Category Archives: Best Practices

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Be Prepared: Communicating During a Crisis

Crisis Mode

Crisis. This is something of a taboo in businesses. Something no one wants to believe will happen, and therefore, when it does, there’s a good chance that there is no concrete communication plan. If you don’t have a plan, it won’t only be the crisis that puts your company under, but the fact that your employees and publics will be left in the dust and deem your company untrustworthy. So, it’s important to know how to communicate correctly to your publics during a crisis so that you can get yourself out of the media’s eye. To get yourself out of the media, you must cooperate with them first. Good communication will help you maintain people’s trust and confidence in you.

The Information Gap

When in a crisis it’s important to close what is called, “the information gap.” An information gap is when the audience doesn’t have all the necessary information on your crisis, so they are seeking out answers. If you don’t close the gap in a timely manner, false information and damaging rumors can get out about your company, making it harder and harder to close the gap. In order to close this gap effectively and efficiently, you must communicate with the media to give correct information on crisis details that your company is willing to share. Once the gap is closed and the public is pleased with the amount of information you have given, then you will be out of the media and out of the public’s minds, thus ending your crisis…with the public at least.

Some Tips on How to Communicate During a Crisis

Pick a spokesperson. This does not have to be the CEO. It should be someone who can speak expertly and confidently on camera. You could also bring in other spokespeople like specialists on the topic (doctors, lawyers, etc.). Bringing in a specialist provides more credibility on the issue and makes your claims more believable. However, make sure you limit the number of spokespeople you have to maybe one or two so that your key message and facts can remain the same across all statements. Having too many spokespeople can cause fact mix-ups and too many opinions circulating through the news.

Make a message triangle. A message triangle is a tool that you can create in order to structure three important key messages in a concise manner to your intended audience. It helps you keep in line exactly what you have to say before you have to say it so that you’re not caught off guard by any questions or statements. It helps you create key statements with supporting facts. What is it that you want your audience to know? What do you want to ring through every message you give to the media? Figure that out and come up with supporting statements, this way both the media and your publics won’t have to question what it is your trying to get across. The messages will remain the same throughout everything you do.

Don’t forget about your internal publics.

Internal publics should be told what’s happening first and foremost. Leaving them out of the loop will cause them to become untrustworthy and disloyal toward your company… hurting you more during a crisis. You can easily let them know what’s happening via the company intranet and easily keep them updated via the intranet as well. Make sure they know they are valued; if employees are angry they will go to the media (with false/damaging information) and could even quit their jobs.

Set Up Interviews and Beware of Trick Questions.

Disrespecting a journalist will do the same kind of damage as disrespecting your staff. A journalist can twist the story in your favor or not. You want journalists on your side so they can be utilized to help you get out of your crisis faster, not sink you further. Some journalists however, will be unrelenting no matter how pleasant you are. Don’t get trapped by their tricks. A reporter’s job is to dig a little so they can tell a good story. Listen to their questions, answer truthfully (use your key message triangle), be pleasant, and respect their deadlines. Practice before the interviews. Don’t speculate on what could have been or what could be; don’t get trapped into using jargon (this cuts you off from your audience); don’t force blame on to anyone; and remember…nothing is off the record.  Here’s what the media wants to know from you:

  • What happened
  • If there was death or injury
  • How much damage there is
  • If future damage is expected
  • Why it happened
  • Where responsibility lies
  • What you’re doing about it
  • When it will end
  • If anything like this has happened in the past
  • If there were warning signs

Social Media During a Crisis

With the technological age we’re in now, people demand updates, and fast, so it’s important to keep up on social media. It is a good idea to have someone running social media during a crisis as this is a great way to provide updates effectively and efficiently. However, you should be sure to line up your social media posts with the key message your trying to get across in other forms of media so all of the information lines up. On your social media, it is never a good idea to delete negative comments from your pages. People will see this and think you are trying to keep something from them. It will cause a lack of trust and create an even bigger crisis. Respond to negative comments, if necessary, with truthful responses. Do not place blame on the commenter, just leave a neutral response that satisfies the commenter and everyone else reading it. Make sure your employees know your social media policies, and make sure your employees are not posting any opinions or false information about the crisis at hand. Just be sure to monitor your social media, stay in the conversation, give the correct facts, and keep in touch with your audience. The publics will appreciate the fact that you are being transparent with them.

Your Crisis is Over, Now What?

Always be prepared for the next crisis. Every crisis you have is a good learning experience to see what you did wrong and what you did right. From that you can come up with a crisis communication plan and assess the potential risks that haunt your company. Lastly, don’t forget that even though your crisis might have ended, you might be troubled by the media on anniversaries of it. So, be aware and know how to handle the future conversation about the crisis. Don’t be thrown off guard if every one, five, or ten years your company comes back into the public’s eye for a crisis that happened years ago.

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Addressing the Digital Divide in Healthcare

All humans face a degree of vulnerability, but some experience the burden of more numerous or severe vulnerabilities than others. We can explain the extra burden that some face as special vulnerability. Special vulnerability can be temporary or permanent and can occur at any point in a person’s lifetime. It can arise from one or a combination of physical, psychological or social factors. It can happen to anyone at any time due to the mortal human condition.

There are a countless number of reasons why people can experience special vulnerability, but those related to healthcare access can be some of the most grievous. Access to healthcare has an inextricable impact on health including quality and quantity of life. Quality and quantity of life are basic needs that must be met before any other opportunities can be achieved or vulnerabilities overcome. This means that promoting healthcare access is essential for a well-functioning society and satisfies our moral obligations to protect those who, like us, are or may become especially vulnerable.

Promoting health care access involves studying and removing barriers to access. Barriers to healthcare access include, but are not limited to, transportation issues, access to specialty providers, access to ancillary services, language barriers, cultural barriers, and access to technology. While there are many factors that contribute to access, barriers to accessing technology are becoming increasingly prevalent and pressing for modern healthcare delivery in the United States. US health policy and innovation are moving toward a more technologically advanced healthcare delivery system, and many vulnerable patients have not been able to keep up. This means that technology-dependent communication messages can miss vulnerable populations that need them the most.

Health communication leaders can and should make sure that vulnerable populations get the health messages that they need. When vulnerable individuals face barriers to technology access, health communication leaders should develop integrated, multi-level approaches to communicate key health messages. This can include engaging the community by talking to community members, tapping into community resources, and using multiple media platforms. It can also include developing better tools for communicating with patients including shared decision-making and cultural competency.

Engaging the Community

1. Ask the vulnerable community. Talk to community leaders about effective ways to reach your vulnerable audience. Focus groups and one-on-one interviews with members of the vulnerable community can also elucidate community-specific needs.

2. Tap into community resources. There may be existing community resources that can be used to deliver your message. Find out if there are ways that you can synergize with community organizations to deliver your message.

3. Use multiple media platforms. If you are using technology to deliver your message, consider adding additional media platforms to your campaign. This could include the use of communication platforms like radio, television or community forums.

Tools for Communicating with Patients

1. Implement shared decision-making techniques. Train providers and staff on shared decision-making techniques. Through shared decision-making, staff and providers can learn about specific challenges that their vulnerable patients face and determine ways to address these challenges individually.

2. Engage in cultural competency. Incorporate cultural competency into your organization’s culture. Make sure that the organization’s executive and upper-level leadership are committed to cultural competency. In addition, providers and staff should be trained on cultural competency and incentivized to engage in culturally competent interactions.

Ultimately a collaborate, integrated and multi-level approach will get key messages to those who need them the most. Communication leaders should make a concerted effort to use these approaches and reach all who need essential health messages. The lives of the vulnerable depend on it.

Natalie Dick, MHA

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Destroy Writer’s Block and Get Working

My undergraduate professor often told her students that there was no such thing as writer’s block. Of course we never believed her. Instead, we’d complain about writer’s block in dramatic and amusing ways. She never empathized. She would say, “Just sit down at your computer, stare at the screen, and type ‘I have nothing to write. I have nothing to write. I have nothing to write…’ again and again.” She guaranteed that we would find something to write after typing it over and over again.

Since graduating a few years ago, I’ve tried this trick about a dozen times when I’ve become stuck in either my creative or professional writing. It works; you really do get sick of typing it over and over again. Still, there are many ways to find a way to the page.

Ways around writer’s block

  • Exercise or go for a walk. If you’re sitting at your desk with nothing to write, walking away for a bit is always helpful. Go get your blood moving a bit and pump some extra oxygen up to your brain. Coming back to the desk will be refreshing.
  • Brew some coffee. Or cocoa. Or whatever it is you most enjoy. The familiar process of making something and then holding that warm cup of whatever will appease the brain.
  • Brainstorm ideas. Make a list of things you could write about or outline what you need to write about. This way, you’ll have a place to begin.
  • Eliminate distractions. Put your phone on silent and out of sight. Use an app to block the internet for an hour or two. Hide anything else that usually distracts you. Without everything begging for your attention, you’ll be able to find some serious time with just the page in front of you.
  • Create a routine. Entering into a routine will help your body and mind get ready to write. Just like a morning routine or a bedtime routine, your body will prepare itself and you’ll become an efficient writing-machine.
  • Find the time you write best. If you’re a freelancer, you have more of a window to write than a writer in an office. Find what time you write well. Are you a rise-and-shine writer or a stay-up-all-night writer? If you have a 9-5 job, consider how you can break up your day. Maybe use the mornings to send emails, and then the afternoons could provide some solid writing time to get the work done.
  • Just write. If all else fails, just write something. Whether it’s ‘I have nothing to say’ over and over again or just free writing for a little while, eventually you’ll find a way into what you need to write.

Don’t enable your writer’s block

  • Don’t procrastinate. It’s easy to find ten other things to do before doing what you need to do. It’s easy to spend a whole day procrastinating. Don’t push it off. Sit down and find a way to the page.
  • Don’t wait until you feel like it. If you wait until you are inspired, until you have the words in your head, you’ll never find the words. So sit down, and tell yourself it’s time.
  • Don’t read articles about overcoming writer’s block. Maybe this article helped you, or maybe you’re mad you spent a few moments of your valuable time reading it. Either way, quit procrastinating. Go write.
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How My Creative Writing Helped My Professional Writing

Alison Albitz

I began my undergrad with only one major: a BFA in creative writing. After one semester, I knew that pursuing only one major would mean taking a lot of extraneous courses that wouldn’t necessarily add up to much, so I decided to simultaneously pursue a BA in communication with a focus on print journalism.

This addition initially seemed like a very logical one: I liked writing and felt that I was good at it, so why wouldn’t I try a different style? How different could it be? As it turned out, switching between AP style and MLA, fact and fiction, and no-nonsense and poetry ended up being much more difficult than I had anticipated. Once I began working professional writing seemed like a whole new beast to tackle.

It wasn’t until my senior year of undergrad that I understood that switching between these styles of writing was difficult because I saw them as completely different entities, when I needed to view them as supplemental to each other. As I’ve mulled over the similarities between the three, I’ve come to a few conclusions.

They all have the same end goal

At the end of the day, writing is all about communicating effectively. In journalism, the goal is telling a story or sharing information. In creative writing, the author attempts to get a reader to feel something, understand a character, and see the world from a different perspective. Professional communication is all about conveying information succinctly and efficiently. When I realized that the ultimate goal of these different writing styles is so similar, I began to see that I could use skills I’ve learned in one area to better improve the others.

None of them are allowed to be boring

Whether you’re writing a press release, a newspaper article, or a novel, it has to keep the reader engaged. The art of storytelling is not easily learned, but is integral for maintaining the reader’s interest. Click here and here to learn about the role of storytelling in grant proposals and nonprofit campaigns.

Never assume that one skill cannot translate to other areas

In a newswriting course, my professor constantly reminded us that we weren’t writing creatively when we wrote news stories. In other words, this wasn’t creative writing; this was journalism. However, my creative storytelling skills added to both my newswriting and professional writing skills, and the succinct style of journalistic writing has aided my creative writing, too. Any skill learned in one area of writing is transferrable to others, and trying to limit certain skills to specific mediums only limits the potential for great writing.

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Treat with Care: A Culturally Competent Checklist for Healthcare Providers

Cultural Competence

What it means to be healthy differs among cultures. It’s not just about the absence of disease; it’s the feeling of overall well-being. Cultural competence means an organization is able to function within the context of cultural beliefs, behaviors, and needs. It is imperative that healthcare workers always consider this when treating patients. Everyone is different. That means their bodies are, too. It does not work to have one universal treatment plan. By being aware of a person’s values, individuals can receive care personalized to them: which means the patient is more likely to go through with treatment and will have a better physician-patient relationship.

For Example…

A Jehovah’s witness cannot accept a blood transfusion due to how that person interprets the bible. As a result, it is up to a doctor to think outside the box, communicate with the patient, and come up with a treatment plan that will help the health the patient while staying within the person’s own beliefs. Since this is a poignant issue, UPMC even decided to start a bloodless campaign to consider these patient’s needs. After taking the time to communicate with people of this belief, UPMC actually felt more empathetic toward them and wanted to help. This proves that communication is key.

Health Communication

When interacting with patients it is important to remember key heath communication concepts. A patient cannot be treated correctly if a physician does not communicate with him or her and understand what his or her needs are. In the beginning of an appointment, it could be helpful if physicians went through a quick checklist of questions to begin to understand the patient in front of them. By utilizing a checklist and showing care, the patient in return will begin to trust the physician and open up to him or her.

Recommendations in becoming a more culturally competent health system

  • Provide translators
  • Research beliefs
  • Initiate cultural health campaigns
  • Provide cross-cultural training
  • Shared decision making among family members
  • Reach out to community health workers
  • Patient surveys to measure health literacy
  • Programs for patients on learning about the health system
  • Hire and promote minority workers

Remember: your set of beliefs are not the same as everyone’s set of beliefs. Take a step back, clear your mind, and be empathetic toward the patient. Take the time to research what the patient believes and understand what that patient’s personalized treatment options should look like. This will build the patient’s trust and will provide more personalized care which means more successful survival rates.

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Seeing Red? Tips for Working with Editors

by Amanda Bernhardt

“Why did you change this?!” said a researcher who had just stormed into my office. He was holding an issue brief I recently edited and sent back to him.

“Because it’s jargon. This brief is for laypeople. They’re not going know what ‘substantial gainful activity’ is,” I said.

“But our client—the guy paying our bills—likes that language. Shouldn’t we do what he likes?”

As editorial disagreements go, this one was minor, mostly because we have a corporate rule about it. But writers and editors always seem to but heads over something. And if you’re a writer, eventually you’ll be dealing with this, too.

I can hear you groaning already. Writers don’t love the idea of having their work napalmed by an editor, but editors aren’t the enemy. In fact, their goal is to make you and your writing look great. A good editor sees your work as your readers will see it. She can tell you what to cut, add, and correct to get the attention and response you want.

But what if you disagree with the edits? What if the editor doesn’t catch everything or changes your intended meaning? Here are some tips for minimizing the amount of red ink spilled:

Before the Edit

  1. Revise your work. Just because you’re working with an editor doesn’t mean you can skip your own revision. Get your draft into a good shape before an editor sees it. Have someone else read it, if needed.
  2. Get your facts straight. A good editor will catch things like simple math errors or that Austin (not Dallas) is the capital of Texas. But if your standard deviation is off by 2 points or you cited the wrong source, that may be on you. Find out how much, if any, fact checking your editor does.
  3. Know your style guide. Save yourself and your editor time by learning your style. It’s easier to put in the serial comma yourself than to have your editor do it and have to accept a ton of commas in Track Changes.
  4. Have a pre-edit chat. Tell your editor the purpose of your document, your audience, the style guide you’re using, and your deadline. Be sure to ask any questions you have about the editing process. Chat with your editor in person, if possible, to establish a rapport.

After the Edit

  1. Don’t take it personally. Getting a red-inked document back can make you feel like a fifth-grader getting an F on a paper. Don’t worry, you’re not grounded. Many writers, including great ones, get heavily edited; it’s a normal part of the process. Your editor’s goal is not to punish you but to make you and your writing shine.
  2. Have a post-edit chat. Review the edits and note any you disagree with or have questions about. Go over those with your editor. There’s a lot of give and take in editing, and not every edit is set in stone.
  3. Take another look. If you revise your work post-editing, you may introduce new errors. Feel free to ask for a follow-up edit or a proofread to catch any typos. (Remember to budget time for this.)

Further reading:

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Basic Interview Advice for Writers

by India Johnson

After you’ve submitted your writing sample and/or portfolio, it’s time to prepare for the in-person interview. Take a deep breath, relax, and follow these interview tips:

Learn about the company and position. Do research. Learn about upper management (LinkedIn is a great tool). Read about the projects the company has worked on. Carefully read the job description to familiarize yourself with the required responsibilities.

Prepare brief answers to typical interview questions. Your answers should be clear and concise. Typical interview questions include:

  • Tell me about yourself.
  • Tell me about a recent project.
  • What do you love most about writing?
  • Tell me about your writing process.
  • What do you do in your free time?

Prepare questions for the interviewer. This shows your industry knowledge, and also it reminds them that they are being interviewed as well. You must decide if you want the position if it is offered. Typical questions to ask include:

  • What will a successful year look like for this position?
  • Why is the position open?
  • How do you train new writers?
  • When are you looking to make a hiring decision?

Arrive early. If you are not early than you are late. Don’t make a bad first impression.

Dress Professionally. Here are some tips for what to wear for the job interview.

Take Notes. You may not remember everything that was discussed during the interview. Take brief notes for reminders once you get home.

Send a ‘Thank You’ note. After the interview send an email or mail a note to thank the interviewer for their time.

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3 Ways You Can Write Like Cicero

We can learn a thing or two from the ancient Romans. How to build the perfect stone arch, for example, or how to throw an incredible dinner party.

Writers looking to persuade an audience should take a page from the book of one Marcus Tullius Cicero, an ancient politician famous for his speeches and mastery of rhetoric. And with election season upon us, you will almost certainly hear the same strategies echoed today.

Here are 3 Ciceronian techniques that can help add oomph to clear, concise language:

  1. Anadiplosis: Yes, it sounds a little like a disease. But this trick can help you more effectively link successive ideas to make a point. Anadiplosis is the repetition of the last word of the previous clause, and looks like this:“Fear leads to hate. Hate leads to anger. Anger leads to suffering.”
    -Yoda, the wise mentor in Star Wars
  2. Chiasmus: This term means “X” and describes an A-B-B-A pattern. It helps you emphasize a contrast, like this:“It’s not the men in my life that count: It’s the life in my men.”
    -Mae WestOr, in more presidential terms:
    “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
    -President John F. Kennedy
  3. Tricolon: Ancient speakers knew there was something almost magical about the number 3, and tricolon is simply a set of 3 parallel words or phrases. (How weird does this sound: “Location, Location.” You just need that third one.)Tricolon is one of President Obama’s favorites-consider this snippet from his 2008 victory speech:“If there is anyone out there [1] who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; [2] who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; [3]who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”
    -President Obama

    When the third item serves as a climax or exclamation point, it’s called tricolon crescens(crescens means “increasing”):

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
    -Benjamin Franklin

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Must-Do Writing Tips to Establish Yourself as a Professional Writer

The leap from writing your first article to calling yourself a professional writer can seem vast, but there are a number of small steps along the way that add up to a successful career.

  1. Write. A lot.Just like any other skill, writing takes practice. The more you do it, the better and more efficient you will become—which often makes the difference between earning and losing money on a project. Set up a routine for yourself in which you write everyday. Soon, you won’t waste time staring at a blank screen—you’ll be in the habit of sitting down and getting straight to work.
  2. Define your expertise.Often the only way to know what you’re good at is to try it. You can gather experience and figure out what you like by completing assigned projects as part of a graduate program in writing, by volunteering your services, and by self-assigning writing challenges. If you think you might like grant writing, try putting together a grant proposal for a nonprofit organization you’re passionate about. If you want to try technical writing, see if you can pair with a local software developer to create documentation for one of their projects.
  3. Find feedback and support.One of the best and most straightforward ways to find what you need as a budding writer is to enroll in a graduate program, which offers two key things most writers need: deadlines and feedback. You’ll gain discipline and the invaluable benefit of constructive criticism.
  4. Build a community.Gaining a community of other writers and members of your industry can be a game-changer. Try joining a writing group or professional organization, attending author readings and events, enrolling in writing workshops, going to conferences, etc. The people you connect with will become your professional network.
  5. Create a writing portfolio.Nothing says “professional” like a well-crafted writing portfolio. It won’t be the first step in your journey, but it will be a vital part of establishing yourself.
  6. Make your online presence known.It’s not just your writing portfolio that counts, but your blog, LinkedIn profile, social media accounts, etc. Create a consistently professional brand for yourself as a writer and publicize it.
  7. Put yourself out there.Unless you’re extremely lucky, writing work does not fall into your lap. You must actively pursue it. This means, that in addition to writing everyday, you should be answering calls for submissions, entering contests, and pitching your story ideas to editors.
  8. Volunteer selectively.Everyone likes to earn cash, but sometimes offering your services for free can pay dividends, especially if it allows you to gain valuable experience.
  9. Own it.Once you’ve put in the time and gained the confidence, don’t be afraid to take ownership of the empowering phrase: “I’m a professional writer.” And don’t forget to pay the goodwill forward by helping other new writers get into the game.
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Think Twice about Adjectives

by Carolyn Morrison

Long ago, in high school, I had a writerly friend. We would share poems we had written and exchange notebooks in a breathless moment. He took my crazy, cursive loping stanzas that leapt across margins, and I accepted his stark blocks of prose that looked rubberstamped except for the distinctive characteristic of his hard-pressed, penciled, all-capital letters.

His advice was merciless—kill the adjectives.

I was always most incensed when he rallied against my adjectives. What harm did they do, adding life and color (or, more likely, a miserable mood befitting adolescence) to nouns in need of support?

An article by writing coach Daphne Gray-Grant found in the latest Conversion Chronicles newsletter, a website dedicated to helping people write highly-effective content for their own websites, suggests that adjectives themselves may help to kill off your audience if you let them run amok in your writing.

Gray-Grant’s Three Adjective Pitfalls

  1. Adjectives are imprecise.
    “Stunning” is an example of an overused adjective with a broad meaning. Especially common in social media, this is the go-to kudos comment for a great posted photograph. But, with some in-depth analytical thinking, stunning just sounds shocking, electrifying, and downright painful, and a great macro-shot of a gerbera daisy shouldn’t hurt.
  2. Adjectives mean different things to different people.
    This problem is similar to number one, but advances the vagary of many adjectives to account for different social and cultural perceptions. Take for example the emotional state of someone feeling “blue.” Considering emotive and psychological color representations are not the same the world over. This state of being is sure to cause confusion somewhere as digital writing travels around the globe.
  3. Adjectives sound too hype-y and sales-y.
    In many situations, overuse or misuse of adjectives leaves an audience with a bad taste in their mouth. Take redundant food descriptors for example, like “doughy,” “cheesy,” “rich,” and “creamy.” All of these tasty tidbits may be true to the product, but they are so standard, the product has no chance of standing out if standing by its written bio alone.

So, how do you add pizazz to your writing without bedazzling the pants off of it? Gray-Grant chooses to highlight a sentence’s verbs in a powerful way, while limiting the baggage that comes with the adjective + noun relationship.

Gray-Grant reminds us that verbs don’t have to be lackluster:

“Strengthen your verbs by making them as specific as possible. Eat, for example, could also be nibble, devour and gobble, depending on what you want to convey. Likewise, sit could be slouch, spread out or recline.”

Sometimes, it’s just about role reversal to add a new dynamic to the sentence. Instead of “whispering pines,” let the pines actually do the whispering, as in “the pines whisper in the breeze.”

For more adjective admonitions, try guidance from Writer’s Digest, a list of the internet’s most played-out adjectives from Motherboard, and adjectives to avoid professionally.