A crisis like the one caused by the coronavirus outbreak calls forth the best qualities in leaders. Among those qualities, one of the most important is the ability to communicate effectively.
Communicate Frequently
Make sure to establish constant communication with your team during a crisis. Different people may need to hear the same message delivered in different ways in order to really assimilate it. Your job is reminding your employees that you are there for them while helping them adopt an optimist mindset. You can do this following these guidelines:
- Talk calmly about the situation
- Be supportive and engage them in finding solutions
- Call out triumphs, even when they are small
- Remind them of other occasions in the past where they have overcome challenges.
Be Predictable in Your Communication
A crisis is chaotic by definition, so making your communications predictable offers a welcome change to your team. Set up a daily check-in with your employees at a predetermined time and make it part of your daily routine. Too many messages sent at different times of the day may contribute to feelings of exhaustion and burnout. Resort to “emergency communications” only if there is essential information your team must act on right away.
Be Transparent
Offer clear and reasonable explanations about procedures and decisions. At the same time, ensure that your team gets all the information that may be relevant to them. Don’t forget that being transparent also means encouraging honest feedback from your team and listening to them with an open mind. Transparent communication goes a long way toward reducing tension and allowing your employees to focus when they need it most.
Take Care of Yourself
In addition to guiding your team, you probably are also offering support to family and friends. While this speaks volumes about your character, it’s important that you take care of yourself as well. If you burn the candle at both ends, you’ll end up feeling depleted and unable to offer help. Ask yourself constantly “Am I meeting my own needs?” Set aside time every day to relax without having to think of news or work-related matters and don’t forget of the basics: Drink water, get between seven and eight hours of sleep every night, and eat nutritious meals.
More Resources to Navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic
We have covered extensively the way in which the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting businesses. Below you will find some posts you may find useful as you manage through this unprecedented situation.
- The pandemic has exposed how easy is to interrupt supply chains. Here’s how to make them more resilient.
- Maintaining a strong business culture is one of the greatest challenges for business during this time.
- These are some common coronavirus scams you should be aware of.
- Take advantage of these tips to deal with coronavirus-related stress.
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