What you say and how you say it matters; that’s critically true during crises. Right now, during this global crisis associated with COVID-19, Americans are getting more nervous waiting for answers to their growing list of questions: how do I know if I have COVID-19, what do I do if I get it, when will this get worse, how bad will it get, when will this get better and what the heck is social distancing?
Now is the time when leadership makes a difference in a community’s emotional temperature. Mixed messages from Washington have impacted the stock market, businesses large and small and contributed to the overall fear factor.
Our firm is currently and rapidly assisting a variety of businesses and organizations in finding the right balance in terms of keeping stakeholders and customers calm and confident in the decisions that are being made by the hour. The goal is to communicate that decisions are being made thoughtfully on behalf of constituents’ best interests and well-being.
So kudos and thank you to Orange County, Florida Mayor Jerry Demings for telling his constituents that we will “get through this together.” The idea that we will “get through this” is a simple message of comfort and hope. It’s what everyone needs to hear from someone in charge.
Now is the time for perspective and leadership. Communicating that we will “get through this together” tells us that this scary moment in time will end, that life will return to some kind of normal eventually, and that we are not alone. What you say and how you say it matters -- crisis comms 101.
