One of the main contributors to the stress and anxiety employees are feeling from COVID-19 is overload and uncertainty due to their company’s lack of appropriate filters and frameworks for prioritizing, organizing and disseminating information.
Most organizations also lack an effective mechanism for responding promptly to employee questions and comments. This is the time more than ever to think of employee communication as a “fountain” rather than a “cascade” so you have a truly dynamic, interactive mechanism for both talking with and listening to people.
As a basic foundation for maintaining employee performance and wellbeing under the current conditions, communication must be designed to help maintain employee equilibrium, engagement and productivity based on the following 4-part framework:
Health and safety … Containing the disease and reducing risk of infection
Connectedness … Keeping people informed, aligned and supported during social distancing
Compassion and appreciation … Recognizing the difficulties people are facing and the special contributions they are making
Hope and optimism … Sharing information that can ease concerns about what’s happening now and show promise for future