How do you support employees in crisis situations?

I would suggest a step before this one. Employees should be given crisis awareness training before a crisis happens. For example, if your company were to suffer a data breach affecting your customers, journalists could immediately approach your staff for comment. Without crisis awareness training staff could respond with 'I don't know what you are talking about' or 'I suggested we fix a,b,c months ago', making the crisis much worse. Crisis communications should begin with awareness, examples and guidance, this way staff will know things like how to respond to questions about the crisis, with phrases like "Our official spokesperson will be giving an update on that soon." Staff should also know who in the company will update them and how.

To illustrate, let’s look at the introduction of more than 375 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across US states so far this year. These laws represent a pervasive and systemic crisis of discriminatory laws (nature). It affects not only directly LGBTQ+ employees and your company, but extends to their allies and family members who might also impacted by the harmful messages and climate created by these laws as long as they are in effect (scope). The potential consequences of this crisis include a hostile work environment for employees, legal and reputational risks for employers, and the difficulty or inability to recruit and retain the most diverse workforce (impact).

The early stages of a crisis often are difficult because you do not yet have the full information or details at hand. Share what you have and any timelines you can provide. We are all human and people understand the chaos a crisis brings. This often is a good time to remind teams of your core values and mission, and how your response aligns with these. Don’t forget to add bright spots. You can offset the endless bad news people likely are consuming by reminding them of past crises you overcame.

Yes, get all your information before communicating what's happening on. But don't leave your employees hanging. It takes time to gather the facts. I'd suggest letting your employees know you're gathering facts before making a statement...but recognize what's going on. Assuage their fears and anxieties by telling them you'll give them an update as soon as you can.

I would add that regular updates are essential, even if there is no new news to report - keeping up the communications with your employees is vital to not only keeping the team update, but ensuring peace of mind that you are actively managing the crisis and have employees top of mind.

Organizations are judged more for their handling of a crisis than for the crisis itself. Bring in an expert if needed and engage senior leadership. Their role will be critical. I've found these 5 Rs to be helpful: Regret - show regret and empathy Responsibility - take responsibility Resolution - offer resolution, Restitution, and/or Reform

Transparency and timeliness are key here. If you are going to gloss over the information, it's actually better NOT to communicate. Transparency builds trust in your workforce. Be understanding and kind. Recognize the stresses people are under. Make your messaging human.

I would like to recall the COVID-19 pandemic situation here - where organizations across the globe switched to remote work and had to provide regular updates to employees. I believe it's important to keep contacting your employees every now and then just to check whether they're doing okay during the crisis situation and if there are any concerns that need to be addressed. Communication is key for enterprises to retain and repose trust in employees and vice versa. That's why effective communication is two-way, and we should keep that going!

Every response needs to be respected, no matter how trivial. There is nothing worse than when an employee feels they are not valued and so it is vital that someone in the employee's chain of command responds to gain clarity into their concerns and to provide appropriate answers. Showing respect in this way will pay dividends in the long-term once the crisis has passed.

If an employee contributes negatively to the situation at hand, it’s critical to address their their conduct, as well. Reiterate expectations, offer feedback and support, hold them accountable, and consider potential consequences if their behavior continues.

Trust is essential to authentic communication and ensuring that employees feel seen and heard is critical to maintaining that trust. Employees must be able to express their questions, concerns and feedback without fear of reprisal. Let them know how to communicate with you and offer a variety of channels (e.g., Q&A hours; town hall meetings; direct outreach to supervisors, HR or senior leaders; anonymous suggestion box). People naturally will be concerned about their jobs and the company’s future. If employment is secure, convey that. If it’s not, share the information you have at hand. People appreciate being able to prepare and plan as needed.

Appreciation of your employees is critical, especially during a crisis. It helps to create a culture of appreciation in your workplace before you face a crisis. Regularly recognize and share stories of your employees' success and encourage them to do the same for their colleagues.

While it’s important to have guidance in place, it’s also necessary to maintain flexibility and make any appropriate changes according to feedback. A process that is too strict or overly planned out can come off as inauthentic and thwart any efforts being made to show empathy or maintain trust.

People need to be able to talk to each other and express themselves as part of understanding and processing any crisis. As you leverage the strong forums likely already in place for internal discussion, don’t forget employees’ need to engage externally as well, i.e., talking to their families, friends and peers, both 1-1 and over social media. Don’t put up barriers to prevent employees from engaging on social platforms. Embrace this human need and provide accurate and timely messages and other content that they can share.

Stepping back a bit, I recommend making clear, straightforward crisis and emergency plans and communicating those out before a crisis strikes. Set up phone trees and contingency plans. Make sure employees know what would happen during an emergency before one occurs.

It's so important to acknowledge your team for carrying out these plans on the front lines. One thing I've found helpful is to spotlight colleagues who have gone above and beyond by giving them kudos during team meetings, which encourages everyone. Simply sending a handwritten note and thoughtful gift goes a long way in expressing your appreciation.

In one of my comments above, I mentioned creating a culture of appreciation. This is key to employee engagement, crisis or not. Wise leaders will spend time appreciating their employees every day and publicly recognizing and rewarding them. During a crisis or emergency, appreciation is doubly important!

Employees need to feel comfortable. Keep them updated so they know someone has their finger on the pulse of the issue. All communication should ensure them that progress is happening to mitigate or avoid future crises. Listen to them and ensure they are heard.

Real-time evaluation and adjustment to communications is crucial during crisis. Stress narrows the focus of our senses and thinking and makes ground truthing essential to not only what leaders say but how they say it. Consider light-touch steps like a mini survey at the beginning of an All Hands or adding one question at the end of an email or video message to pulse check how employees are doing. People often volunteer their help during a crisis. Consider setting up a short-term employee advisory group to review messaging and provide feedback.

Too often companies don't adequately debrief after a crisis is over. When you review your communications, ask your staff for feedback. How could you have communicated more effectively? What did you do well and what could you do better next time?