Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Lead Consultant and Editor
Years ago, a boss confided in me about a personal issue that would impact her work schedule. She asked me to briefly tell each of the team members I managed about the issue, so they’d know why she was out of the office.
I took this responsibility seriously, so when I shared my boss’s news with the first team member, I prefaced it with statements like “This may be hard to hear.” Dread appeared on his face. When I told him about the personal issue our boss was dealing with, he paused a moment, then said, “I’m very sorry to hear that, but honestly, I’m a little relieved. From the way you built up to it, I thought she had a terminal illness.”
That taught me a lesson in risk communication: How you deliver a message matters as much as the content. I got caught up in the emotion of the moment, which distracted me from sharing what my team needed to hear: You might see less of our boss in the office for a while, but it’s not because of a lack of support, it’s just because she’s going through a challenging time.
Communication can make any risk program or effort soar—or falter. Many risk management efforts suffer from communication problems, even if the underlying plan is sound. When nonprofits come to NRMC seeking advice on risk challenges, we often find opportunities to improve communication with teams around risk issues. Here are some ways to improve your risk communication.
Know your audience.
Who do you need to communicate with? The public? Your staff? The board?
Know your goal.
If you’re asking your audience to take an action, make that request clear, and tell them how to do it.
Craft your message.
Communicate on multiple platforms.
Plan a campaign that will reach your audience in the key places where they might seek information on this topic.
Evaluate and iterate.
Listen to your audience. If they don’t volunteer feedback, seek it out. How was your message received? What do you want to repeat and avoid for the future?
Humans are wired to resist, even fear, the unknown. Communicating effectively about risk requires talking about things many people might prefer not to discuss. It requires understanding and addressing a variety of perspectives and knowing your audience’s needs and potential wants. If communicating about risk feels hard, that’s because it is! But taking the time to communicate about risk issues is always worth the effort. You won’t get your risk communications exactly right every time, but if you’re paying attention, you will always learn something you can use to improve them in the future.
Rachel Sams is Lead Consultant and Editor at the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. Open-ended questions are her favorite communications tool. Reach out with thoughts and questions about risk communication at rachel@nonprofitrisk.org or (505) 456-4045.
“First let me congratulate you on a conference well done. I had a great time at the Nonprofit Employee Benefits Conference and walked away with some valuable tools and questions that we’ll need to be addressing in both the short and long term. Thanks to you and your staff for all you do to provide us with quality resources in support of our missions.”
“BBYO’s engagement of NRMC to conduct a risk assessment was one of the most valuable processes undertaken over the past five years. Numerous programmatic and procedural changes were recommended and have since been implemented. Additionally, dozens (literally) of insurance coverage gaps were identified that would never have been without the work of NRMC. This assessment led to a broker bidding process that resulted in BBYO’s selection of a new broker that we have been extremely satisfied with. I unconditionally recommend the Center for their consultative services.
“Melanie Herman has provided expert, insightful, timely and well resourced information to our Executive Team and Board of Directors. Our corporation recently experienced massive growth through merger and the Board has been working to better integrate their expanded set of roles and responsibilities. Melanie presented at our Annual Board of Director’s Retreat and captured the interest of our Board members. As a result of her excellent presentation the Board has engaged in focused review which is having immediate effects on governance.”
“The Nonprofit Risk Management Center has been an outstanding partner for us. They are attentive to our needs, and work hard to successfully meet our requests for information. Being an Affiliate member gave us access to so many time- and money-saving resources that it easily paid for itself! Nonprofit Risk Management Center is truly a valued partner of The Community Foundation of Elkhart County and we are continuously able to optimize staff time with the support given by their team.”
“The board and staff of the Prince George’s Child Resource Center are extremely pleased with the results of the risk assessment conducted by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. A thorough scan revealed that while we are a well run organization, we had risks that we never imagined. We are grateful to know that we have now minimized our organizational risks and we recommend the Center to other nonprofits.”
Great American Insurance Group’s Specialty Human Services is committed to protecting those who improve your communities. The NRMC team has committed to delivering dynamic risk management solutions tailored to nonprofit organizations. These organizations have many and varied risk issues, hence the need for specialized coverage and expert knowledge for their protection. We’ve had Melanie speak on several occasions to employees and our agents. She is always on point and delivers such great value. Thank you for the terrific partnership and allowing our nonprofits to focus on their mission!
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