Becoming a masterful communicator during disasters involves several components. Along with knowing WHO to communicate with, HOW to get your message out, and WHAT should be communicated, it’s important to know WHEN to communicate. The simple answer to the question is early and often. Getting a message out to your constituent groups at the onset of the emergency situation helps eliminate worry, confusion and wasted efforts. Be prepared to issue timely accurate status reports on a moment-to-moment basis at the beginning of the event, and on a more scheduled basis as the situation stabilizes. Remember that a message saying that there is nothing new to report is itself an important message.
Tip: Have your team practice creating short, accurate, informative status reports for any situation – it’s a great skill to cultivate with or without a disaster.
