Introduction
Communication during a crisis can have significant benefits for an organization. Creating effective mechanisms that enable employees to communicate easily can enhance the response time during a crisis. Failure to create effective strategies for communication can affect the organization in different ways. Employees may fail to respond to a situation due to a lack of clear information. Technology can enhance communication mechanisms and reduce the effects of a lack of communication in times of crisis (MacKay et al., 2022). The solutions will be based on studies that used different research designs to analyze communication during a crisis. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research have varying advantages and disadvantages (Kumar, 2019). This essay will address the problem of ineffective communication during a crisis and propose strategies to address the issue.
Problem/Situation
During the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the information available in the public domain would have led to confusion. Having been in the hospitality industry during the start of the pandemic, the effects were significant. The organization was required to provide credible and clear information to employees to prevent panic. However, the management team disagreed on how to handle the emerging crisis. Some members were of the view that the organization should wait for further direction from the government before implementing the safety measures at the workplace. The challenge for the management team was compounded by the presence of fake news from different sources on the internet. The message board in the employee’s portal contained multiple requests from workers on what measures the company was taking. Another issue that created a significant issue was the announcement that lockdowns would be implemented to stem the spread of the virus.
The employees were concerned that they would lose their jobs as a result of lockdowns. The management did not respond to the messages on time, which increased panic. The reason for the delayed response was the lack of a mechanism to address such a situation. As a result, employees developed a negative attitude toward the management. This led to workers preferring to listen to information from other parties. The confusion was further advanced by the different perspectives that were being promoted. It was clear to the management that they had lost an opportunity to develop trust. The process of communicating with the employees and providing clarity on the virus was not appropriately carried out. The information that was provided to employees was disregarded in favor of government information. This resulted in a decline in productivity at the workplace and prevented the organization from creating effective ways to communicate the necessary information to workers.
Analysis
The case study above shows that there was ineffective communication during the Covid-19 pandemic at the organization. The employees expected their issues to be addressed promptly, which led to the development of distrust after the delay in response. The management was required to issue directives to employees that would enhance service delivery at the organization. However, due to the lack of a proper mechanism to address such a crisis, the administration failed in providing clarity. This led to a decline in sales and a high attrition rate in the months that followed. Provision of clear information can prevent the development of panic during a crisis (Kim & Kreps, 2020). Changes in attitude can also affect the motivation and productivity of employees.
The management could have relied on the employee portal to provide information to the workers. A combination of formal communication and colleague support can reduce the uncertainties created by a crisis (Charoensukmongkol & Phungsoonthorn, 2022). Health crises require effective communication to enhance preparedness and prevent casualties (Kim & Kreps, 2020). Delivering serious news to employees during a crisis requires the application of the guiding principles of compassion and empathy (Back et al., 2020). Clear communication can also result in higher adherence to the measures implemented by the organization. Risk communication involves providing people with key information briefly and concisely (MacKay et al., 2022). In the above case study, the management disagreed on the way to respond, which shows a lack of proper mechanisms to address a crisis. The following section will address the strategies that the organization can adopt to enhance communication during a crisis.
Ways to Solve the Problem
Crisis Communication Protocol
The stated problem involves the issue of ineffective communication during a crisis. organizations can be engulfed in different types of crises, which may derail their progress. Studies have shown that having a clear mechanism on how to communicate during a crisis can prevent organizations from the effects of the disaster. One of the ways to solve the problem of ineffective communication in the organization is to create a crisis communication protocol that the management should follow during an emergency. The document should address the information flow from different departments and the responsibilities of each section. MacKay et al. (2022) note that clear communication can foster trust during a crisis. The aim is to ensure that when a crisis occurs all the employees will be aware of what they need to do.
The above case study shows that a lack of trust between the management and the employees can result in crisis communication being less ineffective. This can result in the workers disregarding the information sent by the management. Charoensukmongkol & Phungsoonthorn (2022) indicates that social support from colleagues during a crisis can help employees deal with uncertainties brought about by the crisis. In the case study, the employees were unsure of whether they would lose their jobs due to the reduction in the number of customers. In addition, the workers were frustrated with the lack of clear information on the strategies the company is taking to protect the business and its employees. This indicates that crisis information protocol has to also include timelines for communicating with employees. The aspect of social support indicates that colleagues can also form an integral part of enhancing the spread of credible information during a crisis (Charoensukmongkol & Phungsoonthorn, 2022). The aim is to create a workplace where people understand the process of addressing a crisis. This will ensure that the activities will be coordinated, which will save time.
Leverage Technology
Another way that the organization can use to enhance communication during a crisis is to leverage technology. In the current era, the number of people on social media platforms has increased steadily. This has resulted in social media platforms becoming central areas to share crucial information. Organizations can leverage technology and create mechanisms that can help important information to be shared with stakeholders without delays. During a crisis, social media can be used to provide strategies that employees can adopt. MacKay et al. (2022) note that communication from people or entities considered to be credible can have a positive impact during a crisis. Employees view organizations as credible due to the relationship they have cultivated with colleagues. This indicates that companies can use social media platforms to share crucial messages with their stakeholders during a crisis. Such a move can have a positive effect on the share price as the market may view the organization as having a plan even with an impending crisis. Therefore, social media platforms can be used to transmit credible information to stakeholders during a crisis.
Another way to leverage technology is to create a message board that is responsive and contains up-to-date information. One of the main issues in the case study was a lack of current information from the message board. The communication from the management has to be consistent with the way a crisis is developing. Providing people with credible and up-to-date information can prevent losses (Kim & Kreps, 2020). In the case study, the company ought to have kept in touch with the employees through communication that was focused on how to be safe both at the workplace and at home. This could have prevented the high attrition rate in the month that followed the start of the crisis. The aim of providing clear information is to ensure that employees develop an attitude of trust as it ensures that people can cooperate easily.
The company should also have communicated the measures that will be adopted at the workplace. This is essential as it would have prevented the development of anxieties and a loss of trust. The aim of using technology is to ensure that people have access to current information. This can increase transparency and create a culture of trust. Message boards are important to organizations as they are a central place where information can be shared. These platforms can be entrenched on the employee’s portal to ensure that all individuals have access to the information. Direct communication channels are important as they help the management listen to the needs, questions, and feedback of the employees (Kim & Kreps, 2020). The message board can be used as a way to directly address the issues raised by the workers. This can help reduce anxieties and enhance the workplace environment.
Another aspect is that the organization should create strong and trusted relationships with other stakeholders to increase coordination. The company may have benefited from having strong relations with entities that deal with health issues. Consulting firms who are knowledgeable on an issue can create synergy when executing the response plan. The management in the case study disagreed on the way to handle the issue, which resulted in a loss of trust. Kim & Kreps (2020) show that creating strong relations between entities and sharing information can ensure a better response during a health crisis. These findings can be used to solve the issue of ineffective communication during a crisis. The objective is to ensure that the management can identify risks and create measures that can lessen the effects. The organization can also actively respond to messages raised by employees. This can be questioned on the measures that the organization will implement and the expected changes. The company has to take responsibility and ensure that there is clear communication. This can help employees develop trust, which can influence the way they respond. Therefore, technology is an essential tool that the organization can leverage to prevent the occurrence of such a situation in the future.
Clear Communication
Another important strategy that the organization can adopt to solve the issue of ineffective communication is to create centralized information management. This can help the management to filter inaccurate information and provide the workers with credible and accurate information. The case study shows that the management was not aware of the need to provide information to employees. The delayed response resulted in a loss of trust, which led to a reduction in productivity. Workers will be highly motivated if they feel their employer has the highest regard for their safety and protection (Kim & Kreps, 2020). This means that employers can display their support by providing clear and accurate information. Centralized information management can help weed out information that creates divisions in the workplace. Messages that discriminate against minority groups should not be shared as this can affect the workplace environment. Toxic workplaces are less productive and experience high attrition rates.
Centralized information management is important due to the increase in fake information. People with bad intentions can create messages that can increase the risks for the organization and its employees. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a lot of fake news that impacted the mitigation strategies that various countries adopted. The differences in opinions played out in the public as individuals adopted a perspective that represented their political affiliations. This shows that ensuring that employees access credible and factual information can enhance trust (Back et al., 2020). Therefore, clear communication through centralized information management can help the organization prevent the issue of ineffective communication during a crisis.
Guiding Principles
Communication guiding principles are the ideas that people should adhere to when sending a message to a group of people. MacKay et al. (2022) indicate that using the guiding principles consistently when addressing the public can improve message engagement. One of the guiding principles that can be adopted is comprehensiveness, which states that the message should be complete. Another essential principle is the concept of clarity, which involves providing clear information. This means that people should not misinterpret the message as doing so would mean the information is not clear. Another principle is coherency and transparency, which deals with the provision of messages that are easy to understand and, contain factual information (Back et al., 2020). The organization should also be guided by the principle of the importance of feedback. There is a need to understand the views of the intended audience. The response can be crucial in enhancing the plan that the organization has adopted.
Another aspect is the principle of call to action, which emphasizes the need for people to do their part during a crisis. This can be used as a way to energize and motivate the employees to keep being productive. Messages that focus on health crises should adopt the principles of compassion and empathy and transparency. MacKay et al. (2022) indicate that information from official entities should adopt the guiding principles as the public has placed significant trust in the information shared by such sources. Therefore, the guiding principles can be used by the organization to create better communication strategies.
Conclusion
In summary, the issue of ineffective communication during a crisis can have devastating effects on any organization. Loss of trust and high attrition rates are some of the problems that may arise. Leveraging technology can be one of the effective ways to enhance communication during a crisis. The organization can also adopt centralized information management to ensure clarity. Another strategy is to develop a communication protocol that observes relevant guiding principles. The company should also ensure there are direct communication channels that enhance information sharing at the workplace.
References
Back, A., Tulsky, J. A., & Arnold, R. M. (2020). Communication skills in the age of COVID-19. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(11), 759-760. Web.
Charoensukmongkol, P., & Phungsoonthorn, T. (2022). The interaction effect of crisis communication and social support on the emotional exhaustion of university employees during the COVID-19 crisis. International Journal of Business Communication, 59(2), 269-286. Web.
Kim, D. K. D., & Kreps, G. L. (2020). An analysis of government communication in the United States during the COVID‐19 pandemic: recommendations for effective government health risk communication. World Medical & Health Policy, 12(4), 398-412.
Kumar, R. (2019). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners (5th ed.). Sage.
MacKay, M., Cimino, A., Yousefinaghani, S., McWhirter, J. E., Dara, R., & Papadopoulos, A. (2022). Canadian COVID-19 crisis communication on Twitter: mixed methods research examining tweets from government, politicians, and public health for crisis communication guiding principles and tweet engagement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6954. Web.