace transparency. When you are more transparent and empathetic during a crisis, you will meet employees where they are. This helps show them you care and that their feedback matters to you when decisions are being made.
4. Invest in crisis communication channels. Don’t wait to invest in new channels that won’t let you down during a crisis. Whether it’s an app or a crisis hotline, think about how you want employees to be able to reach you during a crisis.

Crisis Comms Best Practices: Additional Resources

There is A LOT that goes into a crisis communication plan. While these four tips get you started, we know that there is a lot of strategizing, planning, and preparing to do to be successful in navigating a crisis. So, use these free resources to help form your strategy:

• How to Prepare for the Next Crisis
• 5 Crisis Comms Strategies for Companies With Deskless Employees