Crisis communications: when a CEO has to be a hero

A couple of weeks I went to the breakfast seminar organized by the association of Swedish communication professionals (Sveriges Kommunikatörer) to listen how Ylva Berg, the head of Business Sweden (a lobby organization that strives to attract foreign investments to Swedish companies) managed to get through organizational (I would say) hell with low budget, reputational issues, redundancy processes and just depressive mood of the staff.

I listened to her with excitement and admiration. She aimed at restroring employer branding by being honest and clear with the staff. Clear about negative things that had to happen (but only to happen once!) in the organization.  Every week she sat down in front of a camera and talked about what she had done, how she had managed to improve the situation this week and what she was going to do next. The video was published on the intranat so that every employee could be informed.  This effort is not in vain: gradually things are getting better at Business Sweden.

I couldn’t help but compared this situation with another crisis that one of my family members got in. Similar crisis situation, complete undefine future for the organization. Problems with the local authorities, almost arrest of the documents. Basically, organizational hell. The most surprising for me was that the head of the company didn’t react at all and didn’t make any effort to inform and talk with the staff. Such behaviour sounds ridiculous for communicators. My relative had no clue what was gonna happen with her professional situation, and she was not the only one there. The CEO didn’t even hold any meeting to discuss the situation and the nearest future. The organisation is quite small, which should have made it easier for the CEO to communicate with the staff in the crisis. They don’t have any communication department which maybe explains the issue but doesn’t excuse the behavior of the leader.

I am glad that in several countries people talk about modern communicative leadership and take it seriously. This case shows that:

1. Yeah, it is obviously hard without us, communicators.
2. In the abscence of communication department, it must become obvious for a leader that being able to communicate in a crisis is crucial for the future of the company, for employer branding. For simply good relations with the staff, investors, media.