Communication Training – A Key Weapon Against “FUD”

Unprecedented times      –      Isolation      –      PPE      –      Remote working            Social distancing      –     Partial occupancy      –      FPUC     –       Furloughs          Bankruptcy      –      Zoom     –    Re-spike  

In only a single fiscal quarter, we have been inundated with a vocabulary of both the new and the familiar, to help us frame a new business world. Companies are scrambling to define, comply, anticipate, forecast, restructure; all under the umbrella of the new “safe” working environment in the age of the COVID 19 pandemic. It’s enough to make company leadership nostalgic for the days of a good old-fashioned recession.

It’s easy to take your eye off core skills training needs during periods of upheaval. They degrade into “nice to have” instead of “have to have”.  It’s understandable for C Suite executives to say “We’ll address that after we come through this mess.”

THE “FUD” PROBLEM:

Ah, careful there. One of the biggest problems with this pandemic is the fact that the road and timeline “through this mess” is, well, messy. And that messiness breeds FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. FUD distracts the leadership team, and it weighs on your newly isolated WFH (working from home) teams – sales, engineering, customer service – all departments. When FUD lives within your organization, it can have costly negative impacts on focus and productivity.

Consumer data / AI research organization Resonate, just  released the final report of a three-part field study conducted in the US, from late March to present, all around consumer attitudes during COVID 19. There’s a lot there and I commend the reading to executives of all size companies. Download HERE (it’s free). Two of the key takeaways in the final report vs mid April:

1. Concern over negative economic impact has increased
2. Forecast of how long it will take to return to normal has lengthened substantially

Here again, long term concern over the economy, will weigh heavily on the mind of employers and employees alike. FUD will continue.  And employees are asking for help. In a recent Forbes.com piece by Brian Robinson, he cited another consumer and employee sentiment study by Thrive Global. A key excerpt:

“One of the most striking findings was that 80% of respondents feel helpless and that things are out of their control — underscoring the need for tools that empower people to take action. Over 85% of the respondents said they wanted more help from their employers as they adapt to WFH. And more than 85% of employees are worried that current public health circumstances and the current Coronavirus pandemic will impact their jobs and ability to work.”

COMMUNICATION TRAINING: A MUST-HAVE TO COMBAT “FUD”

As companies evaluate ways to combat FUD and help their employees through this treacherous time, communication training deserves a thoughtful and immediate place at the table. When your teams communicate better both internally and externally, everyone wins.

1. Better Zoom. Your team’s ability to articulate everything from company initiatives to personal concerns more effectively. Better web-based calls, better emails, better customer interaction.
2. Focus. Self-defense training instructors have preached this for years. If the mind knows what to do in an unexpected attack, it avoids the debilitating state of panic, and instead switches to “action” that has been taught and learned.
3. Listening. Understanding how customers are changing their business practices, or how other departments are modifying processes, and how they feel about it, is so important in developing relationships during times of crisis.
4. Unity. Being in training together unites a team, even if they are working remotely. Group learning, and reinforcing that learning through sharing, is a strong tie that binds.

Have no illusions. FUD is out there and is in your organization. Communication training is one of the best weapons against FUD, and should be elevated from being a “down the road, nice to have”, to a “Let’s jump on this…NOW”.

 

The Ganon Group offers communication coaching for executives and employees across all departments: C-Suite Leadership, Sales, Customer Experience, Technical / Product Development, to improve their communication and presentation techniques. We believe everyone can “up” their game when it comes to communicating initiatives and ideas within the organization, outside to new prospects, to existing clients, or to outside media and trade organizations. www.theganongroup.com