Effective employee communication is always important, but in a crisis it’s critical.
During the recent lockdown, our business had its employee communications tested, so let’s all share what worked, and why.
Here’s what we did at Southern Cross, and our best tips for connecting with employees during a crisis.
Engaging your team during a crisis is critical to:
It is also an investment in your recovery. After the GFC in 2008:
“Companies with engaged workforces seemed to have an advantage in regaining and growing earnings-per-share at a faster rate than their industry equivalents.” 1
Consider possible scenarios you might face and write down:
People will seek information, and any news - true or false - will spread quickly thanks to social media. The World Health Organisation have even coined a term for this: an infodemic.2
So, create a single source of truth and keep it up-to-date.
Don’t leave your team in the dark. Talk to them as soon as possible and deliver a clear, honest message:
Here’s the emergency text we sent our people on Sunday 22 March:
Hi team - Apologies for the Sunday interruption. Due to an updated position from the NZ Government and our desire to keep our people safe & healthy please note: **If you are able to, and want to, work from home on Monday please do so. **If you are a vulnerable person (aged 70+ or with an underlying health condition, immune-compromised or pre-existing conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes or hypertension) please work from home, or stay at home on Monday if you are unable to work and we will be in touch. **From Monday physical distancing protocols will apply in all offices. Full details of changes to our current response plan have been emailed to you, please read as soon as you can access your emails. Our Silver CMT [crisis management team] is working today to refine our plans further and you can expect to hear from your People Leader before work commences on Monday morning. Have a great rest of the weekend. Vicki.
Be clear with the facts, but show empathy while you deliver them:
According to American Professors Jacqueline and Milton Mayfield, who have modelled effective leadership communication, there are three characteristics that matter: "Direction-giving", "Meaning-making" and "Empathy". While most leaders are great at the first, many neglect the other two.3
Vicki’s daily updates were candid and focused on employee concerns with headlines like:
Talk to your team regularly and keep them up-to-date. Your presence alone says: "You're important, and I'm here for you."
People will have lots of questions or constructive suggestions, so give them an on-going opportunity to provide feedback:
We ran weekly pulse check surveys to assess people’s wellbeing during the lockdown, including asking about people’s home workplace set up.
Finally, remember, there will be moments of light, and there will be people who step up and shine. Make sure you take time to celebrate these and share positive stories and a few laughs at the right time.
At Southern Cross, our ‘values cards’ were shared in record number. We use these to recognise each other for living our values. They acknowledge the individual acts of kindness, teamwork and resilience.
What worked for you? What unique challenges did you face? We’d love to hear, and you can contact us via LinkedIn or call your Southern Cross Account Manager.
Effective employee communication is always important, but in a crisis it’s critical.
During the recent lockdown, our business had its employee communications tested, so let’s all share what worked, and why.
Here’s what we did at Southern Cross, and our best tips for connecting with employees during a crisis.
Engaging your team during a crisis is critical to:
It is also an investment in your recovery. After the GFC in 2008:
“Companies with engaged workforces seemed to have an advantage in regaining and growing earnings-per-share at a faster rate than their industry equivalents.” 1
Consider possible scenarios you might face and write down:
People will seek information, and any news - true or false - will spread quickly thanks to social media. The World Health Organisation have even coined a term for this: an infodemic.2
So, create a single source of truth and keep it up-to-date.
Don’t leave your team in the dark. Talk to them as soon as possible and deliver a clear, honest message:
Here’s the emergency text we sent our people on Sunday 22 March:
Hi team - Apologies for the Sunday interruption. Due to an updated position from the NZ Government and our desire to keep our people safe & healthy please note: **If you are able to, and want to, work from home on Monday please do so. **If you are a vulnerable person (aged 70+ or with an underlying health condition, immune-compromised or pre-existing conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes or hypertension) please work from home, or stay at home on Monday if you are unable to work and we will be in touch. **From Monday physical distancing protocols will apply in all offices. Full details of changes to our current response plan have been emailed to you, please read as soon as you can access your emails. Our Silver CMT [crisis management team] is working today to refine our plans further and you can expect to hear from your People Leader before work commences on Monday morning. Have a great rest of the weekend. Vicki.
Be clear with the facts, but show empathy while you deliver them:
According to American Professors Jacqueline and Milton Mayfield, who have modelled effective leadership communication, there are three characteristics that matter: "Direction-giving", "Meaning-making" and "Empathy". While most leaders are great at the first, many neglect the other two.3
Vicki’s daily updates were candid and focused on employee concerns with headlines like:
Talk to your team regularly and keep them up-to-date. Your presence alone says: "You're important, and I'm here for you."
People will have lots of questions or constructive suggestions, so give them an on-going opportunity to provide feedback:
We ran weekly pulse check surveys to assess people’s wellbeing during the lockdown, including asking about people’s home workplace set up.
Finally, remember, there will be moments of light, and there will be people who step up and shine. Make sure you take time to celebrate these and share positive stories and a few laughs at the right time.
At Southern Cross, our ‘values cards’ were shared in record number. We use these to recognise each other for living our values. They acknowledge the individual acts of kindness, teamwork and resilience.
What worked for you? What unique challenges did you face? We’d love to hear, and you can contact us via LinkedIn or call your Southern Cross Account Manager.
Effective employee communication is always important, but in a crisis it’s critical.
During the recent lockdown, our business had its employee communications tested, so let’s all share what worked, and why.
Here’s what we did at Southern Cross, and our best tips for connecting with employees during a crisis.
Engaging your team during a crisis is critical to:
It is also an investment in your recovery. After the GFC in 2008:
“Companies with engaged workforces seemed to have an advantage in regaining and growing earnings-per-share at a faster rate than their industry equivalents.” 1
Consider possible scenarios you might face and write down:
People will seek information, and any news - true or false - will spread quickly thanks to social media. The World Health Organisation have even coined a term for this: an infodemic.2
So, create a single source of truth and keep it up-to-date.
Don’t leave your team in the dark. Talk to them as soon as possible and deliver a clear, honest message:
Here’s the emergency text we sent our people on Sunday 22 March:
Hi team - Apologies for the Sunday interruption. Due to an updated position from the NZ Government and our desire to keep our people safe & healthy please note: **If you are able to, and want to, work from home on Monday please do so. **If you are a vulnerable person (aged 70+ or with an underlying health condition, immune-compromised or pre-existing conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes or hypertension) please work from home, or stay at home on Monday if you are unable to work and we will be in touch. **From Monday physical distancing protocols will apply in all offices. Full details of changes to our current response plan have been emailed to you, please read as soon as you can access your emails. Our Silver CMT [crisis management team] is working today to refine our plans further and you can expect to hear from your People Leader before work commences on Monday morning. Have a great rest of the weekend. Vicki.
Be clear with the facts, but show empathy while you deliver them:
According to American Professors Jacqueline and Milton Mayfield, who have modelled effective leadership communication, there are three characteristics that matter: "Direction-giving", "Meaning-making" and "Empathy". While most leaders are great at the first, many neglect the other two.3
Vicki’s daily updates were candid and focused on employee concerns with headlines like:
Talk to your team regularly and keep them up-to-date. Your presence alone says: "You're important, and I'm here for you."
People will have lots of questions or constructive suggestions, so give them an on-going opportunity to provide feedback:
We ran weekly pulse check surveys to assess people’s wellbeing during the lockdown, including asking about people’s home workplace set up.
Finally, remember, there will be moments of light, and there will be people who step up and shine. Make sure you take time to celebrate these and share positive stories and a few laughs at the right time.
At Southern Cross, our ‘values cards’ were shared in record number. We use these to recognise each other for living our values. They acknowledge the individual acts of kindness, teamwork and resilience.
What worked for you? What unique challenges did you face? We’d love to hear, and you can contact us via LinkedIn or call your Southern Cross Account Manager.
Effective employee communication is always important, but in a crisis it’s critical.
During the recent lockdown, our business had its employee communications tested, so let’s all share what worked, and why.
Here’s what we did at Southern Cross, and our best tips for connecting with employees during a crisis.
Engaging your team during a crisis is critical to:
It is also an investment in your recovery. After the GFC in 2008:
“Companies with engaged workforces seemed to have an advantage in regaining and growing earnings-per-share at a faster rate than their industry equivalents.” 1
Consider possible scenarios you might face and write down:
People will seek information, and any news - true or false - will spread quickly thanks to social media. The World Health Organisation have even coined a term for this: an infodemic.2
So, create a single source of truth and keep it up-to-date.
Don’t leave your team in the dark. Talk to them as soon as possible and deliver a clear, honest message:
Here’s the emergency text we sent our people on Sunday 22 March:
Hi team - Apologies for the Sunday interruption. Due to an updated position from the NZ Government and our desire to keep our people safe & healthy please note: **If you are able to, and want to, work from home on Monday please do so. **If you are a vulnerable person (aged 70+ or with an underlying health condition, immune-compromised or pre-existing conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes or hypertension) please work from home, or stay at home on Monday if you are unable to work and we will be in touch. **From Monday physical distancing protocols will apply in all offices. Full details of changes to our current response plan have been emailed to you, please read as soon as you can access your emails. Our Silver CMT [crisis management team] is working today to refine our plans further and you can expect to hear from your People Leader before work commences on Monday morning. Have a great rest of the weekend. Vicki.
Be clear with the facts, but show empathy while you deliver them:
According to American Professors Jacqueline and Milton Mayfield, who have modelled effective leadership communication, there are three characteristics that matter: "Direction-giving", "Meaning-making" and "Empathy". While most leaders are great at the first, many neglect the other two.3
Vicki’s daily updates were candid and focused on employee concerns with headlines like:
Talk to your team regularly and keep them up-to-date. Your presence alone says: "You're important, and I'm here for you."
People will have lots of questions or constructive suggestions, so give them an on-going opportunity to provide feedback:
We ran weekly pulse check surveys to assess people’s wellbeing during the lockdown, including asking about people’s home workplace set up.
Finally, remember, there will be moments of light, and there will be people who step up and shine. Make sure you take time to celebrate these and share positive stories and a few laughs at the right time.
At Southern Cross, our ‘values cards’ were shared in record number. We use these to recognise each other for living our values. They acknowledge the individual acts of kindness, teamwork and resilience.
What worked for you? What unique challenges did you face? We’d love to hear, and you can contact us via LinkedIn or call your Southern Cross Account Manager.