This document from Renoir Consulting discusses best practices for communication during times of crisis. It identifies three potential pressure points for leaders to consider: 1) Create feedback channels to address employee concerns and ideas; 2) Resist over-communicating by balancing communication without all the facts and adopting shorter, more frequent updates; 3) Remember to communicate outward to other industries to drive collaboration, as coming together will be important to recovering from the crisis. The document also stresses including a clear call to action in all crisis communications.

1. COMMUNICATIONS
IN TIMES OF CRISIS:L E A R N I N G S F R O M T H E F I E L D
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2. 3 POTENTIAL
PRESSURE POINTS
for leaders to look out for when developing
and executing its communication plan:
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3. 01 LISTEN FOR FEEDBACK
In times of uncertainty, great leaders rise up to provide much needed
structure. Even as employees are looking to their leaders to provide
guidance, do also CREATE A BACKWARD CHANNEL to surface and address
employee concerns, fears, and ideas.
TOP-DOWN COMMUNICATION
Maintains structure and function,
only in an orderly environment.
PURPOSE-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION
Encourages teamwork and
commitment towards a goal.
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4. Copyright (C) 2020 Renoir Consulting. All Rights Reserved.
02 RESIST OVER-COMMUNICATING
UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS
Things you didn’t know that
you don’t know.
KNOWN UNKNOWNS
Thing you don’t know.
KNOWNS
Thing you
know.
Rushing to communicate potentially contributes to the
confusion. Stay cognizant that there will be many “KNOWN
UNKNOWNS” and "UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS" in the days and
weeks ahead.
For a more effective communication in times of crisis:
I. BALANCE between communicating in advance of
having all of the facts, and being late to comment.
ii. Adopt a policy of SHORTER, more frequent communications
based on what you do know and filling in details later.

5. When the survival of a business is challenged, organisations could risk overly
focusing inward.
Stay mindful to reach out and communicate within and across industries, to drive
cross-company collaboration - because when we get out of this crisis stronger,
it's likely going to be as a result of coming together to leverage each other's
strengths and resources, rather than on pure internal resources and resilience.
03 REMEMBER TO LOOK OUTWARD
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6. BONUS POINT on communications during a crisis
ENSURE THAT A CLEAR, ACTIONABLE
AND CONVINCING BOTTOM LINE
GOES ALONG WITH EVERY MESSAGE.
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7. What other best practices have you
learned from other organisations, when it
comes to communicating during a crisis?
LET'S DISCUSS
IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW.
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