How to Communicate During a Crisis at Work

Whether it's a natural disaster or an internal problem, tensions mount and confusion reigns when there's a crisis at work. Here's how to make way for clear communication.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Electronic Personal Organizers
• Notebooks
• Personal Organizers
• Microsoft Outlook
• Notebooks

1. Plan in advance. Sit down with your management team ahead of time and consider possible scenarios and how you would manage them.

2. Decide ahead of time who will be responsible for what in different situations.

3. Don't panic. If caught off-guard by a business crisis, such as bankruptcy, an industrial accident or bad press, meet with your management team and consider a response.

4. Choose a meeting place and decide upon a chain of command in case of an emergency evacuation. Make sure employees know about it.

5. Consider what to do if the phone and other communications systems break down.

6. Delegate. You will be able to do more if more than one person is dealing with the problem.

7. Don't lie. While you may not be able to give direct answers to all questions, actual lying increases tensions and alienates employees. If necessary, just tell your employees, "I can't answer that right now."

Tips & Warnings

• Pay attention to the level of your voice during a tense situation. Staying calm and speaking in a moderate tone of voice will help keep employees from panicking.
• Remember, you are legally obliged to give warning of certain kinds of crises, such as layoffs.

Who Can Help:

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