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Crisis communication template

How do you communicate in a crisis?

Use the template below for sharing regular, authentic and supportive video updates with your people from your phone.

Should I go into work? How do I maintain social distancing rules with customers? How can I find out more information? These are questions many of us are asking as the current global health crisis creates huge numbers of home-workers and forces frontline key workers to operate in more challenging conditions.

Regular check-ins through video updates

In uncertain times when the weekly, or daily situation is moving fast you may not have all the answers. But, whether you’re a head of government, HR leader or parent, as a leader of a constituency however small, you’ll probably recognise the benefits of communicating regularly during a crisis. How can you keep people informed, reassured and doing the right thing when it’s not business as usual and you don’t even have face-to-face contact with your team?

To help in a small way, we’ve created three new StoryTagger templates to make it easier to share crisis communication update videos with your teams, get subject matter expertise to your frontline and support your remote workers.

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Crisis communication template for team video updates

The template below is designed to help leaders communicate regular vital information with their team. It follows the structure of a good practice crisis communication update and could be useful for your internal video, learning or communications team. It’s also bundled as part of the StoryTagger template library.

PT1: INTRO

Open with what you’d like to talk about today.
Introduce yourself if you’re not known to your audience.
Reinforce the outcome of positive actions already taken.
Identify with how people must be feeling right now.

NOTES: Studies show hearing the voice of a leader during a crisis reduces anxiety. Show you’re there and you understand.

PT2: THE LATEST NEWS AND SITUATION

Update people with any changes or new challenges. Include source of information.
Describe what this means to the business and how you plan to respond.
Be clear about who this impacts and how?

NOTES: Don’t feel like you need to have all of the answers. Reference sources of information where you can.

PT3: HOW CAN WE ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Describe what people need to do next.
Reinforce why this is important and how decision has been made.

NOTES: Be specific about what people need to do as a result. They are more likely to understand if you explain ‘why’ and ‘how’ this decision has been made.

PT4: END WITH A CALL-TO-ACTION

Describe what people can do if they have questions or need support.
End with a call-to-action or word of encouragement.

NOTES: Keep an open dialogue and be clear about how people can find out more information.

Supporting remote teams with video

Help remote teams feel connected and share knowledge with video.

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Crisis communications
Remote teams communications
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