Crisis, Chaos, and Comms: Alison Arnot on Turning Panic Into Trust

Episode notes

Send us Fan Mail When crisis hits, clarity collapses — and HR is often left holding the mic. In this episode, Marion, Danny, and Cacha sit down with Alison Arnot , award-winning consultant, trainer, and author of Internal Communication in Times of Crisis: How to Secure Employee Trust, Support , and Advocacy in Crisis Situations . From her early-career baptism during the 2007 Glasgow Airport terror attack to decades guiding organizations through chaos, Alison shares what really happens when comms go quiet and people are left to fill in the blanks. She introduces her Seven S’s Framework — Surviving, Supporting, Sense-making, Stabilizing, Stimulating, Sustaining, and Strengthening — and explains how it helps teams move from panic to trust. Together, we explore how HR often becomes the crisis communications department by default , what psychological safety looks like when everything is on fire, and why connection—not control—is the cornerstone of any credible response. Expect stories, strategies, and a few uncomfortable truths about leadership, silence, layoffs, and the human side of crisis.