- An AI scam results in unauthorized access to confidential company data.
- A civic gathering restricts traffic and safe access to your largest office.
- An unexpected medical event or immigration-related travel delay puts a key employee out of pocket indefinitely.
- A client is “cancelled” in the media, and the firm risks a negative backlash.
Each of these events is likely to leave your employees looking to management for both answers and a game plan. Leadership’s communication post-crisis can make the difference between resilience and disarray. Clear, consistent communication is essential to deploying resources, fostering trust and maintaining focus and productivity.
In good times and in bad, management sets the tone, and culture flows from the top. When leaders can provide timely updates, tailored plans and transparent guidance, they not only meet employees where they are in the moment but also equip people to continue meeting business objectives effectively during uncertain times.
Employee Mental Health Considerations Following a Crisis
As numerous studies have shown in recent years, legal careers come with pressure and demands that can lead to mental health emergencies in lawyers and business professionals alike.
Whether following a specific employee’s mental health crisis or considering broad workforce mental health needs following an unanticipated event, plans can be put in place to account for employees’ needs. In fact, ALA now offers Mental Health First Aid training and certification to empower leaders to recognize warning signs and intervene when necessary.
Following any unexpected event, managers can expect employees to be upset or thrown off. Managers should aim to strike a unique balance between soliciting and genuinely listening to employee input, respecting privacy and providing proactive, transparent updates. Anticipating questions and controlling the narrative becomes critical in instances of confusion and uncertainty, and proactive planning can help management move quickly to maintain a tone of authority and responsiveness. Affording your team the courtesy and credence to keep them informed of the current circumstances, and of the plan moving forward, can maintain dialogue and give them agency over their experience to the degree possible.
When it comes to internal and external crisis communications, in the era of online chat functions and social media, we can make two assumptions. First, the company is not the only source of information. Second, anything leadership says may be shared. Finally, it’s human nature to want to understand the “why” behind any decision, so leaders should provide as much context as is appropriate and sensible.
