Using plain language to communicate with your audience to ensure they understand your message is more important than ever in a world of constant streams of information. In a crisis, choosing your words carefully may be even more important to clearly state your message.
Resources include:
Everyday words, terms and real life examples of plain language
Federal plain language guidelines
National Health Institutes health literacy initiative
Plain language planner and translations
Plain language checklist (printable)
In this link, the Center for Disease Control provides resources and tools to help maximize your communication efforts.
The SummitET® team also participated in the planning, coordination and execution of this FBI tabletop on Weapons of Mass Destruction event series in Helena, Montana. Watch the video from the link below.
While there are countless research studies, surveys, and white papers to analyze communications questions related to public health and safety, there had been no established single venue for professional communicators and social scientists to come together and bridge the gap between science and practice and provide direct application to communications practice in private industry…until now.
Social Science
Social science encompasses the scientific study of human society and social relationships.
Strategic Communications
Strategic communication refers to the internal and external communication strategies designed to engage stakeholders.
Bridging the Gap
Bridging the gap connects similar ideas or makes the difference between them smaller. Connecting social science to the practice of strategic communication provides practitioners with scientifically-proven methodologies and strategies which enhance internal and external communications. As stakeholder expectations evolve due to changes in the environment and human psychology, public affairs practitioners must be equipped to adjust communication methods and strategies to effectively address public health and safety issues.
To solve this issue and bridge this gap, Mark Basnight and Holly Hardin established the Public Affairs Science and Technology (PAST) Fusion Cell at Argonne National Laboratory in 2016. PAST monitored, observed, and conducted real-time research on world events, applied social science to the practice of risk and crisis communication, identified training gaps, and established best practices for public affairs. This program was developed specifically for public affairs officers, public information officers, and external affairs officers working in emergency management and public health and safety.
Bringing this Capability to the Private Industry
While this program was available to national labs and government agencies, private industry had limited access to this training. Basnight and Hardin joined SummitET® in 2020, and are prepared to provide private industry with customized strategic communications assessments, planning, training, and exercise services and products.
What this means for Private Industry
These new approaches allow private business and industry to prepare effective communication during pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis events such as manmade, natural, and technical disasters.
The Property Claim Services (PCS) division of Verisk Analytics defines a catastrophe as an event that causes $25 million or more in insured property losses and affects a significant number of property/casualty policyholders and insurers.
The table below it shows there were in excess of 350 catastrophes in the US between 2009 and 2018. That equates to an incredible amount of communication needed as businesses need to be able to reach their customers and employees during/after catastrophic incidents.
Estimated Insured Property Losses,
U.S. Catastrophes, 2009-2018
(1) Includes catastrophes causing insured property losses of at least $25 million in 1997 dollars and affecting a significant number of policyholders and insurers. Excludes losses covered by the federally administered National Flood Insurance Program. As of November 20, 2019. (2) Adjusted for inflation through 2018 by the Insurance Information Institute using the GDP implicit price deflator. Source: Property Claim Services® (PCS®), a unit of ISO®, a Verisk Analytics® company; Bureau of Economic Analysis
The number of catastrophic events that occurred just in the United States during this 10-year period highlights how important it is for organizations to periodically and holistically assess communications and create an integrated, multidisciplinary approach that furthers their organizational communication goals.
To learn more about SummitET’s team of subject-matter experts, communication practitioners’ unique qualifications, and specific product offerings click here.
During COVID-19, communication professionals, worldwide, are working around the clock to gather, verify, and distribute critical information to their internal and external stakeholders. We are so busy gathering data that sometimes we overlook our personal and psychological needs. Recognizing the signs of psychological fatigue and reducing stress are important for the long-term well-being of a communication professional.
With ever-changing information, the rapid growth and presence of social media platforms, and the public’s appetite for instantaneous information, the communication professional’s role becomes more complicated and stressful which places undue pressures on our psychological health. As with our stakeholders, psychological considerations can have tremendous impact on how we process information ourselves. We juggle issues such as message structuring, timeliness, accuracy, relevance, and delivery mechanisms to meet the informational needs of our stakeholders. However, we need recognize the importance of addressing and reducing our own psychological needs to remain an effective communicator. Addressing psychological impacts may require greater resources and manpower that may be in short supply or even nonexistent.
Recognize and Overcome
It’s important to recognize common reactions such as sadness, anger, fear, difficulty sleeping, or impaired ability to concentrate. To overcome some of this anxiety, consider integrating some of the following into your routine:
Impose a self-regulated “time-out” every two hours. Walk away from the action (i.e., down the hall, outside for a breath of fresh air, a cup of coffee, water break, etc.)
Walk around the building to clear your mind, perform simple exercises such as stretching, chair squats, wall push-ups, etc.
Employ a sense of humor with family, friends, and colleagues. Even in crisis situations, lighthearted moments occur. Don’t be afraid to capitalize on this opportunity. Laughter boosts the immune system, decreases stress levels, lowers blood pressure, and can relax your muscles for up to 45 minutes.
Develop a Strategy
Ask yourself the following questions when developing communication strategies:
Can you overcome the effects of your own mental noise as you develop communication strategies?
Will internal and external stakeholders trust you, your messaging, and your delivery mechanism?
How do/will you respond to internal and external frustration and outrage factors?
Can you rise above self-doubts, distorted communication, and outside influences to deliver a successful crisis communication strategy?
Early Detection
Early detection of psychological stressors and developing coping mechanisms will help all of us as we continue our goal of providing important information to our stakeholders. If you are feeling these stressors and you have access to “inside” information, think about your stakeholders’ perspective, lack of information, and how their stress levels may be increasing. Remember, science and research have shown us these are all normal feelings and emotions. For example, research by renowned social scientists and risk and crisis communications experts such as Dr. Vincent Covello provide a wealth of knowledge for honing and applying best practices in the communications work we do. A few important principles and concepts to integrate into your communications strategies are listed below:
Mental Noise – everyone suffers from mental noise Example: personal/professional issues, looming deadlines, patient issues, etc.
Trust determination – demonstrated in verbal and non-verbal communication:
Empathy/caring
Competence/expertise
Commitment/dedication
Honesty/openness
Negative dominance is based on previous experiences, hearsay, negative images, rumors/misinformation, words, etc.
Note: Negative experiences, words, or actions are usually embedded and remembered more than positive experiences/messages. Create as many positive messages and images as possible to counteract negatives.
Risk perception – what are the risks associated with the incident of concern? Are those perceptions-based factors such as personal experiences, hearsay, rumor/misinformation, etc.?
During your COVID-19 response activities remember there is a “me” in “team!” Hopefully, understanding the importance of “me” will help you and your teams maximize your strengths, grab the attention of your stakeholders, and lead to a cohesive communication response. For “me,” I am following the advice I teach in my risk and crisis communication training, by developing a three-part action plan;
What should be done?
What can be done?
What must be done? Developing and operationalizing your own personal action plan can help reduce stress levels, provide clearer direction, and boost your self-confidence.
If you’d like additional information on SummitET’s strategic communication assessment, planning, training, and exercise support capabilities, please contact [email protected].
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The beginning of 2020 brought a heightened sense of health preparedness and focus on the importance of identifying misinformation and combating disinformation on social media. Misinformation is defined as inaccuracies stemming from an error in information gathering or reporting, while disinformation is intentionally fabricating false information to shape a point of view or a story. Distinguishing between misinformation, disinformation, and credible information is critical to stakeholder understanding regarding the impact of the Coronavirus (a.k.a. #2019nCoV). While a majority of information seekers may not be impacted by #2019nCoV, learning how to recognize reliable information sources during this outbreak or any other crisis event is important.
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the #coronavirus outbreak a global emergency. As confirmed #2019nCoV cases are reported, and increased loss of life continues to make headlines, information about the health crisis has overtaken digital and social media.
Social Media Impact
According to Twitter, as of January 30, 2020, there have been over 15 million tweets on the topic. The spread of misinformation and disinformation is so prolific that big tech is actively trying to combat its voracity.
For example, Facebook is giving ad credits to the World Health Organization and Philippines Department of Health to share information and is also modifying its algorithm when users search for terms related to the outbreak.
YouTube is returning text results when users search for “coronavirus” and other terms related to the outbreak and is also pointing to authoritative video results.
Google is changing its algorithm to point users to verified information sources in search results and indicating when information has been fact-checked. Likewise, Twitter has modified its search results to point to authoritative, local-language information when people search for related terms.
Addressing Misinformation/Disinformation
The viral spread of misinformation and disinformation related to the outbreak also prompted the World Health Organization’s Director to specifically address the impact of rumors and misinformation.
“accelerate the development of vaccines, therapeutics & diagnostics.
combat the spread of rumours & misinformation.
review preparedness plans, identify gaps & evaluate the resources needed to identify, isolate & care for cases, & prevent transmission.
share data, knowledge & experience with WHO & the world.”
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s 2018 publication on Countering False Information on Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies found social media information is typically shared with good intent. Researchers identified different characteristics of social media posts that lead information consumers to believe alternative behavior such as those which intentionally propagate malicious agendas with incorrect information include intentional versus unintentional; insufficient information; opportunist disinformation; and outdated information.
Taking Action
If organizations do not take the initiative to develop a foundation of trust and authenticity with stakeholders before a crisis, stakeholders will look to unofficial sources. Likewise, if social media information is not monitored and not corrected in a timely manner, rumors, as well as misinformation and disinformation will run rampant.
The scientific adage that nature abhors a vacuum also pertains to the flow of information during a crisis – even if that information is inaccurate or misleading. If we have learned anything from the #coronavirus outbreak, it is professional communicators must adapt their communication methods to combat the viral spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media.
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