You should not blow your horn when doing good things. This controversial idea was forced on us. Oleksandr Sudarkin, MIM-Kyiv professor of leadership, MBA program director, and practicing therapist and coach shares his ideas on how to communicate, externally and internally to grow reputational capital and promote good actions.   

Oleksandr is sure that it is a leader who shapes communications. Besides, communication is a function that requires a professional approach.

On one hand, nobody cares about press releases. People are looking for live and personal communication, clear explanations supported by official reports as information sources. In other words, communication is the audience-friendly way to present precise information.

Leaders must communicate nowadays regardless of their dislike of being in the spotlight. They’d better start now even if they do not like the model TV presenters. Authenticity helps to build trust.

Auchan is a good example of only official communications failure. Except for a press release and some official written comments on russian operations, no information from the executive team or owners was available. Moreover, the is clear such an unexplained decision will result in financial losses.

Internal communication must be accurate. If it is war, call it a war. Forget about vagueness in our world of clear lines. Many of your employees will appreciate that.

Show empathy to your people. You have to become a more people person than you used to be before the war. Make people want to work for you. Take care of your people – decide on accommodations for those who lost their homes, offer psychological support to those who lost their family members or friends.

There is a strong temptation to accuse you of making a profit. Be ready for that.

We are under uncertainty. We do not know how long we have to operate in the war mode. Nobody knows how to distribute resources or keep on.

Report about your volunteering efforts. It is the time when you must let people know about what you are doing. Call it the reporting rather than anything else. It is not the case when you should be modest. You need to be discreet only if it is required by the war efforts. I like how our graduates – Astarta Kyiv Holding employees report about their volunteering activities. They are reporting once in two days without providing addresses or names. They are very professional. It is a good way to bring victory closer. For more advice visit the episode record