10 reasons why it’s important to communicate with empathy and authority in times of crisis

In everyday business communication, the best communicators exhibit a balance of empathy and authority. Warmth-and-strength is always the appropriate tone combination, not only when it comes to what you say, but also in the way you say it.

But the qualities of empathy and authority are even more critical in the wake of a global crisis or large organizational change (like workforce reductions). During a crisis, information is gold. Good communication can lead to comfort and educated preparedness, while poor communication can lead to a lack of trust and exacerbate panic.

What is empathetic communication?

So, what exactly does “empathy” mean in communication? It means focusing on goodwill and doing no harm, especially when communicating. It means prioritizing people and their well-being, and making decisions that are in your employees’ and customers’ best interest.

Even if you have hard news to share, like a workforce reduction, you can share this news with the right tone and verbal cues, because you’re empathetic to the message being shared, and to the people it will impact. You put yourself in their shoes before you craft your messaging, knowing you want to treat others how you would like to be treated if the roles were reversed.

How to show empathy in communication during a crisis

Empathetic communication may sound simple, but it’s not always easy to execute. Some folks can be dishonest or tone-deaf, and it can snowball into a bigger PR nightmare. So as your communication partner, here are some tips to help you navigate communication in the midst of a challenging situation.

Empathetic communication tip #1. Adaptively listen

Remember, during a crisis people are scared. Active listening requires both body language and verbal cues to let them know you care. Examples of empathetic nonverbals can be head nodding, smiling, and using a warm and relaxed tone.

What might be retitled as “self-awareness training” is our Adaptive Listening™ workshop. It teaches you how to recognize these nonverbal cues in workplace settings, and how to become a better listener of everyone, like your employees, bosses, prospects, and even a spouse at home!

Empathetic communication tip #2. Acknowledge their fears

Displaying empathy through solidarity can assuage concerns. Everyone has the right to feel a certain way, including fearful, and it’s okay to let them know. Statements such as:

• “You are right to feel the way you do,” and
• “It’s easy to be fearful at times like this”

Can build openness to discussion and help move people toward hope. This is empathetic communication in action.

Hint: These also show you are providing Support Listening skills, which is one of the 4 S.A.I.D. Listening Styles™. Take our S.A.I.D. Listening Style Finder™ quiz to find yours!

Empathetic communication tip #3. Offer flexibility

If possible, allow employees to work remotely and virtually. Be creative. Many companies have already adopted a remote or hybrid workforce environment, so this might require minimal to no change for your organization. But for those who don’t have virtual communication built into their infrastructure, consider this an opportunity to change and adapt. Empathy in communication means adapting with the times and meeting the needs of your organization today.

Empathetic communication tip #4. Seek opportunities to learn and grow

While a crisis can be detrimental to normal business operations, such as having to cancel events or hold off on initiatives, it can also lead to positive growth and learning. In this 4th Industrial Revolution, as we all aim to digitally transform, most of us will need to adjust to a virtual communication option. (Hint: Our workshop Presenting Virtually™ can help with that!)

And, while some may be concerned about how remote work and work-from-home flexibility may impact business, research shows that there are a variety of benefits when companies provide remote work flexibility. Those may include:

• An increase in productivity
• Increased morale
• Less stress for workers
• And lower operating costs

Empathetic communication tip #5. Consider the most appropriate medium

Choosing the right communication medium is important to communicating with empathy. If your organization handles crisis communication via email, consider this: It can be difficult to detect tone in writing. When left to interpretation, written words can scare people unnecessarily.

If you can hold an in-person meeting or a remote meeting with cameras turned on, consider doing that. Or maybe send a video message via email. Allowing your team to see your face will likely improve the warmth behind the message and prevent the content from feeling scary.

In fact, the World Health Organization says that face-to-face interaction helps people deal with emotions in times of disease and crisis. If email is still the most likely and preferred medium for communicating about a crisis, make sure your message communicates empathy and authority.

Why do we discuss empathy before authority? At Duarte, we’ve learned that your audience is more likely to listen to what you have to say when they feel you’re on their side. Through empathy, you earn the permission and authority to lead them. So what does authority mean right now? It means leading your team in a way that makes them feel confident in your message so that they trust you as a leader.

How to demonstrate authority during a crisis

Empathetic communication tip #6. Build trust

If you want others to feel confident and act on your recommendations and direction, your team has to trust you. Why is trust so critical in a crisis? Because, according to several studies, the more we trust the people who are supposed to protect or inform us, the less afraid we will be. The less we trust them, the greater our fears. To build trust, communicators must manage expectations and communicate openly, honestly, and often.

Empathetic communication tip #7. Show competence through your delivery

Part of building trust is being perceived as competent. Research shows that avoiding upward inflections (a.k.a. upspeak or upticking) and speaking with a low-pitched voice expresses power and appears more competent. (But if you were giving a presentation, incorporating vocal variety is a good thing.)

Empathetic communication tip #8. Arm audience with facts

Knowledge is power, and during a crisis, information and events can move quickly. Empathetic communication sometimes means educating your team on the best ways to take care of themselves and others. Provide your team with updated links to reputable sources with accurate and up-to-date information that includes advice.

Research shows that the more people are armed with facts and understand what they can do to take care of and protect themselves, the more they will gain self-confidence that they can care for themselves. If the data you’re delivering is particularly dense, try wrapping your recommendation in a data story to really make an impact on people. (And if you want practice at that, take our Duarte DataStory® workshop.)

Empathetic communication tip #9. Don’t panic

Your team and coworkers will look to you for guidance on what feelings and actions make sense in a crisis. Anxiety is contagious. Communicating with empathy means trying to not to create unnecessary fear. Panic can undo any positive steps made during a crisis.

Empathetic communication tip #10. Practice what you preach

Studies show that in a crisis, it’s not enough to comfort with words; leaders must follow up with action. The research said that a disconnect between words and actions could actually increase fear. So, communicators should behave in ways that align with their verbal and nonverbal communication in order to address fears and bring reassurance.

At Duarte, we’ve always been audience-first advocates. During any crisis or big organizational change, your audience is likely dealing with some nerves. Think about what your audience needs from you in order to feel calmer and more competent.

They are seeking something beyond comfort, flexibility, and understanding. They crave knowledge, competence, and trust in their leadership. As an empathetic communicator, if you can offer them both empathy and authority, it’s more likely your team and your organization will emerge from your crisis feeling stronger, more secure, and with morale intact.

To learn more about how to communicate with empathy while executing change communications the right way, take our Illuminate™ workshop. Communicating with empathy can be learned!

This article was originally published on March 10, 2020. It has been updated in September 2024 for relevancy.