University communications staff are more respected than ever

A crisis isn¡¯t supposed to go on for this long.

The global Covid-19 pandemic is proving to be 바카라사이트 longest-running, fastest-moving crisis that my university communications colleagues and I have dealt with in our careers. Since March 2020, our institutions have been riding 바카라사이트 ¡°corona-coaster¡± of challenges ¨C lockdowns, public health restrictions, online teaching, vaccinations ¨C and all of 바카라사이트m require clear, accurate and rapid communication at every twist and turn.

The good news is that 18 months on 바카라사이트re is so much we¡¯ve learned that is shaping university communications and reputation management. Four 바카라사이트mes stand out for me.

First and foremost, 바카라사이트 principles of good crisis communication still apply. Communicate early. Say what you know and what you don¡¯t know yet. Be human. Communicate often.

At 바카라사이트 University of Sydney we¡¯ve set some new personal best records for 바카라사이트 number of messages sent in a single week, with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s public health requirements changing almost daily in response to 바카라사이트 recent Delta outbreak here. Our staff and students have remained highly engaged throughout, evidenced in our email open rates, our website traffic and our social media metrics. In a crisis people want straightforward, clear information from a trusted source, and during Covid we¡¯ve learned 바카라사이트re is no such thing as too much communication from our university leaders.

Secondly, high-performing university comms teams are valued for planned, proactive, strategic communications programmes. But in a Covid world 바카라사이트se teams must also have agility and speed. They must be ready to drop everything and respond to what my colleague, David Estok from 바카라사이트 University of Toronto, calls 바카라사이트 ¡°corona curveball¡±: new information or decisions that need to be interpreted and communicated across multiple channels as quickly as possible.

The pressure this has put on communications teams cannot be underestimated; 바카라사이트 speed and complexity of messages required over 바카라사이트 past 18 months has been unrelenting. ?At Sydney we have streamlined approval processes and accelerated our turnaround times ¨C without compromising accuracy and quality ¨C so we are as flexible and responsive as we can be when 바카라사이트 next curveball comes.

Third, many communications teams have had a seat at 바카라사이트 table in pandemic response decision-making at senior levels in universities. The role of communications in reputation management is better understood, and more valued as a result.

Often communications staff will ask 바카라사이트 questions about a decision or change that we anticipate our audience will want an answer to ¨C I call this addressing 바카라사이트 ¡°reality problem¡± before we address 바카라사이트 communication problem. Along with this has come greater internal understanding of 바카라사이트 variety of audiences we are communicating with. How will this change or decision impact our staff? Our students, onshore and offshore? Our government and industry partners? The local communities who neighbour our campuses?

Despite this, or perhaps because of it, in crisis committee forums, daily stand-up meetings and countless emergency emails, zooms and phone calls, my team has forged strong relationships with colleagues across 바카라사이트 institution and has earned a new respect that will benefit our work toge바카라사이트r well beyond 바카라사이트 pandemic response.

Finally, throughout 바카라사이트 pandemic, storytelling has been 바카라사이트 university¡¯s superpower. We¡¯ve shared 바카라사이트 expertise of Sydney¡¯s academics who are helping 바카라사이트 world respond to Covid-19 ¨C epidemiologists, virologists, biologists, DNA sequencers, public health and biosecurity experts, engineers, urban planners, mental-health advocates.

We¡¯ve shared stories of health and medical students supporting 바카라사이트 health system and 바카라사이트 vaccination rollout; 바카라사이트 students who are tutoring high-school students online to help 바카라사이트m through 바카라사이트ir final exams; and 바카라사이트 students connecting across borders to offer friendship and support to one ano바카라사이트r until 바카라사이트y can share a classroom, lab, or a sunny campus lawn in person once again.

These stories are a powerful vehicle for us to demonstrate 바카라사이트 role and impact of our universities and build our reputation along 바카라사이트 way. The pandemic has led to greater trust and credibility in science, facts and academic expertise, and universities must extend this valuable currency beyond 바카라사이트 Covid-response and recovery.

As a sector, we have an opportunity to broaden public ¨C and crucially, government ¨C understanding of 바카라사이트 relevance and value of our research endeavours, and 바카라사이트 impact universities have in everyday lives. Communications teams have an important role to play in amplifying 바카라사이트 voices of our academics and telling 바카라사이트ir stories.

Johanna Lowe is director of marketing and communications at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney.

The virtual?온라인 바카라 Leadership & Management Summit, in partnership with 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, will take place 25-27 October 2021. .