{"id":18575,"date":"2020-06-25T10:19:02","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T14:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opsweb.wpengine.com\/?p=18575"},"modified":"2021-07-01T16:44:32","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T20:44:32","slug":"communicating-during-the-coronavirus-advice-from-a-microsoft-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/blog\/communicating-during-the-coronavirus-advice-from-a-microsoft-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"Communicating during the coronavirus: Advice from a Microsoft leader"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo above: Frank Shaw during the June 4 virtual event on communicating effectively during the coronavirus.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coronavirus forced communications professionals to quickly adapt their activities in ways they couldn\u2019t have predicted. And it changed the way communicators look at events as they became exclusively virtual, according to Frank Shaw, corporate vice president of communications at Microsoft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaw offered his insight on crisis communications at a June 4 event hosted by the Federal Communicators Network, Microsoft and the Partnership\u2014discussing 19 lessons for communicating effectively during the ongoing epidemic. His main themes could help communicators as they work in this challenging environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check in with your employees first<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Above all, you need to be tactful during this period as many of your\nemployees juggle professional responsibilities with child care, illness and the\nrelentless cycle of news, Shaw said. With employees trying to balance all\ntheir responsibilities while working remotely, you should manage your team with\nsensitivity and understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaw also emphasized the importance of being kind to employees and\nthanking them at the start and end of any interaction, whether they\u2019re collaborating\non a critical task or simply taking time out of the day for a meeting.\nAcknowledging telework can be difficult can also go a long way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overcommunicate while keeping your messaging simple <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Communications professionals should use straightforward and\nrepeated messaging to eliminate confusion and keep employees in the loop. You\ncannot overcommunicate right now\u2014repetition is critical to getting your message\nacross to those who need to hear it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure clarity, Shaw suggests waiting before replying\nto coworkers\u2019 emails, rather than giving in to the instinct to respond\nimmediately. \u201cBe explicit in building in some thinking time … where you\u2019re\nout of the fray for a little bit and you have some space to think about what\u2019s\nneeded,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell the truth <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The maxim that underlies all of Shaw\u2019s advice is to tell the\ntruth, even when it\u2019s hard. Be honest in your communications with your\nemployees and your external audiences, and if you don\u2019t know the answer to a\nquestion, admit it. \u201cOne of our jobs is to make sure that we are, at the end of\nthe day, truth-tellers to people in power,\u201d Shaw said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about communicating during the coronavirus pandemic: <\/p>\n\n\n\n