BUSINESSMANAGEMENTREVIEW.COMDECEMBER 2024193. DEVELOP A COMMUNICATION CADENCEThere might be multiple communication audiences and so you will need to manage employees, shareholders, customers, vendors, the press, government agencies, et al. Assign this work to the best qualified your seasoned "Communications Team" not willing volunteers. Provide strict guidance on corporate internal and external communications and do not permit leaders to freewheel, craft, and communicate their messages to stakeholders. All messaging must be controlled, unified and well-coordinated. Any communication missteps can have dire consequences. Two-Way Communication Channel Ensure there is a two- way communication channel and loop that addresses concerns for all your stakeholders. It is crucial that company messaging on websites should be updated daily as stakeholders take notice of communication channels for critical updates. · Publish stakeholder questions, statuses on open issues, and resolutions.· Be transparent, open, and honest. There are very few experts on how to handle a pandemic. It's okay to say, "This is new for all of us, and we are figuring it out together."4. BE VISIBLE, AND MANDATE YOUR TEAM DOES THE SAME:Your employees and stakeholders need to know that you are fully present and in charge, and not the wizard behind the curtain pulling all the levers. Being visible means, frequent video, and written communication with status updates on the most important aspects of the business. Equipping your leaders with talking points and FAQs so they are prepared to answer questions from all directions. Most importantly, let all communications show EMPATHY! Let your employees and stakeholders know you care.5. THINK INNOVATIVELY:Unprecedented times calls for unprecedented actions. Most organizations' pre-COVID-19 policies, practices, and organizational bureaucratic sacred cows will prove fruitless given the immediacy of actions. These items should be pressure tested and removed if they are opposite actions to meet business and stakeholders needs. Organizations are finding innovative ways to manage their business that would not have been considered pre-COVID-19. Work from Home (WFH) is such an example, which was viewed as an unnecessary luxury for employees by many managers. But now they see the value and necessity of a distributive workforce with very few hits to productivity and collaboration.So does success in a crisis depend on preparation or leadership? What is critical is how you show-up as a leader and execute in a crisis. AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE PREPAREDNESS OF ORGANIZATIONS TO SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE AND NAVIGATE THE ORGANIZATION THROUGH THIS CRISIS WITH A SOLID LEADERSHIP IS PIVOTAL
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