In times of crisis, one of the most important things to keep in mind is clarity and consistency of message. When people are unsure, they look to their leaders to show them the way. When members of the leadership come out with different messaging, it can cause confusion and damage credibility.
With coronavirus being the prevalent crisis in the news, last week provided a perfect example of two leaders providing different messaging:
Vice President Pence, the head of the U.S. Coronavirus Task Force, said “by Memorial Day weekend we will have this coronavirus epidemic behind us,” during a radio interview. This sounds like good news and likely spurred optimism in everyone from business owners, down to those sick of being stuck in the house.
Conversely, appearing on “Meet the Press,” Dr. Deborah Birx, the Task Force’s response coordinator, seemed to say the opposite: that social distancing will likely be with us for months to come.
Here we have two members of the same team giving, not only different, but conflicting messages. So, to whom do we listen?
With any crisis, even as it unfolds and much is still uncertain, it is imperative that messaging be clear and concise. When faced with a question to which you don’t know the answer, it is more than appropriate to be honest and say so, but each spokesperson on the team must also understand that and follow suit.
Clarity and consistency play a key role in all business communications, but never more than during a crisis. With all members on the same page, delivering the same message, those on the receiving end will feel more confident in their leadership and in turn, pass that confidence to others on the team.