Over the past year, everyone has become a crisis communicator in a way. After all, the COVID-19 pandemic creates different crises of varying magnitudes for each of us. And those call for anticipation, reaction, and above all, communication. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic, we will undoubtedly expect different things from communication. Anyone who does not yet communicate proactively and digitally will miss the train of the new communication standard set by COVID-19.
The head teacher who has to intervene due to infections at school, the restaurant that is no longer allowed to serve physical meals and starts a takeaway service, the residential care centre that takes new measures to protect residents, etc.: 2020 has been the year of the unexpected. The year of agility and constantly changing guidelines and rules. And in times like these, we expect fast and clear communication.
At the same time, communication has never been so difficult. The size, the speed with which everything changes, the unknown, the many different voices, and the lack of a clear way out or visible end: it all plays a role. We all had to go virtual and communicate digitally at an unprecedented pace. And that wasn’t as easy for everyone.
Thankfully, many organisations have felt the concerns of the past few months themselves. And they responded proactively by communicating openly, and sometimes even making decisions faster than the government. From the hospitality industry to the care sector and youth clubs… even forest rangers. As a result, we have become accustomed to constantly receiving digital information and being kept up to date.
Chances are that we will expect a lot more from communication after COVID-19. Whether it comes from a political perspective, from a large company, from the school, or your neighbourhood baker. Anyone who does not yet communicate with their customers, employees, and other stakeholders proactively and digitally will miss the train of the new communication standard set by COVID-19. Not acting and not communicating is no longer a stop on that route.