CDC Comm Success Plan & First Source

From the CDC Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication
Barbara Reynolds  May 2, 2006
 

5 Communication Steps that Boost Operational Success
1 Execute a solid communication plan
 

There are some steps, next, that we can take to improve our communication to have some success in our communication.

The first is to have a communication plan a crisis communication plan. Now that sounds like a boring first thing that, you know, that we would think would be most important but I will tell you it’s not the plan itself that is important.

Most likely the plan won’t come off the shelf during the emergency but what does happen if we have a participatory process we’re developing the plan we’ll start to ask questions of those people who we’ll be working with as partners in the response to the public health emergency.

And we’ll know what roles we’re going to be sharing, how we’re going to approach the public, we can then insure that our messages are consistent, that we don’t answer questions that don’t belong to us to answer, all of those important things.

2 Be the first source for information

We talked a minute ago about why it’s so important to be the first source for information, here’s another reason. When people are seeking new information and its important to them the first piece of information they receive on the topic that’s sound credible it carries a great deal weight.

And then every message that follows that first piece of information is bounced up against the first one and so the first message carries more weight. If that first message is incorrect then those of us responsible for getting the correct information not only do we have to overcome the first incorrect message but then we have to try and push our correct message out.