The secret of Stakeholders Communication during a crisis By Basil Mbuna

Success in crisis management depends largely on how quickly and accurately your organization communicates with its stakeholders. Stakeholders have something at risk, and therefore something to gain or lose as a result of your organization’s activity. By using their influence, stakeholders hold the key to the environment in which your organization operates and therefore its subsequent financial and operating performance.
During a crisis your organization has to look at itself from your stakeholders’ perspective because stakeholders will be most concerned at how the crisis incident will affect them. They are expecting your organization to communicate with them, so it is vital to be proactive if possible. Developing a stakeholder relations management strategy around crisis simulations will be a great help to guide the corporate actions when a crisis does hit.

Obviously the key stakeholders vary according to the organization and the circumstances of each crisis. However, the concerns of each broad group can be identified well ahead of any crisis. For instance:

• Employees want their families to know they are safe, as would emergency and medical workers.
  
• Families of victims want progress reports on their loved ones and want to know what happened in the incident.
  
• Directors and senior management want to know the big picture information about the incident and the impact on the viability of your organization.
  
• Community leaders want to know sufficient resources are being devoted to the crisis response and victims, and that the organization is showing leadership and has the incident under control. They need information they can pass on to people they think should know about the crisis, and they want to express their concern.
  
• Politicians want to inform their constituents, review regulations and laws for adequacy in the light of the crisis, and want to have the opportunity to express their concern.  
  The media want access to information and to spokespersons so they can report within their deadlines.
  
  • Other stakeholders want to be included in decision-making relevant to them, and want access to information about the crisis.
    
    
  
  

  Employees should be the main priority

  In times of crisis, clear lines of communication should be established to reach employees at all levels and in all locations. A procedure should also be set up for dealing with employee problems relating to the event. In many crises, employee issues emerge as the most important factor.
  Questions need to be resolved by the public relations department so you can inform other stakeholders about:
  
• where employees can obtain information – from their usual manager or from special telephone lines, meeting rooms, notice boards or other sources;
  
• whether there is a monitoring system for post-traumatic stress of employees;
  
• if there are services available for families of victims;
  
• whether transport is needed for victims and their families.
  
  Generally a corporate communicator has to bear in mind that without having a strong communication during crisis he/she will be preparing for another crisis at the same time.
  So communication is very important.
  
  
  
  
  By 
          Basil Mbuna