Part 1: What You Should and Shouldn’t Say
Adele Cehrs and Chip Massey
Crisis Communication Experts
Be sensitive. Everyone is being impacted. Focus on the core purpose of your organization and stay true to that.
Unstated Narrative
- Your stakeholders may have difficulty expressing what is really bothering them. If you can start from a place of empathy and understanding, you will be able to better understand what is going on in their head.
- When you’re in the middle of a crisis, it feels like you’ll never see the end of the tunnel, but it does come.
Emotional Contagion
- Perceived emotions are contagious. The way that you present your feelings, other people around you will feel that too. Project a calm. The on-team leader sets the tone.
- See the world through other people’s viewpoint, without judgement. Deal with others’ crisis and project calm back, people will respond to that and also take it on themselves.
- Pitch, tone, and cadence in your messages is super important. (90% of hostage negotiations are done on a telephone.)
- The three magic words: Repeat the last three words back.
Example: “Oh my gosh, my boss just unloaded on me for no reason!” and you reply, “…for no reason?”
- If practiced with authenticity and care, you will see a change in their demeanor.
(Chris Shipton, Live Illustration Ltd.)
Fairness Fallacy
- Teammates can be so focused on (un)fairness, they can’t advance to next steps. Get out of the foxhole mentality. Hold up a mirror to your organization in order to move on.
No Absolutes
- Find what is right for your stakeholders. You are the expert, you are in control, and you will be better and stronger for it. When we’re under stress, the worst comes out. Everybody handles it in their own way, just understand that you can have a positive effect.
Read #PivotToVirtual Event Notes: Pt. 1 | Pt. 2&3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5&6
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