Chilean Miners

Companies must be careful when choosing the words used to describe events like Chilean Miners that were trapped underground for 68 days. The words used have to show empathy towards the family members of the individuals in danger. It is a difficult task to convey the truth about what happened and, at the same time, not dash the hopes of the families that are left to ponder the fate of the miners.

The miner’s families would want the truth. They would want to know that the company is doing everything they can to return the miner’s to safety. They want to know that they are going to be kept abreast of what is going on. They would want to know they will be taken care of as well.

The employee’s would want to assured that the company will take this event seriously. They would want to know that the company is going to do anything they can to possibly avoid situations like this in the future. The message must be clear and precise, do not add extra details that are not needed or known. The employees would also need to know they should not talk to anyone about the incident without the approval of the company. This is to protect them as well as the company.

The company must be certain of the situation prior to releasing any kind of communication between them and the employee’s or family members. They must ensure they have the correct family members before sending anything to them. They do not want to give the news to anyone that is not involved. The key to ensuring a message is received as intended is to study the reactions of the receivers. The company would be smart to deliver the message to the families together in a group. This would ensure that all members received the same message, not to say some will not receive it differently, but they will get the same exact words. This would be something that should be delivered in person and verbally.