Entrepreneurs are setting an example of how to deal with a crisis like the current one.
Much of our analysis is based on experience and comparison. In these sad hours of anguish, of bewilderment, of impotence, and even more so in the conditions of confinement we have been forced to live in, we express our opinions amidst a deafening clamour of voices fed by the media and social networks. Some of these reflections are not based on reason, which tends to be demolished in times of collective depression and individual insecurity.
Our free conscience leads us to look for comparisons between what is happening and what should have happened, had we applied other behaviours in the face of the health crisis. Over-information, disinformation, infoxication or fragmented and sectarian information are not conducive to a thorough reflection. But amidst all the confusion, some reflections, based on my experience in business communication, can be made about the The report also notes that the government's attitude during the pandemic is taking stock of the situation. Unfortunately, the conclusions are not positive.
It goes without saying that politics and business are two very different ecosystems, in their cultural roots, in their final purpose and in their social and legal implications. But it is hard to understand that there is no visible prevalence in the political activity of obtaining results, as opposed to the use of the objectives of any company in our country. One is left with the obscure feeling that the objective is often instrumental to the mere ostentation of power, and not to social or economic transformation. Only in this way can it be understood that in the greatest crisis generated in Spain in the last century after the Civil War, our country remains on the same budget as two years ago. It is unthinkable that in a situation of pre-collapse of a company, it would not be possible to refrain from drawing up accounts adapted to the new needs. It is incomprehensible.
And, of course, communication. Selling nothing is just as bad as not selling everything.. An entrepreneur would put contingency plans in place and communicate them with a discourse infused with ideas and combined with empathy in a way that earns him or her recognition throughout the organisation. Corporate communication actions should increase employees' "pride of belonging".in the face of what is happening in the crisis where a growing climate of disaffection and disbelief is being generated.
With the differences outlined above, and only as an example of what could also be political communication, in today's business communication, its effectiveness must go hand in hand with the achievement of objectives, transmitting messages of effort, exemplarity, courage and the generation of wealth that will instil certainty in employees, suppliers, clients and the rest of the company's key audiences. Motivation will have to come from the heart, which will have to be better than ever matched to ideas. Unfortunately, in the government's political communication, the reason/emotion trade-off is not balanced, a circumstance that ends up undermining society's trust. Mistakes, whether rectified or not, the lack of answers to certain obvious questions, or The apparent internal discord within the government are not factors that make for adequate communication in times of crisis.
For example, in business communication at this time there must be a permanent updating of information on the preventive measures that the company is undertaking; internal information dynamics and productivity improvement; reinforcement of virtual personal relations with employees, shareholders, clients and administrations; attention to and improvement of the physical and mental state of the work teams. It is time to communicate more and better, increasing the ordinary flow of corporate messages to minimise the state of anxiety of the different agents that make up the company. Although aware of the difficulty involved, there is a lack of such a dynamic response plan in Spain's political communication, unlike what is conceived in other countries that also suffer from this emergency.
If there is one thing we can be proud of in Spain, it is our entrepreneurs; taking responsibility for taking their businesses forward. It is firms that generate employment and wealth and in the end the government will have to defend them as the cornerstone of the solution. Now we must remember that, even with coronavirus, we are one of the economic miracles of the world and we have overcome many crises.
No one can deny, except dogmatists, that civil society, and especially business, has been a reference point and will continue to be so. And that, to the same extent, there are lessons to be learned in politics. Businesses will need their best management tools, but also communication tools with greater visibility to explain to society how they add value. Trust is the main asset of companies, which is why business communication now and after COVID-19 will be an important element of their competitiveness and of the social support for the figure of the entrepreneur as a driver of solutions to the crisis we are experiencing. Let us hope that politics does not lag behind.
This article has been published in El Economista. You can access it by clicking here here.
Lucía Casanueva
Managing Partner of PROA