Determine the task forces command and decision-making structure.
For key decisions, who is the ultimate authority and who needs to be informed?
Who is authorized to make prompt decisions?
Who should be informed?
By what communications methods?
What messages should they hear?
What are the protocols for providing updates?
Create a communications plan
Review your audiences needs.
Who are the key stakeholders with need for information from your organization?
What information do they need, who needs it first and for what purpose?
Consider focusing your efforts around empowerment, practice, and compliance.
Develop messaging and communications strategies for each audience, and assign a communications lead.
What communications tools will you need?
Have you tested your emergency communications system and tools?
What should your tone be always (e.g.
calm, reasoned) and never (e.g.
Reference the aforementioned U.S. CDCsection aimed at employerswith guidelines on preparing your company for an outbreak of the virus.
Refer to the WHO document The Rational Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
It also provides information on what preventative measures do work.
Truthful communication will build trust, while lack of information or disinformation will result in mistrust.
(However, respecting sick employees privacy is important, so dont reveal their names.)
Do you communicate current status via live ticker on the intranet?
The U.S. CDC hasfour risk categoriesfor individuals.
It may be helpful to share these with employees.
Some employees may be reassured to learn that they are not at risk.
Sick employees at work should be isolated from other employees and sent home immediately.
Maintaining their trust and confidence during a potential coronavirus-related disruption is critical.
Identify the concerns of your customers (clients, patients, students, hotel guests, etc.).
If there are delays in processes, timing, substitutions, etc., ensure your customers are informed.
Let your customers know what steps your business has taken to protect them from exposure to the virus.
Provide resources for additional online information, and let customers know how they can get answers to their questions.
Consider an FAQ document with business questions your customers will ask and/or setting up a hotline as appropriate.
Stay in regular touch with your customers with updated information, including after things return to normal.
Prepare for media inquiries
Prepare statements for the press and website news.
Keep in mind this may not be the best time to release company news.
Journalists care about how the COVID-19 outbreak affects the global economy, and what each countrys prevention efforts are.
Media outlets are devoting time and budget to covering those topics.
Consider which messaging about your organization may clear up confusion for potential travelers.
Supply chain and production
Is production capacity guaranteed?
What activities have been initiated to prepare for large numbers of sick employees?
Is a temporary shutdown of production being considered in case of a pandemic?
Procedures
Is there a special guide or plan of action for various situations?
How long do you estimate it will take for your organization to get back to normal?
Are staff responsibilities clear in case of a crisis?
Which employees and business units can work from home?
Evaluate your practices and plan to sustain them.
Monitor the effectiveness of communication to different audiences.
Immediately address fear and prejudice against different groups of people directly and with science-based facts.
Consider the WHO/UNICEF/International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesGuide to Preventing and Addressing Social Stigma.
This article was originally published onUnfold.
Story byPeter Keijzer
Peter Keijzer believes in giving tech a human face.
He is the strategist and owner of LDJ Tech PR.
“By nature I am an agent of change.
A deb(show all)Peter Keijzer believes in giving tech a human face.
He is the strategist and owner of LDJ Tech PR.
“By nature I am an agent of change.
I thrive on breaking down accepted rules, set beliefs and the status quo.
Then reworking, rebuilding and rethinking these accepted ideas and turning them into new insights.
Why do I do this?
Is it to achieve some deeper strategic goal?
For something much more important than that.
