One way to ensure we integrate rituals into our routines is by starting every communication with the “why.” We communicate by first asking, why should anyone care about what I am saying? People care when they see that the message has a direct relationship to how they feel and what they are experiencing. It’s less about what senior leaders want to say, but more about what they decide to say to help others manage their work in meaningful ways.

Communication Routines, Rituals and Tools

One of the most important things to remember is that communication is all about people. We can’t achieve the results we desire without people doing the right work for the right reasons. During a crisis it’s easy to forget about our people because we’re so focused on the jobs needing attention to move us out of a crisis. The only way we will shift from the current state to a better one is when our people are working side-by-side with us, doing so with energy and meaning, and feeling cared for as they make sacrifices in their daily work and in many instances, their personal lives.

We focus on several communication tactics and tools that provide routines for leaders to deploy to reduce anxieties and revitalize the workforce. Remember, the best communication approaches need integration of rituals in our routines. Communicating why we are doing what we are doing connected to what we are doing and how to do it are some of the most important things for leaders to do to manage a crisis.  As the tactics and tools are described, I hope you open your hearts and minds to blend routines and rituals. Why? To give people an inspiring purpose knowing they are making a difference as well as getting people to the other side of a crisis.

Executive Leader Daily Communication Virtual Broadcasts and Recordings – 10 Minutes a Day

Depending on the size of the organization, the Executive Leader may not have direct contact with all employees. For smaller organizations executive leaders may run daily huddles. Therefore, the daily communication may not be as significant in this case.

For larger and layered organizations, executive leader virtual broadcasts are vital. The more severe the crisis the more virtual broadcasts are needed. Daily executive leader virtual broadcasts are helpful when the crisis is affecting the workforce in significant ways. Create the content of the video with a “people first” attitude. We can’t manage the current situation in a productive way without them.

Also, select the time of day to do a virtual broadcast. For some organizations, it may work best to do at the same time each day. For 24-hour organizations, it makes sense to produce some virtual broadcasts during the day, some during the evening, and some on weekends. Regardless of the scheduled time, record the virtual broadcast and send to all employees.

Here are several suggestions when scheduling executive leaders’ virtual broadcasts:

• Be Authentic. Authenticity is basic to connecting with another human being. Authenticity is known as believability. Becoming an authentic leader is not necessarily easy, but the concept is simple. When we are authentic, those we lead are more likely to believe us and comply with our requests. It’s difficult to lead others when people don’t see authenticity in our message. Authenticity creates followers. Being authentic depends on what’s behind what we say and do.
• Tell the Truth and Instill Confidence. People would rather hear the truth that includes bad news rather than work with uncertainty about what’s going on. Apply what Jim Collins calls confronting the brutal facts. He found that the best CEOs realized that productive change begins when they work with people to confront the brutal facts. The best CEOs also maintained an unwavering faith that as an organization we can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties; and at the same time, have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of our current reality, whatever they might be.
• Use what we call, Key Words at Key Times. How words are spoken has the greatest influence on what people believe. People see leaders as credible and reliable during a crisis when the message focuses on outcomes, provides good direction, and includes the right words. People want to trust that their leader is taking the right actions to manage the crisis that serves people well – employees and consumers.
• Recognize people for good work. Whenever we see someone on our team do something well that had a tremendous impact on others and the organization, stop for a minute and highlight it. Say to that person – “Yes, what you did right there, that is excellent.” And, then share the specific examples with others on the executive daily virtual broadcast to harvest wins. People will feel proud and revitalized, even in times when they are experiencing tremendous stress.

SAMPLE VIRTUAL BROADCAST OUTLINE

One-on-One Connections with People

Never underestimate the difference we can make in others’ lives when we truly listen. When people are working and living through a crisis, they are fearful for themselves and others. Intentionally connecting with people in one-on-one situations shows that we are genuinely concerned for others and care for their well-being. It’s more important than ever that we as leaders show this care and concern to our employees.

Here are several suggestions for making one-on-one connections.

When we are connecting with employees, it’s important to use a method that allows us to see each other so that we can have a two-way interactive conversation. We can interact face-to-face using virtual technologies, such as Zoom, Skype, and so on.  Let’s stay away from email or text when we make these one-on-one connections.  As we engage with each other consider the following suggestions.

• Let employees know we recognize the work situation is different and that leaders are supportive of helping employees make the needed adjustments. Also, let them know that we need to count on them to help work on the crisis at hand.
• Apply a tactic called leader rounding. It’s where leaders connect with their direct reports on an individual level. By doing so, we:
  • Express concern for employees and their families.
  • Let them know that we recognize work is different than it’s been for our team.
  • Reassure them that we are better working together as a team.
• Pay ridiculous attention to what employees are telling us. Our job as leaders is to probe for deeper understanding and give individuals an opportunity to talk through areas that they are proud of and anxieties they feel. Respond directly to what they are telling us.

Here’s the sample leader rounding process using these suggestions:

We recommend that executive leaders require other organizational leaders to round with their direct reports, especially the employees who are on the front line of the crisis. It’s also important for senior leaders to round on the leaders of frontline employees. There are many situations that take our time when we are in a crisis. It’s easy to justify that we are too busy to make personal connections with our employees. Let’s remember we can’t manage the crisis well without people being at their best. Taking care of them is one of our highest priorities. It’s also the right thing to do.

When connecting with our direct reports, we ask: 1) how they are doing, 2) what is working, 3) what they are afraid of, 4) what we can do to help, 5) if someone has been especially helpful to them.

We end with expressing our gratitude for them being part of our team.

After our rounding connection, we follow-up using a 3-2-1 Reflection Tool. For area 3 – record areas that are working well and capture wins to share with others. For area 2 – record actions to follow-up on when you hear barriers that are getting in the way.  For area 1 – complete action steps that include how to solve issues and how to recognize people. Then, take action!

3-2-1 REFLECTION TOOL

Key Words at Key Times

When we communicate a message to others, we are doing so to achieve a particular outcome. Therefore, as we determine how to create our message, we first determine the outcome we are trying to achieve. Also, we write our message understanding that people are more likely to listen to the message when they see how it relates to them and what they do. Finally, the words we choose in our message influence whether people act on what we relay in our message. We want to choose the right words to achieve the desired results.  Doing so is more important than ever during a crisis. In some instances, it’s the difference between life and death.

Suggestions for using key words at key times to communicate:

• Always start with “why” for any action we are asking others to do. Sometimes in a crisis we need to give direct orders and actions.  Starting with “why” helps people understand the relevance of the action we are asking them to do. We expect people to do what we tell them to do to manage a crisis.  We also owe people an approach that is respectable and caring.