5 Tips for Communicating About Coronavirus

March 11, 2020

Like many of you, NP Strategy is closely monitoring the coronavirus news and making plans for various scenarios as they relate to our employees and clients. We encourage you to have an action plan and to communicate with your employees and other key stakeholders. NP Strategy’s crisis communications team stands ready to help you develop a course of action, if needed.

NP Strategy has developed 5 top-level objectives for your organization to consider:

1. Reduce transmission among employees, customers and other stakeholders

• Require sick employees or those exposed to COVID-19 to stay home or remain separated from other employees
• Encourage proper hand-washing and hygiene habits
• Increase the level of decontamination in the workplace

2. Protect people who are at higher risk for adverse health complications

• Put procedures in place to properly insulate those in your organization or care who are in higher risk categories

3. Maintain business operations

• Review or enact business interruption and crisis management plans and consider potential risk categories
• Minimize adverse effects on other entities in their supply chains, as able

4. Stay informed

• Monitor news, employee/customer/stakeholder concerns and be a source of relevant, credible information

5. Keep perspective

• Be prepared for the worst, but don’t inflate the risk
• Recognize the potential for virus-related anxiety in your stakeholder groups and be a voice of calm and reason

For more information on NP Strategy’s crisis management services email crisisteam@npstrat.com or contact Heather Matthews or Erin Sanders.