Ukraine: What Can Internal Comms Do?

Ukraine flag

If you’re like me, then today you’ll be distracted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And rightly so — this is the largest land war in Europe since 1945. I know our comms-rades in Europe are rattled. The enormity of it all is hard to fathom. It feels so trivial, so inappropriate to do everyday work when people’s lives and livelihoods are being disrupted and destroyed.

Your employees are distracted too. Employee engagement is low — 36% in the U.S. During times of crisis, workers will further disengage.

  • Around the time of the murder of George Floyd, for example, employee engagement dipped to 31%.

Right now many of our peers are engaged in crisis comms, working deeply with HR and Security to stay in touch with employees in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and surrounding areas…making sure people are safe and accounted for. While work might be the last thing on many of their minds, knowing that someone cares for them is meaningful.

Crisis comms is about 5% of what internal comms does, but when it happens it’s the most important work you’ll do. Godspeed to those involved in these efforts.

For the rest of us, there are a few things internal comms can do to help with the stress.

  • Check your tone. If you have messages scheduled to go out today and tomorrow — rethink them. Double-check the wording so that it doesn’t sound tone-deaf to what’s happening in the world. Rewrite the top if you have to. Reschedule the message for next week if you can.

For larger companies much of the above can’t happen without close coordination with your peers in HR, Security, Exec Comms, and other stakeholders. Lead where internal comms should (with communication) and let them do their thing.

For the consultants reading this, your internal comms contacts might be overwhelmed today, or might not be thinking about doing any of the above. Consider a proactive move in helping them get through the next couple of days.

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Many internal comms teams don’t have an editorial strategy. I’m here to fix that. Newsletter: https://mistereditorial.substack.com/.

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Mister Editorial

Many internal comms teams don’t have an editorial strategy. I’m here to fix that. Newsletter: https://mistereditorial.substack.com/.