{"id":245,"date":"2020-04-20T14:30:55","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T14:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/?p=245"},"modified":"2020-04-20T16:08:58","modified_gmt":"2020-04-20T16:08:58","slug":"external-communication-with-stakeholders-during-covid-19-a-summary-from-jjws-prsa-webinar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/20\/external-communication-with-stakeholders-during-covid-19-a-summary-from-jjws-prsa-webinar\/","title":{"rendered":"Summary of JJ&W’s WEbinar for PRSA: External Communication with Stakeholders During Covid-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is known about how humans process risk and crisis remind\nus that not every member of a stakeholder group is at the same point in their\nunderstanding, acceptance, processing or action steps.  In fact, most are likely ricocheting daily,\nif not hourly, between these waypoints as they deal with the mental and\nemotional toll that the all-consuming change that is COVID19 has taken on their\nlives.  Today they may feel positive and\nproductive.  Tomorrow they may not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we deliver the messages that need to be communicated, the\nwords we use, and the environment in which messages are received must be\ncarefully calibrated to resonate with our stakeholders. They must take into\nconsideration their values and their current emotional state.  They must be clear enough to motivate\nspecific behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, we move to the lowest common denominators when\npreparing communication:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Use simpler, more direct language<\/li>
  2. Elevate empathy<\/li>
  3. Include doable action steps<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Simpler, more direct language   Write at a 7th<\/sup> or 8th<\/sup>\ngrade level (see Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tests).\nEven the most educated have problems processing ideas when things are stressful\nor there is upheaval. Say what needs to be said in the simplest way possible \u2013\nshort words, short sentences, short paragraphs. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Elevate empathy  \nExpress shared emotions without telling them how they feel.  \u201cWe are all anxious\u201d is different then \u201cWe\nknow you are anxious\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\u7280\u5229\u58eb\u53f0\u6e7e<\/a> \n\n

    Doable action steps: \nSuggest something they can do as a result of your communication.  \u201cMake a donation\u201d, \u201ccall a friend\u201d, \u201cread on\nour website\u201d are all actionable ideas. \nWith no call to action, your messaging is just a big \u201cso what\u201d. For\nexample,  COVID19 communication now has plenty\nof \u201ccalls to action\u201d, including: \n\u201cmaintain a 6-feet-apart social distance when out in public\u201d; \u201cwash your\nhands for 20 seconds\u201d and \u201cstay at home unless you are an essential worker or\nyou have to get gas, groceries or pharmacy items.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In addition, don\u2019t make stakeholders work to find your\nmessaging or create additional \u201cnew\u201d vehicles to communicate.  That is just another stress on them.  Use the channels they are comfortable with,\nused to using, and trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, monitor the environment for ongoing changes that\nmight make your communication insensitive if not offensive.  This requires being flexible on how you\nchoose to communicate and constantly monitoring the environment for potential\nmessage conflicts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For instance, the cruise lines for too long continued to run\nads and send mailing that promoting trips.  The hotel industry was slow on the uptake as\nwell. Some smaller organizations, perhaps being nimbler or more empathetic,\nswitch gears faster e.g. Planet Fitness suspended monthly fees right away and ramped\nup their online platform to encourage continued activity.  Compare that with Boston Health Club (see good\nreading on that one see Robin Schell\u2019s last blog)!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stay well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stacey Smith, APR, Fellow PRSA
    Senior Counsel & Partner, Jackson Jackson & Wagner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What is known about how humans process risk and crisis remind us that not every member of a stakeholder group is at the same point in their understanding, acceptance, processing or action steps.  In fact, most are likely ricocheting daily, if not hourly, between these waypoints as they deal with the mental and emotional toll … <\/p>\n

    Read more “Summary of JJ&W’s WEbinar for PRSA: External Communication with Stakeholders During Covid-19”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,31,4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behavior-change-theory-tactics","category-communications","category-crisis-issue-anticipation","category-strategy-tactics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":253,"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245\/revisions\/253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jjwpr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}