Communication in Uncertain Times
The world is a turbulent place: protective tariffs, wars and a weakening EU. Not an easy environment for Swiss SMEs. However, Tanja Kocher, owner of Holisticom and alumna of the CAS Board of Directors of Rochester-Bern, sees the digital transformation as the biggest challenge. “It takes flexibility, a spirit of innovation and, in many cases, a strategic realignment to remain successful in a rapidly changing economic environment,” she says. Other issues that Swiss companies are struggling with are: the shortage of skilled workers, supply chain disruptions, high prices and financial uncertainties.
How can companies communicate successfully in uncertain times? Kocher has many years of experience as a communications and marketing manager at the interface of business, politics and society, and in this article she provides an insight into how managers can navigate these times well. “Communication is always crucial to minimize uncertainty, but especially in turbulent times,” she says.
Principles for clarity and trust
Exactly how communication takes place varies from case to case. However, according to Kocher, there are a few principles that are essential in order to convey clarity and trust:
- Transparency: Companies must communicate openly about the challenges they are facing and explain the measures they are taking to address them.
- Responsibility: It is important to show that the impact of the challenges on employees, customers and society in general is taken seriously – and to live up to this.
- Future orientation: Communicating a positive vision for the future creates confidence. Companies should therefore set out in good times how they intend to adapt and grow in order to be successful even in uncertain times.
Specific communication tips
In addition to the principles, there are also a few more concrete do’s and don’ts that help managers to communicate as effectively as possible in uncertain times. Kocher advises the following points:
Create a crisis communication plan, not once the crisis has arrived, but in advance. “With a communication plan prepared before a crisis, it can be determined who is responsible and how, who communicates externally (and internally), which channels are used (and which may still need to be established),” says Kocher.
Every communication, especially in crises, needs a strategy in order to be able to act efficiently and effectively. It should answer the following questions, among others: Who is affected? How do I create or maintain the trust of my stakeholders? How can I prevent rumors and misinformation? What are the messages that should be communicated? At what cadence do I communicate with the stakeholders?
Ensure consistent messages. “Contradictory information undermines trust. Imagine one of your employees meets a customer at a barbecue and they don’t have the same information…”, says Kocher. Wording and a question/answer catalog help here. This not only prepares the right answers, but also draws attention to possible errors in decision-making or argumentation.
Make sure that you have access to communications expertise. Companies that lack internal communications expertise can buy it in externally. It is advisable for these companies to regularly exchange information with the external service provider before the crisis. This allows them to act quickly in difficult situations and, in the best case, anticipate crises together.
Last but not least: Good partnerships and support are the be-all and end-all in times of crisis. Companies that have good long-term interpersonal relationships in their environment are more credible and more likely to receive help. A company that does not have good relationships, however credibly it communicates in times of crisis, will not be considered as trustworthy as a company that has already invested in relationships.
What stands out in all these tips is that the basis for good communication in difficult times is laid in the “peaceful times”. “The better prepared a company is, the more resilient it is. This supports its reputation,” says Kocher.