The Hindu Business Line : Learning from the tsunami

The tsunami holds lessons in internal communications for companies which can and want to do much more than extend `cheque book support' to prove their integrity.

IN the wake of the destruction left behind by the tsunami that struck recently, a few key learnings and lessons for internal communications can be derived and put to practice.

Most corporate houses have risen to the occasion and provided relief and support, but there are still many ways by which these entities can gain public respect and employee trust.

Numerous unique but touching examples are heard each day of individuals and companies using their core strengths to bring assistance to the needy: a car rental company using its vehicles to pick up and drop food, medicine and clothing, IT professionals and celebrities spending time to assess the damage and route essential material, airlines chartering flights for relief work, media firms setting up call centres and toll-free numbers for relatives and well-wishers.

Companies who want to `walk the talk' can do much more than extend `cheque book support' to prove their integrity. Here are some ideas for building that feeling of oneness among employees during a crisis:

Trawl the database to match skills of employees to specific requirements: A quick scan of an employee database can reveal unique hobbies and interests which may be useful during a crisis. For example, an employee with an amateur HAM operator license would be of use in keeping devastated islands linked to the rest of the world. I can relate to this example, as a good friend of mine took leave to travel with the Indian Armed Forces rescue team and utilise his experience as a radio operator. His action was purely based on concern and individual drive but I am sure there may be many more such people who can contribute their talent. There may be employees trained as counsellors who can help victims get over the trauma or those who can play the role of interpreters for international agencies and local administrators because they know a local language or dialect.

Opportunity for building employee morale: It's crises like these when employees judge the true commitment of their employer. They look forward to the tact, balance and ability to empathise with the suffering. Managers who show individual activism and take decisions to visit and support relief camps are respected. So are senior leaders who make personal contributions. Even by matching or exceeding employee contributions.

Assisting employee volunteerism: Routing energies of employees for the right causes can go a long way in making them feel good about working for a socially responsible company. Firms should empower, reward and publicise the actions of these `unsung heroes' internally.

Action-oriented support is expected: No action is too small in times of crises. Some methods are to set up online helpdesks or free access calls helping family, relatives and friends re-unite, helping employees adopt children and villages, investing in infrastructure and identifying reputed charities for employees to contribute. Some companies tracked each employee's whereabouts and reported them on the internal systems, which raised confidence among its employees.

Contribute your core strength: One enterprising networking firm provided free bandwidth and space on their servers for NGOs involved in relief work. If your core strength or value is innovation, invest time and people in developing a programme or software for early warning mechanisms working closely with the national or local administration.

Building a framework for internal communications during crises: Most companies scrambled to put together messages for internal circulation during crises. Putting together a framework involving crisis teams, leadership and department-specific messages and action baskets. There were cases of employees duped by fake fund raisers.

By anticipating, covering all angles of crisis communication and using the internal news channels such as the Intranet/ portal/ newsletters, companies can keep employees up-to-speed on the dos and don'ts. During crises, keep in mind that usual channels of communication (telephone lines, for example) may be disrupted. Think of unique methods of reaching employees, maybe via chat or SMS or through their families and friends.

While the world comes to grips with the disaster, organisations need to put comprehensive internal communication crisis support systems in place and keep a close watch over our shoulders for the next challenge around the corner.

(The writer is Specialist-Marketing and Communication with Accenture. The views expressed are personal.)

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