In my book, Stuff Happens, I use the resilience cycle to demonstrate that organizations need to be in a continuous cycle of preparation, management and recovery to become resilient.
Crises have lifecycles. Being able to communicate effectively with stakeholders throughout the life of a crisis, requires an understanding of what stakeholders need from leaders with respect to information and emotions. As McKinsey notes in it’s recent leaders guide, the way in which we communicate can “create clarity, build resilience, and catalyze positive change “
I think clarity, resilience and change are the keystone goals of most communication. However, within the context of a crisis, issue, or a period of rapid change, understanding how the responses or communications need to change and adapt based on people’s needs can be the difference between success and disaster.