As you navigate through this almost unimaginable situation, it can at times be
overwhelming. Your job as leaders is to calm ourselves the best we can and help
our teams through this challenge. It’s keenly important that we communicate calmly,
confidently and clearly – we must work to engender and strengthen trust.
That said, communicating in times like these can be hard. When it’s time, whether with
a group or one on one, start the conversation with a deep breath and give yourself a
minute to collect your thoughts. Think about how you want to project yourself and the
impact you want to have on your team. The following tips can help you communicate
effectively and create and deliver a message that will reassure your team in this time of
uncertainty.
1. Center yourself and stay grounded when communicating with your team.
TIP: Before you begin, simply take a minute to pause and breathe – envision how you want to project yourself and stay focused and calm.
2. Think about your audience; what are their concerns, interests and immediate needs?
TIP: Use language such as “I know many of you may be thinking…” to quickly address what’s on their mind and work towards open and honest communication which will help with keeping things calm.
3. Distill the information into a clear, concise and accurate message.
TIP: Educate yourself fully on a topic; however, if you don’t know the answer, say so and commit to finding out and following up – misinformation can create confusion, break down trust and add to the stress.
4. Communicate frequently and with confidence.
TIP: Communicate often with your team, even without news to report; reassure them that you are actively following the issue(s).
5. Get specific about next steps.
TIP: Provide your team with tangible action items; recommend next steps to give them a sense of control and keep them busy and productive.
Interested in learning more on this topic? Read more about how to reassure your team
HERE.
Katya London is an HR professional with over 15 years of experience.
