Communicating at Whiplash Moments

In this episode, Dia talks about the importance of using your voice as a strike point for your leadership, especially during "whiplash moments."

Dia begins by discussing the many "whiplash moments" that leaders, founders, and their teams have experienced in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, layoffs, product pivots, and bank failures. These critical moments present opportunities for leaders to activate their people, teams, and cultures, or to deteriorate and disassemble them.

Dia suggests that leaders approach these critical moments with communication, written or spoken, that rings true. She encourages leaders to move from "noise" to "impact" by starting with the Impact/Outcome framework, which establishes the intention for the communication moment. By asking what impact they are trying to have and what outcome they are trying to create, leaders can hold themselves and the communication accountable and ensure that they are moving towards the desired outcome.

Dia also recommends anticipating questions and inventorying the 5 or 6 questions that the audience has about the topic being addressed. By recognizing the audience's questions and anxieties, leaders can inform the content they share, the degree of detail in their answers, and the communications plan after the initial letter or live communication gathering.

Finally, Dia advises leaders to decide what to address and in what detail, as well as what questions to leave unanswered for now and what to do about them. This is where leaders can start to develop their position or point of view and communicate it effectively to their audience.

Overall, this episode emphasizes the importance of using your voice as a strike point for your leadership and how to approach critical moments with communication that is impactful and true to who you are.

Get the Communicating in Crisis Guide HERE.

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