As legendary boxer Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” These jabs and sucker punches to the face seem to be exactly what’s happening now as the coronavirus moves around the world. This is no ordinary disruption or regular crisis, it’s rapidly becoming a full-blown glacial meltdown. 

Maybe this is what the band from Athens, Georgia, meant when they called themselves Widespread Panic.

While many companies and organizations have crisis plans for an active shooter, a financial dilemma, fraud or hurricane, no one – not even the government – has prepared for the global crisis we are facing today in COVID-19. But in this unchartered territory, let’s remember that the basics and fundamentals of a good response still apply.

As communications strategists and crisis professionals, we are getting many questions from organizations about what to consider in how they communicate in these uncertain times. Even though this is a unique situation, it’s important to remember the fundamentals, protocols and best practices in managing a crisis.

While the world is literally closing down, your communications, both internal and external, should not. In fact, it might even be time to ramp up how you talk about your organization. As with any crisis, there is usually an opportunity lurking in the shadows. 

First, when managing any fragile issue, it is critical to maintain trust. The communications business is about getting people to care.  People must trust that an organization’s leadership is living up to its stated values and protecting the health and well-being of the entity it is charged to protect. Good leaders consider their entire universe, including customers, members, employees, regulators, investors and anyone else who matters. Maybe your company is doing many positive things, but if your own stakeholders don’t know about it, then your actions might not make a difference to those people who matter.

The defining criterion in a successful response is to be able to put yourself into the position of those who have expectations. How do those interests expect you to act? Good leaders understand that a response is not about personal preference, but what others expect of them in certain situations. The good news is, to a certain degree, it is possible to map those interests.

What this means is that we expect our leaders to care. In any crisis response we must act and show people that we care. We cannot just tell them we care, but must show them that we care through our actions. The single biggest mistake in a crisis is indifference. Only by a consistent demonstration of empathy, can we maintain confidence during a crisis. Any crisis-response strategy must begin with a declaration of why we care and our values. 

There can be a sense not to communicate until we know more. (That day may not come!)  Sometimes lawyers may not want to say anything because public statements can carry some risk, or will write something that only makes sense to a judge and not to the court of public opinion. In fact, we frequently have a push-pull relationship with attorneys with how and when to respond. This can be healthy. (Nothing against lawyers…I’m married to one!) 

However, not communicating is counterproductive. Silence is interpreted as indifference. Why aren’t we hearing anything? It invites opportunists to join the conversation. If we aren’t defining ourselves, then others will do it for us. There is a rubric in a crisis that the longer the silence continues the less control we have over the outcome.

And how do we know when it is time to take action in a crisis? Helio Fred Garcia, author of “The Agony of Decision: Mental Readiness and Leadership in a Crisis,” says there are four criteria we can get agreement on in advance if we should take action, or if something is indeed a crisis:

• Will those who matter to us expect us to do something now?
• Will silence be seen as not caring or as affirmation of some kind of guilt?
• Are others speaking about us and shaping opinion to those who matter to us?
• If we wait, do we lose the ability to determine the outcome?

If the answer to one of the questions is yes, then it is time to act. Assemble a crisis team and know who is in the bunker and calling the shots.

Our advice is to keep your reputation and brand strong during this time of uncertainty and shutdown. Your organization should show leadership by becoming part of the solution. What can your people do to help that might not involve personal contact?  Maybe preparing lunches for school kids who don’t have them, delivering meals on wheels or offering online courses and professional development. Keep communicating and being transparent. Keep your company active and engaged with your clients, vendors and stakeholders. Keep constantly assessing both worst and best scenarios. 

Like most bad situations, chaos, pain and challenge usually brings some kind of opportunity or silver lining.  What can these hardships teach us? Possibly to show more gratitude for the blessings in life? Appreciate your colleagues more? Maybe use the opportunity to practice mindfulness and meditation. Bring a sharper focus to your work. A crisis can be good time to reset and recalibrate. There is nothing like a crisis as a filter for what’s really important.

Even though we are in uncharted waters with COVID-19, we must demonstrate how we care and we must show empathy. Arrogance and denial make empathy impossible. In this time, we strongly suggest using direct language. Don’t dance around an issue, be honest with your employees, customers and stakeholders. For instance, don’t say you are not laying off people when you actually are.

Most importantly, don’t forget to take care of yourself. As a person in a crisis, we can’t afford to be panicked or fearful. 

We must remember that people are feeling incredibly vulnerable and afraid – both personally and professionally. Trust and empathy in our communications are more important than ever. The job of good leadership is to convey a positive, but practical, attitude, to constantly assess, remain forward-looking in this difficult time and prevent panic.  While it feels like the world has been sucker punched in the face like our legendary boxer Mike Tyson, we must stand tall and keep on swinging. 

Matthew L. Moseley is a partner and chief strategy officer at dovetail solutions. He is the author of “Dear Dr. Thompson: Felony Murder, Hunter S. Thompson and the Last Gonzo Campaign” and also has completed four, first-ever world-record adventure swims.