ANY LEADER who doesn’t believe in effective communication during a crisis is a fool! Yes, he is!
Like in the case of General Santos City, harsh criticism continues to hound the LGU about practically anything and everything under the sun, but being a communicator myself, I would say straightway that the communication efforts of the city are miserably failing. Let’s call a spade a spade!
First, is it only the local chief executive (LCE) who is the official spokesperson of a city? Is there no one we can delegate the task to? If that is the personal preference of an LCE, then I will proceed to my next question. Is he backed by a team of experienced and well-trained communicators?
Second, where is the sense of urgency? Sense of urgency is addressing an issue forthwith, head on! When I say this, I mean that your pool of experienced and well-trained communicators has already generated scenarios and drafted the complementing possible official pronouncements and declarations to suit the urgent situation. Your pool of communicators should be ahead of their game. We are in a crisis. We cannot afford to be the last one to know. We should beat the issues as they come. That’s quite the task so everyone should be committed to deliver.
For instance, we don’t wait for the weekend to elapse before we address an issue. Look at what happened in the recent past? You waited until the issue blew in your faces! It was not only humiliating but a dismal failure as well. As a communicator, I will not subject my boss to such kind of humiliation. I will prevent it.
Third, please do us a favor and hire expert communicators! You must understand that experience, credibility, and training are essential in communication particularly during a crisis. The response of your team will depend on the kind of training they have. Please do not give us excuses. Just elevate your standards because it is the call of the times.
Fourth, commit to transparency. Put everything on the table. If there’s trouble, say it like it is. State your convictions. The constituents don’t need sugar-coating and gift-wrapping during a crisis. In fact, we don’t need such every single day. No matter how bleak the information is, we need to know.
Fifth, please craft your executive orders thoroughly. Like I said, hire an editor or a team of editors to tighten your manuscripts; polish your work. It’s too bad that even your own printed policies are criticized for their presentation; worse, their lack of clarity.
I want to emphasize that communication is a must in leadership. That’s why there is leadership communication.
Remember that leaders speak, motivate, inspire, and direct their constituents through clear communication, while also promoting discipline, accountability, and shared direction.
In leadership communication, experts underscore that poor communication can take up valuable time and can lead to mistakes. So, before you communicate or your communication team does so, ensure that you have prepared a clear communication plan (normally your communication team does this) including systematizing or sorting what you’re going to say in a logical way.
Yes, the presentation should be logical to avoid confusion. And remember, there is a need to repeat your communication. Yes. Repeat your communication, repeat some more, and deliver your messages multiple times to strengthen understanding.
Research suggests the importance of repeating communication. To illustrate, in a study published in Harvard Business Review, thirteen managers were observed, and their communication was tracked. It was concluded that when communication was repeated, it was more likely that a project would be completed more quickly and with fewer mistakes (Neeley & Leonardi, 2011).
Never underestimate the value of repeating your message. If you keep on repeating it, it will eventually sink in. Take for example the repetitive public health message on adopting “health and safety protocols” to protect the populace from COVID-19. The message has nailed into the consciousness of people because it has been repeated countless times since March up to present without letup! The campaign is getting headway.
Back to my beloved adoptive city, can we revamp our communication team?
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Writer can be reached at belca.87@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
