How to Communicate with Employees During War
By Alison Davis
It's natural for employees to be distracted by the unfolding events
of war, and to feel anxious about how war will affect them. But
since your company still needs to get work done, your role as communicator
is to help employees deal with their emotions while still maintaining
focus. To do so, communication should provide context about how
the war impacts the company overall and, in turn, the implications
for each individual.
For communication to fulfill this role and help people focus, concentrate
on four key communication strategies: 1. manage employees' expectations;
2. communicate what people need to know; 3. support leaders and
managers in their communication roles; and 4. get employees talking.
Here's how to apply these strategies at your company:
1. Manage Employees' Expectations
In times of high emotion and fast change, employees need
lots of information. It's easy for employees to get frustrated
because "the company is not telling us everything."
Managing this frustration means managing employees' expectations
about how communication will work. This includes explaining the
following:
- What types of war-related information your company will
(and will not) communicate to employees (e.g., steps the company
has taken to keep the business on track during the war, changes
that affect key customers, suppliers and strategic partners)
- How your company will communicate this information to employees
(e.g., e-mails, town-hall meetings, bulletin boards)
- When employees can expect to receive this information (e.g.,
daily e-mail announcements, weekly staff meetings)
- Where employees can find additional information (e.g., hotline
number, internal or external website links, name and contact
information of key spokesperson)
2. Communicate What People Need to Know
War and the threat of terrorism create some unique information
needs, both for organizations and for individuals. Employees need
to know:
- Impact on the company. What's the impact on sales and profits?
What ways do we have to do business differently? What steps
are we taking to deal with the situation?
- Safety guidelines and actions. What emergency and disaster
plans do we have in place? What are the current travel policies?
What are the steps being taken for facilities in volatile
areas? What should employees know about federal/state actions
and plans?
- Relevant HR policies and programs. How can employees get
counseling, financial assistance, or time off if they need
it? What do they need to be reminded about, in terms of life
insurance, disability and healthcare?
3. Support Leaders and Managers in Their Communication
Roles
Leaders and managers have unique communication roles to deliver
on during a war. Unfortunately, most leaders and managers-who
are also feeling overwhelmed and anxious-often aren't clear about
their responsibilities. The first step is helping leaders and
managers understand their communication roles and how to act on
it. Here's an overview of key communication roles during times
of crisis:
CEO's role:
- Acknowledge the fact that war is a stressful time for everyone,
ideally by sharing his or her own emotions during this time
- Reassure employees that "we will get through the difficult
time together," by talking about the company's strengths
- Discuss the company's primary business focus/priorities during
the war
- Encourage employees to remain focused on their individual
roles and responsibilities
Site manager's role (regional vice president, plant manager,
division head, etc.):
- Reinforce the CEO's key messages and add own perspective
- Explain how business operations are impacted at the local/regional
level
- Translate the CEO's business priorities so middle managers
and employees understand how to support them
Middle manager's role:
- Create a safe place for employees to express their thoughts,
feelings and questions through dialogue
- Don't presume to have all the answers, but share information
available and translate to "what it means for us here"
- Keep site managers posted on employees' questions, concerns,
morale, etc.
Get Employees Talking
Although it may seem that the best way to maintain focus is to just
keep working, in fact it's more productive to take time for face-to-face
dialogue. By giving people time to share their feelings and concerns,
and get their questions answered, you provide a better path for
employees to re-engage in their work.
Encourage management at all levels to hold meetings where employees
have an open forum to discuss their fears, needs, rumors, etc. Provide
leaders and managers with talking points and/or facilitation guides
to help them successfully lead the discussion.
In addition to facilitating meetings that encourage dialogue, here
are other ideas for creating dialogue:
- Set up an electronic space or actual physical bulletin board
where employees can post messages
- Encourage people to eat together and talk informally
- Designate a conference room for formal or informal discussion
about the war-before/after work, or between breaks
None of this is easy, and as a communicator, you are likely to
feel tremendous stress during, but your hard work will pay off,
with a positive impact on the organization and help for everyone
who works there.
Alison Davis is the CEO of Davis & Company, an employee
communication consulting firm located in Glen Rock, New Jersey.
She has been an IABC member for more than 15 years. For more information
or communications advice, visit www.davisandco.com.
|
