crisis-communication skill

---
name: Crisis Communication
description: This skill should be used when the user asks about "crisis communication", "how to tell the team", "communicating bad news", "employee messaging", "investor communication during crisis", "board communication", "transparency in crisis", "announcing layoffs", "announcing pivot", "stakeholder communication", or needs templates and guidance for communicating during difficult situations.
version: 0.1.0
---

# Crisis Communication

## Overview

How you communicate during a crisis often matters more than the crisis itself. This skill provides frameworks, templates, and principles for communicating during difficult company moments.

## Core Principles

### The Four Rules of Crisis Communication

1. **Be Fast** - Silence creates vacuum filled by speculation
2. **Be Honest** - Lies and spin always come out eventually
3. **Be Clear** - Confusion makes everything worse
4. **Be Human** - People remember how you made them feel

### The Communication Hierarchy

In a crisis, communicate in this order:

1. **Those directly affected** (e.g., laid-off employees hear first)
2. **Leadership team** (so they can support their teams)
3. **All employees** (before external stakeholders)
4. **Board and investors** (same day or next)
5. **Customers** (if they're affected)
6. **Public/press** (only if necessary)

**The rule:** No one should hear about their situation from someone outside before hearing from you directly.

## Audience-Specific Guidance

### Communicating with Employees

**What they need:**
- Truth (even when it's hard)
- Context (why is this happening)
- Clarity (what does this mean for me)
- Path forward (what happens next)
- Empathy (acknowledgment of difficulty)

**What destroys trust:**
- Finding out from outside sources
- Corporate speak that hides the truth
- Changing stories
- False optimism
- Delayed communication

**Formats:**
| Situation | Format |
|-----------|--------|
| Layoffs | 1:1 for affected, then all-hands |
| Pivot | All-hands with Q&A |
| Funding issues | All-hands with Q&A |
| Executive departure | All-hands announcement |
| PR crisis | Email + optional all-hands for questions |

### Communicating with Board

**What they need:**
- Early warning (no surprises)
- Facts and data
- Your assessment
- Your plan
- What you need from them

**Format:**
- Call or emergency board meeting for major crises
- Detailed written update
- Clear asks

**What to include:**
1. Situation summary (2-3 sentences)
2. How we got here
3. Options considered
4. Recommended path
5. What we need (decisions, support, resources)
6. Timeline

### Communicating with Investors

**Proactive communication builds trust:**
- Tell them before they hear elsewhere
- Be honest about struggles
- Show you have a plan
- Ask for help when needed

**Format:**
- Email for updates
- Call for major issues
- Be concise but complete

**Template:**
> Subject: [Company] Update - [Brief descriptor]
>
> [Name],
>
> I wanted to reach out directly about [situation]. Here's what's happening:
>
> **Situation:** [2-3 sentences]
>
> **What we're doing:** [Your response/plan]
>
> **What this means:** [Impact and outlook]
>
> I'm happy to jump on a call if you have questions. We're [confident/working hard to] navigate this well.
>
> [Name]

### Communicating with Customers

**When to communicate:**
- Service disruption
- Product changes that affect them
- Leadership changes they should know about
- When they might hear about issues elsewhere

**Principles:**
- Lead with impact on them
- Be specific about what's changing
- Provide timeline
- Give them a path for questions

## Situation-Specific Templates

### Layoff Announcement (All-Hands)

**Before the meeting:**
- Affected employees already informed
- Managers briefed
- FAQ prepared

**Structure:**
1. Open with acknowledgment: "I have difficult news to share today..."
2. State the decision clearly: "We're reducing our team by [X] people..."
3. Explain why: "Here's why we made this decision..."
4. Acknowledge those leaving: "I want to thank those who are leaving..."
5. What it means going forward: "For those staying, here's what this means..."
6. Q&A: "I know you have questions. Let's talk..."

**Sample script:**
> "Thank you for joining. I have difficult news to share.
>
> Today we're reducing our team by [number] people. This was an incredibly hard decision, and I want to explain why we made it and what it means going forward.
>
> [Explanation of business context - be honest but concise]
>
> We considered alternatives like [what you considered], but ultimately decided this was necessary to [reason - extend runway, refocus, etc.].
>
> To those who are leaving: thank you for your contributions. This isn't a reflection of your work. We're committed to supporting your transition with [severance details].
>
> To those staying: I know this is hard. You're going to have questions about workload, about security, about what this means. Let's talk about those things now.
>
> [Q&A]
>
> We'll get through this. I believe in this team and this company. Thank you for your resilience."

### Pivot Announcement (All-Hands)

**Structure:**
1. Acknowledge the change
2. Share what you learned (why current path isn't working)
3. Introduce the new direction
4. Explain what this means for everyone
5. Acknowledge the difficulty
6. Express confidence in the path forward

**Sample script:**
> "I want to talk about a significant change in our direction.
>
> Over the past [time], we've learned a lot. [Specific learnings]. Based on this, we've decided to pivot from [current] to [new direction].
>
> This isn't a decision we made lightly. We explored alternatives and talked to customers, investors, and advisors. Here's why we believe this is right: [reasons].
>
> What this means for you:
> - [Impact on roles/work]
> - [What stays the same]
> - [What changes]
>
> I know pivots are unsettling. It's okay to have mixed feelings. What I can promise is that we'll communicate openly as we navigate this transition.
>
> Questions?"

### Funding Challenges (All-Hands)

**When to communicate:**
- When runway becomes concerning
- When you're cutting costs significantly
- When fundraise timeline is uncertain

**Sample script:**
> "I want to give you an honest update on our financial situation.
>
> Our runway is currently [X months]. We're actively [fundraising/cutting costs/both]. I want to be transparent with you because you deserve to know where we stand.
>
> Here's what we're doing about it:
> - [Specific actions]
>
> Here's what this means for you:
> - [Impact on hiring, raises, etc.]
> - [What's NOT changing]
>
> I know uncertainty is uncomfortable. Here's what I can promise: I'll keep you informed as things develop. You won't be surprised.
>
> Questions?"

### Executive Departure

**Voluntary departure:**
> "I want to share that [Name] has decided to move on from [Company]. [Brief context if appropriate - pursuing other opportunities, personal reasons, etc.].
>
> [Name] has contributed [specific contributions]. We're grateful for [his/her/their] work.
>
> Here's the transition plan: [What's happening with their responsibilities].
>
> Please join me in thanking [Name] and wishing [him/her/them] well."

**Involuntary departure (keep brief):**
> "I want to share that [Name] is leaving [Company]. [Brief, neutral statement if any].
>
> Here's the transition plan: [What's happening with their responsibilities].
>
> I know you may have questions. I can't go into details about personnel matters, but I'm happy to discuss what this means for the team going forward."

## Communication Checklist

### Before Any Crisis Communication

- [ ] Do I know the full facts?
- [ ] Who needs to hear this and in what order?
- [ ] What questions will people have?
- [ ] Do I have answers or a plan to get answers?
- [ ] Have I briefed the leadership team?
- [ ] Is legal/HR aware (if relevant)?
- [ ] What's the follow-up plan?

### During the Communication

- [ ] Am I being honest?
- [ ] Am I being clear?
- [ ] Am I being human?
- [ ] Am I leaving room for questions?
- [ ] Am I committed to follow-up?

### After the Communication

- [ ] Follow-up on unanswered questions
- [ ] Check in with key people
- [ ] Monitor sentiment
- [ ] Provide updates as promised
- [ ] Document lessons learned

## Additional Resources

For more detailed templates and examples, see:
- **`references/layoff-communication.md`** - Detailed layoff communication guide
- **`references/stakeholder-templates.md`** - Templates for board, investors, customers