"Good communication shows up especially in crisis situations".

Advertisingweek.ch: Many entrepreneurs and supervisors are enormously unsettled by the Corona crisis - but at the same time they are supposed to offer their employees orientation. What strategies can help with internal communication? 

Stephan FeldhausTimely and regular internal communication is now the be-all and end-all. Internal communication is more than just information; it offers employees orientation and motivation. To do this, it must be fact-based and empathetic and illuminate the overall context. It must neither dramatize nor trivialize. It must understand and respect the feelings of employees as colleagues and be friendly and approachable in tone. And it may also show a spark of optimism.

Which channels should supervisors focus on? 

Wherever possible, the spoken word should always take precedence over the written word for leaders. A personal video message is more convincing than a written text. Regular information and updates are, of course, provided in writing. Internal communication in particular shows whether a leader is a good communicator. Authenticity and empathy are particularly important here.

External communication is also important. What should companies tell their customers - and where is it better to perhaps keep quiet? 

As I said, in a time of crisis, the focus should be on internal communication. But external communication remains important when external stakeholders need information. Customers, for example, need clear information about the current offering or the continued services. Partners need information on volume planning, and investors are interested in the current course of business and contingency plans. In all these cases, regular direct information can also be useful.

Specifically: What does this mean for marketing?

Marketing has a bad standing in times of crisis. The time can be better used for planning and preparation. In any case, in external communications, you should refrain from abusing the crisis for marketing purposes. Here, you can conduct interesting field studies, especially in the social media. In some cases, this is very transparent, and in other cases, well-intentioned is the opposite of good.

Is now the time for quick reactions to current developments - or should companies try to invest in medium- and long-term brand building to get back on track after the crisis? 

Of course, this depends on the financial situation of the company. This can look significantly different for an SME than for a large corporation. One is always well advised to invest in the medium and long-term reputation of the company by means of communication.

But in a crisis, silence can sometimes be golden. And you can use this to prepare yourself optimally for the time of speaking. It is important, especially in times of crisis, not to jeopardize your reputation through faulty communication. People remember that for longer, and it can be particularly devastating.

These days, we see corporate behavior at both ends of the ethical spectrum: Some companies, like Facebook, pay their employees bonuses and issue quarterly reviews to take some pressure off employees' shoulders. Others fire anyone whose contract isn't nailed down. Does the crisis reveal the true character of a management? 

Good leadership and good communication are particularly evident in crisis situations. This also applies to companies. And good leadership relies on three elements: In addition to technical competence, which is demonstrated by excellent knowledge and skills, it is also about emotional and social competence. A good leader combines all three elements. And it is precisely in times of crisis that this becomes apparent.

Can you elaborate on that? 

You not only understand how something works and can explain it. A good leader also has a genuine interest in people, feels a conscience as an inner compass and knows that he or she, his or her work and his or her company are integrated into a social whole. This does not mean that everything runs without conflict and that there can be no hard decisions. But the decisions of a good leader are characterized by technical, emotional and social competence. And that is precisely the basis for successful communication about these decisions.

Adidas has experienced a veritable "shitstorm" because, after making billions in profits in 2019, the company announced it would stop paying rents for the time being. Now they have rowed back, but the damage seems to be done. As the former CCO of a global corporation, how do you explain such poor crisis communication by Adidas? 

Normally, communication follows strategy and not vice versa. So you should first look at the business decision before criticizing the communication. And the company itself has now acknowledged that the business decision in this specific case was obviously wrong and has even apologized for it. Communication was apparently only an executive body in all the ups and downs. That's all I can say about this individual issue.

But often that is precisely the problem with communication. That it is only an executive organ. For me, communication has a "midwifery" function, i.e. the head of communication works like a "midwife". The Greek philosophers always saw the task of philosophy as a midwifery function, in order to be able to bring out the true content of a thing. And the communication function not only supports in the carefully planned implementation of brand and content by means of suitable channels, but also supports precisely in the development of this content itself. And to stay with your example. If, during the decision-making process, you had looked at how the communication of such a decision would be received, indeed had to be received, you would probably have immediately decided differently. But when the pillow with the down feathers is shaken out in the marketplace, it will be difficult to collect all the feathers again.