7 Step Guide to Managing Internal and External (Public) Affairs During COVID-19
Updated: May 23, 2021
Ask the right questions
What decisions does your company have to make in response to COVID-19?
Take stock in the questions you’ve already been asked. It’s your data.
Shape your strategy
Decide what is internal.
How will your team or employees be affected in the immediate and/ or long term?
Share industry insight
Research and reference economic impacts and trends
Decide what is external.
Will your business remain open or closed?
Be prepared to reference and cite how or why this decision has been made.
If open, what are your hours of operation and capacity of operations and service?
If closed, what steps will you be taking in the immediate?
Decide how you are going to help
Evaluate capabilities
Are you going to retool your business?
Are you going to support other industries?
How can you pivot your business for the now.
NOTE: This doesn’t have to be drastic. Anything helps.
Review with compliance, legal and ethics
Review your plan with members of your executive leadership team and your legal counsel.
Listen carefully for input and make the necessary changes.
Release as much appropriate and relevant information as you can
Internal: It’s okay to use “limiting language” around updates wherever you need to.
Send updates via email
NOTE: The company-wide communication should come from the CEO or HR Leader. Be sure to give your managers a heads up.
External: Treat this as a traditional PR or Marketing campaign.
Post consistent messaging across social media.
Release press assets and advisories to targeted press list
Think: Local, State, National, Industry, Community
Follow through
Maintain transparency
Hold office hours
Field and answer questions
Continue to seek more feedback
Maintain confidence
Know that your confidence as a leader is what matters.
Take care of yourself to ensure that you show up consistently.
Stay on course.