Customers cannot access a service they rely on. Questions are appearing online, employees are receiving calls and the leadership team is waiting for a full picture of what happened.

The organisation needs to respond while its teams work to resolve the issue. Leaders may not have every answer yet, but the people affected still need to know what is being done and where they can find reliable updates.

At Wave Advisory, crisis communications is part of our strategic communications practice. We provide senior counsel to support leaders in preparing their response, coordinating information and communicating clearly as a situation develops.

Establish what is known

In the first hours of a disruption, information may change quickly. Different teams may have different pieces of the picture, while questions from customers and the media continue to arrive.

Leaders need an agreed way to confirm facts and identify what remains uncertain. In our example, that could mean establishing which services are affected, what customers can do in the meantime and when the operational team expects to provide another update.

Wave Advisory supports leaders and communications teams in organising that information around the questions audiences are asking. The objective is to communicate what the organisation can stand behind and avoid presenting an assumption as a confirmed fact.

Speak to the people affected

Customers experiencing a disruption want to know how it affects them. Employees need enough information to respond to enquiries, and partners may need to understand the effect on their own work.

An initial update should acknowledge the situation, explain what is known and direct people to a reliable source for further information. If the cause or recovery time has not been confirmed, the organisation can say so and explain when it plans to update people again.

The message should also address immediate needs. If customers can use an alternative service or contact a support team, they need clear instructions.

Coordinate the response

A useful communications response depends on information from across the organisation. Operational teams investigate the issue, customer service teams hear the questions people are asking, and leadership makes decisions about the response.

Wave Advisory can support the coordination of leadership and communications around those inputs. That includes preparing messages for different audiences, advising on spokesperson responsibilities and supporting the approval of updates as facts are confirmed.

This coordination also gives leaders a way to identify questions that need action, rather than treating every concern as a communications issue alone.

Prepare leaders to answer questions

During a crisis, leaders may need to speak with employees, partners, journalists or customers. Each audience will have its own concerns, but the answers should be consistent with what the organisation knows.

Wave Advisory provides executive and crisis communications counsel, including spokesperson preparation. We support leaders in explaining the situation, addressing difficult questions and being clear about what has not yet been established.

If an answer is unavailable, it is more useful to explain what is being checked and when an update is expected than to make a promise the organisation may not be able to keep.

Continue communicating as the situation changes

The response continues after the first statement. As services are restored and more information becomes available, people need updates on what has changed and what remains unresolved.

Once the immediate disruption has passed, leaders can review the questions received, how information moved through the organisation and what could be improved for the future.

Wave Advisory supports leaders through these moments with experienced judgement and practical communications counsel, keeping the needs of the people affected in view.

Explore Wave Advisory to discuss crisis communications and leadership preparation for your organisation.