The examples are frequent and allow to learn from the mistakes
The crisis acts as a kind of magnifying glass, highlighting the deficiencies in the communication and leadership skills that the managers of an organization have. Those are the “moments of truth,” in which you can know who everyone is; Well, when the situation gets difficult, you have to use all personal and professional resources to deal with the storm and emerge with the least amount of damage possible.
Information published in the Wall Street Journal Americas questioning the leadership and communication capacity of the president of Toyota Motor amid the crisis the company is going through. In this sense, it is striking that they are precisely their employees, members of their team, who are questioning their ability to lead.
Right now when that company requires a greater focus on all personnel, high cohesion, and teamwork, identification with the organization and its leaders, alignment of all internal and external communication, it is doubting whether the ship’s captain will be able to cope to the temporary
Dangerous
Situations of this nature are hazardous for any organization, as it can generate the “last syndrome that turns off the light.” The concern is more significant because generally, the best talents are the first to find another job opportunity, even in times of shortage.
In this context, internal communication as a tool for transmitting new beliefs and organizational values constitutes an essential instrument in managing change and adapting organizations to new challenges. Therefore, today, it never shows its relevance and impact on companies.
There are often publications on this subject in different media, but there is still a great place to go. The importance of internal communication is often afloat when it comes to crises.
It would be much more efficient and economical if a good communication plan is developed when it seems not necessary when the business is running correctly to have a cool head and think rightly about the strategies.
Within this plan, the development needs of the communication skills of the leaders for the proper management of the organization and its people must be considered. The higher an executive is within the company, the greater the demands, and therefore, they are placed in a more vulnerable position to their audiences.
Knowledge
In these changing times, an excellent tool to deepen the skills of a good manager is to know what resources he has used to face challenges within the companies in which he has previously worked.
Communication is vital, a lot of time is spent evaluating job-specific technical skills, and sometimes it is forgotten that other competencies are fundamental in the true success of a professional.
If you can fill these spaces in executives, there will still be a need for another essential element, which is an excellent internal communication plan.
To start
You can start by dusting out your Internal Communication Policy Manual, and if you don’t have it, this is an appropriate time to develop it. You may need to perform some previous measurements, so it is suggested to consider carrying out a communication audit.
It is essential to clearly define what the organization’s messages are, evaluate the internal media or channels, determine how fluid and effective communication is in every way. The messages must be aligned with the strategy of the organization and with the external environment that is lived daily. It is necessary to act with coherence. There are cases of companies that seem schizophrenic, where discourse and practice are contradictory.
The strategy goes beyond the press
In some organizations, contradictions are observed for lack of a communication strategy. They say one thing, project another and do something different. This theme goes for long; any resemblance to reality is not pure coincidence.
It is good to reflect a little more on the matter in question; it is continually said that the great crises motivate great opportunities, to which the questions sometimes arise: Opportunities for what? To leave the market or to strengthen? This depends on many factors, but what is certain is that the better the communication organization is prepared to face the challenges, the higher the chances of getting something good out of them.
Communication is not only related to the radio press but also written and televised. It is much more than that, is to have management strategies in internal relations so that the staff is unified in common objectives of the interest of the organization, is to have
