Keys To Communicating During Covid-19
Business leaders understand how crucial it is to communicate during a crisis, especially communicating with empathy and transparency. Having these tones in communication during a crisis is what encourages all those included to make the best and quickest decisions possible, so that they can mitigate any harm.
With transparency, leaders can build trust with their employees and show respect towards them, showing them that the company is recognizing that all employees are capable of what the leaders are sharing internally. This can also help everyone involved become more resilient when it comes to any other possible challenge during a crisis.
However, despite the fact that the entire world is undergoing a crisis of increasing proportions, there aren’t enough people talking about what leaders should be communicating on during said crisis. That’s the reason why many people can’t find a good answer when talking about how their organization’s response to the pandemic has helped them, several months into it.
There are plenty of ways that company leaders can combat these feelings and provide additional assistance to their employees, while driving a positive reaction from the organization itself. Reassuring team members that their employment is safe and providing them with a plan for the company’s future are just two of the ways that company leaders can efficiently communicate and encourage them.
Frequent communication
Business leaders are already communicating with staff members frequently, but they should be doing this even more than necessary, to make sure that all of the staff members receive the message clearly and that their uncertainty is reduced. While repeating the same messages over and over again can become exhausting, team members find it encouraging to see and hear those messages through different channels.
Feedback
Employees should be made sure that they are able to express any concerns or information they might have, without fearing retribution. That’s why companies should have safe channels for communication with their employees, and emphasize those channels as much as possible to show them that the leaders really care about hearing from every single member. Companies should also have several different communication options, so that employees can choose which one fits them and their situation best.
Work from home
Thousands of people have been working from home these past several months. Thousands of employees have also been complaining that their homes are not well-equipped to deal with the workload that employers require from them. Companies that want to be as productive as possible while staying at home should invest in equipment for their employees to be able to do that work from home – whether that’s comfortable chairs, headsets, or monitors. All of this can make a big difference with employees, as well as companies adjusting their expectations on meeting deadlines.
