Finding some certainty in uncertain times
One of the most important things during a crisis is to have transparency. Organisations that are seen to be open, sharing and working with those who are affected will gain public confidence and support. As communicators we should be pushing those leading the crisis response and asking them why they are not releasing information, or why certain information is being used. It is one of the key roles communicators have to help bridge the gap between the business and the public.
The UK Government used incorrect information in a major announcement about the second lockdown. Behind the scenes the information was corrected which has added to the concerns about the situation. It will be interesting to see whether it has a negative impact on public confidence and whether there is further scrutiny of statistics and charts that are used. You can read the detail here.
Wellbeing and Crisis Communication
One of my priorities is to ensure people consider the physical, psychological and emotional impacts of a crisis. It is so important to help people through the most challenging times in their lives. I devote a whole chapter to the role of wellbeing to the response and communication activity in my book Crisis Communication Strategies. I talk a little bit more about it in this article for publisher Kogan Page. Read the article here.
Winter Coaching Support
Communicators are facing a tough winter with additional pressures, uncertain roles and Covid-19 communication on top of a whole range of other priorities. If you feel that you could benefit from some coaching support on risk, resilience, response, or recovery then just get in touch. More details here.
Testing Times
The November edition of my crisis communication case study was published this week. This time it was about an animal feed contamination issue and highlights a lot of positive work to communicate what happened. Read a copy of Testing Times here.
In Brief
New President of the International Public Relations Association - Congratulations to emergency risk and crisis communication specialist Philippe Borremans who has been appointed as President of the IPRA. He has extensive experience including in pandemic communication and his expertise is much needed at the moment. Find out more here.
UN highlights importance of continuous risk assessment and preparedness on World Tsunami Awareness Day on 5 November. Read about it here.
The UK Office for National Statistics has released date on the social impacts of Covid-19 including where people are accessing information. Read the report findings here.