What are the most important communication tasks to prioritize during a crisis?

1 Identify your audiences

The first step in any crisis communication plan is to identify who you need to communicate with and why. Your audiences may include your employees, customers, partners, suppliers, media, regulators, and the public. Each of these groups may have different concerns, expectations, and information needs. You should segment your audiences based on their relevance, influence, and impact on your organization and the crisis situation. Then, you should tailor your messages and channels accordingly.

2 Establish your objectives

The next step is to define what you want to achieve with your crisis communication. Your objectives may vary depending on the type, stage, and severity of the crisis, but they should always align with your organizational values and goals. Some common objectives are to inform, reassure, apologize, educate, or persuade your audiences. You should also consider how you want to position your organization in relation to the crisis, such as being proactive, responsive, or transparent.

4 Choose your channels

The next step is to decide how you will deliver your messages to your audiences. You should use the channels that are most appropriate, accessible, and effective for each audience segment. You may use a combination of internal and external channels, such as emails, newsletters, intranet, social media, websites, press releases, or interviews. You should also monitor the feedback and reactions that you receive from your channels and adjust your communication accordingly.

5 Coordinate your team

The final step is to coordinate your crisis communication team and assign roles and responsibilities. You should have a clear leader who can oversee the strategy and execution of the communication plan. You should also have a spokesperson who can represent your organization and speak to the media and the public. You should also have a support team who can assist with research, writing, editing, design, distribution, and evaluation of your communication materials.

6 Evaluate your results

The last step is to evaluate the results of your crisis communication plan and measure its effectiveness. You should use both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess how well you achieved your objectives and reached your audiences. You should also identify the strengths and weaknesses of your communication plan and learn from your mistakes and successes. You should also document your findings and recommendations for future improvement.