How to Connect through Crisis

In response, I gave them data—lots of it—and cited scientific authorities. The result was mutual frustration. My friends weren’t reassured about their autism concerns. I felt exasperated that my friends failed to “get it.” Humbled by these communication failures, I was determined to do better when the COVID pandemic struck almost a decade later.

As case counts surged, so did the demand for clear and useful public health guidance. Like many in public health, I was called into the response effort. Alongside an all-female team of scientists and clinicians—dubbed Those Nerdy Girls—I cofounded a public health education platform aiming to help people stay safe and sane. Our efforts continue today, reaching 200,000 regular readers on social media, while also training the next generation of public health communicators.

In addition to adopting traditional journalistic goals such as accuracy and balance, we’ve embraced empathy as a core communication value. While meeting scientific standards is crucial, I’ve come to believe that empathy is the key ingredient in effective public health communication. Grateful messages from our audience, along with award recognitions, consistently highlight our understanding tone. But despite serving as the founding Nerdy-Girl-in-Chief, I can’t take credit for this empathy-driven approach. In fact, as the above story suggests, I needed to learn it myself.

So, who were my best teachers? Nurses. Our team has been fortunate to have several nurse scientist contributors, and working with them has shown me why nursing is consistently ranked as the most trusted profession in the U.S. (Ahead of doctors, who are also highly ranked.) Nurses quarterback patient and caregiver communication on health care teams. As such, they receive extensive training on how to communicate in difficult settings, where fear and distress are the norm. Leading by example, our nurse colleagues taught us how to communicate effectively with an audience that felt scared and vulnerable. Their lessons extend far beyond public health. Indeed, I believe they hold valuable insights for business leaders as well.

In a world fraught with challenges—geopolitical tensions, fractured politics, and a challenging macroeconomic environment, to name just a few—helping employees, clients, and other stakeholders cope with uncertainty and fear is a leader-ship imperative. Inspired by the nursing profession, here are three principles that can guide communication.

PUT CONNECTION FIRST, INFORMATION SECOND
In high-stakes situations where fear is prevalent, building and maintaining connection should be the primary communication goal. People tend to trust information from those they feel connected to and tune out those they don’t. Communicators should focus on showing respect rather than immediately trying to change minds. Acknowledging emotions and emphasizing shared values or experiences are good starting points. Nurses excel at this: When meeting a patient, they use a warm tone to validate feelings, along with non-verbal cues like eye contact and smiles, and non-medical conversation (e.g. “I love your Eagles jersey, though I’m a Cowboys fan”) to build rapport. Only after making the patient feel seen and heard as a human being do they address the medical issue at hand.

SHOW EMPATHY
Empathy is often mistaken for a feeling—like pity or compassion. But as my nurse colleagues taught me, empathy is an action: Actively understanding the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of others. The Center for Disease Control’s “Walk a Mile” exercise offers a practical example of an empathy-building tool, guiding public health workers to better understand the specific vaccination challenges their communities face—ranging from misinformation to logistical barriers like transportation or fear of needles. In the same spirit, leaders should ask themselves “Have I walked a mile in my audience’s shoes?” If not, it may be wiser to delegate communication to someone who has, as you can’t meet the information needs of an audience you don’t understand. At the very least, communication should be a two-way street. Eliciting and responding to questions is a direct demonstration of empathy. Those Nerdy Girls have now responded to thousands of audience questions, using a Q&A format adapted from the popular “Dear Abby” columns of the print newspaper era. Thanks to this format, we’ve developed a deep, almost visceral, understanding of our readers’ information needs.

KEEP IT SIMPLE
Our brains have difficulty processing information in stressful situations, making simplicity in messaging crucial. Nurses use a range of tactics rooted in cognitive psychology to communicate effectively in these settings. First, messages should have no more than three or four key points. For instance, Japanese public health campaigns during COVID-19 emphasized the “3 C’s” of respiratory protection: Closed spaces; crowded spaces; and close-contact settings. Analogies and stories are also powerful tools for breaking down complex ideas. Public health communicators often compare disease spread to fire and use storybooks to explain outbreaks to children. Analogies are particularly useful for making numbers more relatable, such as comparing the destruction of 35 million acres by wildfire to an area roughly the size of England. Additionally, people tend to remember the first and last bits of information best, so starting with the most important point and repeating it at the end can enhance retention. Early in the pandemic, my friend and colleague Professor Paul Argenti, a corporate communications pioneer, taught me the importance of BLUF—putting the Bottom Line Up Front. Those Nerdy Girls have followed his guidance from the outset, delivering the key message upfront and reinforcing it at the end.

Thanks to my nurse colleagues, I’m now much better equipped to handle vaccine questions. When a new mom expresses concern about autism, I start by telling her that she’s a good mom for taking the time to navigate all the confusing information swirling about vaccines. I then share a few key reasons why I chose to vaccinate my own children, focusing on both the quantity and quality of the evidence disproving any link to autism. I end by assuring her that no matter her decision, I’m here to answer questions or simply listen. My goal is for her to feel heard and to trust that she can come to me with future questions. Similarly, when faced with a crisis, business leaders can follow the nurses’ playbook, communicating with humanity, empathy, and clarity to stay connected with their teams and broader networks.

This story appears in print in the 2025 winter issue of Tuck Today magazine.