"America The Distracted"
If Team Bond were writing a recap of 2025 thus far, that's the headline we'd choose to sum it all up. As U.S. legislators, titans of industry, nonprofit leaders, and the general public grapple with the anxiety and uncertainty brought on by unprecedented and sweeping changes, we're watching professional communicators step in to to deliver critical support. They're offering wise counsel to C Suite leaders on mission, vision and values; they're stewarding honest discussions with stakeholders about future plans; and they're opening up new channels for dialogue, connection, and community to those who need it most.
Here are three ways communications pros can help businesses and organizations facing big change. Save this list and review it with your team during times of high distraction and disorder:
1 - Assembling meaningful collaboration sessions for tip-of-the-spear staff
Times of chaos or crisis demand swiftness of action. When alarm bells are ringing, a comms team can bring together stakeholders and drive your crisis management agenda. Inviting marketing, communications and HR to the table is a good start. Including finance is a bonus if you need to quickly determine what bandwidth and budget you have or need to handle the situation. If major change and risk is on the horizon, legal and outside consultants may be in this conversation, too.
2 - Facilitating brave conversations about change
Because inking a crisis plan and distributing a playbook doesn't mean you're done! (Sorry, but it's true.) Regular change management sessions can help keep teams on track and focused on short- and long-term goals during weeks or months that feel like riding a mechanical bull. These working meetings – if positioned as times for radical transparency and problem solving – can also improve efficiency for teams with little bandwidth by uncovering, and addressing head-0n, any issues that are bogging down processes or hurting morale.
3 - Training teams on messaging throughout the year (crisis or not)
Comms teams should build a solid framework for priority messages, then update it regularly based on reality, and conduct trainings so that every team member feels sufficiently informed and empowered to speak on the basics. These trainings could include a Q&A session that invites people to ask questions, but there should also be avenues for comms and HR to receive questions or gain feedback outside of group settings. This ensures that all voices are heard.
In short, training and teamwork FTW.
Need help getting out of your own way with communications planning during times like these? Let's talk.
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