In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when there was so much fear and turmoil, a friend forwarded me a letter written by their CEO. It was an attempt to calm and fortify his team, and my friend found it profoundly helpful and supportive. This email inspired me to think about communicating in tough times. What should leaders focus on? What exactly do you say when discussing loss, or failure, or the reality of a crisis? I thought about discussions I’ve had with veteran managers who’ve weathered all sorts of challenges, and I distilled their lessons into the principals below. I hope they will be helpful.

1. Acknowledge the seriousness of the issue and its impact on stakeholders. Don’t sugarcoat and don’t over-dramatize. Tell the truth, be real, and be compassionate.
2. Publicly appreciate what has already been done and call out those who’ve done it.
3. Outline a vision or goal for the future — and the action right now that will help get there.
4. Make what you say inspirational.

• Connect the goal to your organization’s mission or strategic agenda.
• Put it in the context of shared values, either something your people feel is important or something you believe in deeply yourself (e.g., creativity, or integrity or helping clients or taking care of each other).
• Point out how it will help those in your audience or their families and friends.

5. Promise to update everybody regularly and keep that promise.
6. Honor people’s grit and forbearance and thank them for it.
7. Make what you say as personal, authentic and warm as you can.

Although I’m posting this during the pandemic, it’s equally useful for any situation marked by sadness, fear or deep frustration — e.g., a humiliating and costly mistake, or the loss of a critically important client, or the failure of a major project or initiative, or a layoff. The insights also work beyond the corporate setting: even with friends and family, the principles of honesty, compassion and positivity always apply. If you’d like see the letter that prompted this blog post, click here. And, as always — please share your thoughts in the comments section below — especially any communications or experiences that you found helpful in a trying time.