When stress is high, the rules for effective communication change radically.

1. How to Communicate
in High Stress
Situations*
Rusty Cawley, APR | TheColdCrisis.com
* Condensed from the National Center for Food Protection and Defense’s
“Risk Communicator Training for Food Defense Preparedness, Response &
Recovery,” module 3, topic 1.

2. Basic model for communication
The Sender

3. Basic model for communication
The Receiver

4. Basic model for communication
The Channel

5. Basic model for communication
The Message

6. Basic model for communication
Feedback

7. Basic model for communication
The Environment

8. Basic model for communication
Noise

9. High stress is noise

10. Establishing trust in
LOW stress situations
Competence &
expertise
80-85%
All other
factors
15%-20%
Trust factors
Source: Vincent Covello

11. Establishing trust in
HIGH stress situations
Listening, caring
& empathy
50%
Honesty &
openness
15%-20%
Competence &
expertise
15-20%
All other factors
15-20%
Trust factors
Source: Vincent Covello

12. 9/11 attack on New York City
• ‘The loss of life
… is greater than
any of us can
possible bear.’
– Mayor Rudy Giuliani

13. Impact of high stress
• The sender must emphasize
caring and openness.
• The receiver loses some
capacity to understand and
recall messages.
• Listening carefully to
feedback becomes crucial.

14. Effects of stress on communication
Low stress
• People can process an
average of 7 messages.
• They recall information in
linear order (1,2,3 …)
• They process messages at
an eighth-grade level
• Trust is built on competence
and experience.
Source: Vincent Covello

15. Effects of stress on communication
Low stress
• People can process an
average of 7 messages.
• They recall information in
linear order (1,2,3 …)
• They process messages at
an eighth-grade level
• Trust is built on competence
and experience.
High stress
• People can process an
average of 3 messages.
• They recall what they
perceive as most important
or what is said last.
• They process messages at a
fourth-grade level.
• Trust is built on listening,
empathy, caring and
compassion
Source: Vincent Covello

16. How do we adjust
for high stress?

17. 1. Send simple messages
• Maximum: 3 messages.
• Use short sentences.
• Blend empathy with action.
• Use numbers sparingly.

18. 2006 E.coli spinach outbreak
• ‘We are telling
everyone to get
rid of fresh
bagged spinach
right now.’
– Wisconsin Gov. Jim
Doyle

19. 2006 E.coli spinach outbreak
• ‘To be safe,
don’t eat it.’
– Minnesota Health
Department

20. 2006 E.coli spinach outbreak
• ‘It's sickening for us to
see anybody in the public
suffer in this way,
especially if they got ill
from eating at Taco
John's.’
–Corporate Vice President
for Marketing

21. 2. Emphasize pictures and diagrams

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