We plan and the universe laughs.
I had planned on writing part two of my CEO’s Guide to Employee Communications and I still will. Unfortunately, family drama filled my calendar before I could finalize my draft.
My husband, John, developed complications after having planned hernia surgery in January and spent most of February in the hospital or recovering at home. Now that he is doing better, I feel like I can write about our experience.
911
Like most hospital stories, ours begins with a 911 call. We went to the emergency room where the doctors and nurses managed John’s pain and ran tests. It took several hours but finally our doctor had a confirmed diagnosis and a battle plan.
Our doctor should teach crisis communication. Seriously… He was brilliant. John’s situation required immediate attention but our doc was unflappable. He took the time to explain what was going on and what needed to be done. He projected the perfect balance of compassion and confidence. He even called me at home the first night to reassure me everything was under control.
How’s your bedside manner?
All together, John was in the ICU for six days and then another seven on a regular ward. Two weeks sitting in the hospital makes for a lot of people watching. Here’s what watching the medical staff taught me about crisis communications:
- Speak calmly.
- Listen intently.
- Act/move confidently.
- Leave your OMG moment at the door, and take your own pulse first.
Crisis Communications
When you’re dealing with a crisis, it is important to act quickly but you need a battle plan first. A doctor wouldn’t pick up a scalpel until he knew why he was operating. It is the same in communications. Here are a few questions you should answer as you prepare your plan:
- What does your audience need to know?
- What questions will you be asked?
- What information do you not know?
- What are you doing to solve the problem?
- When will you provide more information?
- How will you know when the crisis has passed?
You also want to quickly correct any misinformation your audience may have heard. But most importantly, be calm and confident. You don’t want to offer false confidence that overinflates expectations, but you can stress what your team is doing to solve the problem.
Crisis Communication: In a crisis, what you don’t say or don’t do is just as important as what you do say and do.
