Values-Based Leadership in Times of Crisis

A failure to focus on your people can lead to a litany of issues, during and after a crisis

Uncertain times impact all employees and can be especially unsettling for those who have less control over their working conditions, who are not a part of an organization’s crisis-management efforts and who are disconnected from broader business decisions. Add to that the constant noise and updates of a rapid news cycle and social media, and it is easy to understand why employees would feel overwhelmed and panicked. As stock markets tumble and governments make minute-by-minute changes to directives, employees should be forgiven for getting caught up in a downward spiral of doom. 

This is a critical time for business leaders to provide a consistent vision and detailed action plan amidst the chaos. In challenging times, internal communication efforts should be rooted in the values that many organizations have built their day-to-day people management strategy upon. With this foundation in place, you may find that the crisis is what truly brings people together to create an even stronger organization on the other side.

Here are some of the core elements of effective internal communications during a period of crisis: