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Internal Communication in Times of Crisis
How to secure employee trust, support and advocacy in crisis situations
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About the book
How can senior leaders leverage internal communication to steer their organizations confidently through a crisis?
Internal Communication in Times of Crisis is a strategic, authoritative guide for executives and communication professionals responsible for reputation, resilience, and crisis recovery. Written by Alison Arnot, it provides practical tools for shaping and delivering informed, strategic internal communication that protects people and performance, and stabilizes and strengthens the organization when it matters most.
Drawing on data-led frameworks, strategic models and expert interviews, this book equips you to lead with clarity under pressure and deliver measurable impact in challenging times. You'll learn how to:
- Anticipate risks and design proactive crisis communication strategies
- Align messaging with human needs, leadership objectives and enterprise priorities
- Equip leaders and line managers to deliver consistent, informed communication
- Use data to measure impact, strengthen trust and capture ROI
- Build resilience through transparency and sustained employee engagement
Featuring real-world examples and insights, this book shows how effective internal communication is critical to enhancing reputation, resilience and recovery in the most challenging times.
Themes include: crisis communication, internal communication, crisis leadership, organizational resilience, strategic communication, employee engagement, internal crisis communication, data-led decision making
About the authors
Table of contents
- Chapter - 00: Preface
- Chapter - 01: Understand Crisis
- Chapter - 02: Recognise the Role of Internal Crisis Communication
- Chapter - 03: Anticipate and Plan for Different Types of Crises
- Chapter - 04: Understand Your Internal Community
- Chapter - 05: Define your Strategy and Agree Approach
- Chapter - 06: Craft your Content
- Chapter - 07: Select the Right Channels
- Chapter - 08: Work with your Leaders
- Chapter - 09: Support your Line Managers
- Chapter - 10: Listen to your People
- Chapter - 11: Take Care of Yourself
- Chapter - 12: Evaluate Efforts and Learn for Next Time
Reviews
The perfect handbook for anyone trying to understand the role of internal communication in a crisis. The frameworks outlined will help anyone in an organisation navigate a crisis - communication professional or not.
While there is no one size fits all for a crisis, the book captures many of the nuances that need to be considered for leaders when it comes to maintaining relationships with employees.
This book is a great blend of academic theory, practical experience and frameworks you can apply straight away.
The practicality of Alison Arnot's approach - backed by deep personal experience - shines through, covering all the key elements of effective crisis comms: from crisis categorisation, internal audience understanding and strategy to content creation, channel selection, leadership communication, internal listening and self-care.
'Internal Communication in Times of Crisis' will be invaluable in encouraging practitioners to think more strategically about the internal elements of their crisis comms, while providing practical, meaningful tools for putting that strategy into action.
Drawing on current and recent writings, Alison's own real-life experiences and interviews with practitioners, she provides a framework for understanding how crises develop inside organisations and ideas on how to respond when the worst happens. The book explores preparation, explains how the internal communicator's audience insight comes into play and works though the stages of an unfolding event.
This beautifully written book is packed full of useful suggestions and ideas which experienced and novice practitioners alike will value.
Alison offers clear, actionable insights, helping internal communicators navigate the challenges of crisis communication at every stage - from preparation and response to recovery.
What sets this apart is Alison's 7S framework that starts with people's core needs and expands to support the organisation as the crisis evolves. It's a structured, people-first approach that helps communicators lead with clarity, empathy, and confidence in times of uncertainty. This book is more than a guide; it empowers internal communicators to be strategic, responsive, and resilient when it matters most.
- In the chaos of crisis, it is easy to default messaging focused on external audiences - press conferences, media statements, social media updates, etc. What Internal Communications in Times of Crisis reminds us of is that some of the most critical conversations must first happen inside the organization. Internal audiences are too often an afterthought, yet they are the lifeblood of clarity, consistency, and trust. This book is a must-read for any communicator or leader who understands that employees are not just recipients of information - they can be trusted voices, steady hands, and powerful advocates when they are informed, empowered, and valued. If you are looking to level-up your crisis communications response from the inside out, start here.
- Benjamin Morgan, M.A. Principal, Centre for Crisis & Risk Communications
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