An HFMA Healthcare Financial Pulse Resource
No one wants to be the bearer of bad news—but by adopting a direct, honest, and caring approach, hospitals can meet the challenge head-on and sidestep the pitfalls that lead to long-term communications problems.
Gene Grabowski, senior vice president of Levick Strategic Communications, notes that virtually all communications with a health system’s community can potentially slide into a crisis if they’re not handled properly.
“With almost any of these messages, the stakes are very high and institutions have to be exceedingly careful,” he said. “We approach even the most straightforward situation as if it already is a crisis-communications episode—solely to keep it from becoming one.
“While we typically offer several recommendations to our hospital clients as part of our counsel—and they vary according to the situation, of course—they all revolve around two overriding principles: be direct and be honest. It sounds simple, but unfortunately, that strategy is all too rare. Too often, we see hospitals speak in a condescending or patronizing manner or in a happy-talk mode.
“And, just as important as direct honesty is clear demonstration of the truth of your statements. Communication is 80 percent action and 20 percent dialogue—but in our culture we’ve reversed that ratio. If you’re going to cut your workforce and claim that services will not be diminished, you need to be able to demonstrate how that’s possible. Audiences are very sensitized to that kind of credibility gap and if you don’t address that immediately, you’re vulnerable to some blowback that obscures the value of what you’re trying to do.”
The good news, according to Grabowski, is that even in a business environment oriented toward short-term horizons, forthright communication pays off.
“Let’s face it—we live in a culture that is generally forgiving and understanding,” he said. “But you have to give them a chance to exercise those qualities. What often happens, however, is that adversaries pounce on an issue and amplify it.
“Given the many media choices, we have to create as much short-term pain as possible. The instinct for the disclosing company is to pull back and the learned response is to, in the future, sugarcoat and speak indirectly to avoid that short-term pain. The problem is, the long-term pain increases.
“If you absorb the short-term pain the adversaries will go away. Accept that you’ll be criticized and focus on the long-term goals and benefits. Ultimately, communicating for the long term is the only appropriate strategy.”
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