Keep Your Staff Fully Informed

Your first priority must always be the safety of your people. Health and safety legislation still applies, even during an emergency.

Effective internal communication with staff is always important, even more so during a disruption; people want to know about the disaster, how it affects them and what they can do to help. They know that something is wrong, and if you don’t tell people what’s happening, you allow a space for the rumour mill to invent something that may be distracting and even harmful.

Instead, you need to lead, support and encourage your staff in a professional and calm way, even when the situation is unclear. You may have many demands on your own time, and in such situations mistaking a brief pep talk or group email for effective conversation can be all too easy.

Communicating is a two-way process and failure to communicate effectively creates more work in the long run.