Communications Take On Added Importance in Wake of COVID-19 and Civil Unrest
by Douglas H. Duerr
A
2020 Issue 2 |
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s I write this article in June 2020, employers throughout the United States are all struggling with how to work in a pandemic, with rules and regulations that seem to change just as soon as you learn them and that can differ from those in the next town, as well as how to respond to civil unrest seeking changes to end racial injustice. It can all seem overwhelming and as if there is no safe course of action, with every decision fraught with potential landmines from just some bad publicity to perhaps loss of life. Sometimes, it can even seem like a choice we make, or a word we choose, will be deemed a political statement when all you are trying to do is save your business. While I would like to tell you that this article will have all the answers, it will not. You can count on that at least. But it does contain reminders of employment principles that will hopefully get you through most of these turbulent times. As regular readers of this column will know, I place a strong emphasis on communicating with all employees, from the lowest to the highest. Generally, those prior columns have focused on communications for setting forth clear and consistent expectations and providing employees with feedback regarding
performance relative to those expectations. None of the current events change this fundamental principle of a good working environment that is less likely to result in a legal claim. However, while communications remain important, it is also necessary on the part of the communicator to be aware of the needs and wants of the target audience. While the communicator (i.e., you) need not agree with those needs and wants, it is important to be sensitive to them when communicating expectations and providing feedback. For example, simply acknowledging the fears and concerns of employees as they themselves navigate through the pandemic and the unrest can go a long way toward diffusing a potentially confrontational situation if the expectation or feedback is “bad news� to the employee. We all get bad news of one form or another during the week, and the way in which it is delivered makes a world of difference. Keep that in mind as you communicate with employees, and do not hesitate to overcommunicate not only your expectations but also how things are going for the business and what your plans are for keeping the business going.
