The statements:
I believe that COVID-19/Coronavirus should be taken seriously.
This pandemic is a significant event that will have long-lasting effects.
If most employees agreed with these statements:
They recognize the seriousness of this situation. They are thinking about the long-term effects as they experience the changes that are occurring. As you lead through this time, it is important to understand how your team is perceiving the COVID-19 situation as this can inform how to communicate with your team about it and how frequently to do so.
If most of your employees disagreed with these statements:
They may not be as concerned with the immediate or long-term impact of the COVID-19 situation. As you lead through this time, think about how you can talk about this situation with your team. Many employees trust the information shared by their organization and leaders.
Best Practices for Leaders
Acknowledge the crisis
Acknowledge the crisis and its severity. Develop a plan for responding to the crisis and communicate that plan to employees.
Be transparent
Be willing to explain your decision-making process and help others understand how you weighed the options. Think through these questions:
How are you thinking about the situation?
What decisions have you already made?
What things are you monitoring?
Use facts
Fighting misinformation is increasingly challenging. Studies show that employees tend to trust their organization leaders more than the government and media, so make sure you're using facts when communicating to employees, not unsubstantiated misinformation.
Avoid certain words
Even when you’re communicating facts, pay extra attention to how you’re communicating. Avoid using words and phrases that are ambiguous or emotionally-charged.
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