AUTHENTICVOICE

Finally comes the most nuanced: crisis, which is similar to contextual but requires an immediate response. Examples include Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling, the murder of George Floyd, the Uvalde school shooting, the war in Ukraine, and the COVID pandemic. These communications are the most challenging because they need to go out quickly (ideally within 24 hours) and pose the most significant risk of polarization. They may also require an ongoing cadence of communications to be most effective.

Diversity of perspectives defines us

Our global workforce holds ideologies ranging from “conservative” to “progressive” and every nuance in between. It’s what makes us diverse, inclusive, and dynamic.

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It also makes it critical for us, and other companies, to focus on highly thoughtful internal communications. You’re right to be concerned about facing backlash from employees (and potential customers and the public) for being too bold in your statements — or not bold enough.

Whether your company has 10,000 employees or only ten, your voice will never represent the views and desires of everyone nor is that the point. Your messages should represent the publicly stated values of the company. Don’t become paralyzed trying to craft a message that will please everyone, or worse, deliver a message that is off-brand and inauthentic.

Many companies are learning that criticism is unavoidable.