By Cynthia Kay, Cynthia Kay & Company
It’s a simple truth. Consistent communication in an organization instills confidence. In fact, companies with engaged employees outperform those without by 202%. This is especially important with employees who are being asked to do more and more during a time of exponential change in the business world. Many companies have traditional employee communications like newsletters and periodic calls but some go further. The very best have well-conceived monthly or quarterly face-to-face and video conferences. At CK & CO we produce a variety of digital communications for these meetings. We also help companies set up a plan and systems for distribution. Here are few things to consider when starting or refreshing your periodic communications.
It’s a simple truth. Consistent communication instills confidence. This is especially important with employees who are being asked to do more and more during this time of exponential change in the business world. Many companies have traditional employee communications like newsletters and calls but some go further. The very best have well-conceived monthly or quarterly face-to-face and video conferences. At CK & CO we produce a variety of digital communications for these meetings, along with helping companies with systems for distribution. Here are few things to consider when starting or refreshing your communications.
Brand It
It‘s important the meeting or video is branded to align with your company, but it also needs its own look and feel. This helps differentiate the internal pieces from external communications while still having a professional look to show the importance of the communication.
Develop Business Literacy
Not all employees need to be accountants, but they should understand how their productivity affects the bottom line, and the connection between the job and the financials. It’s helpful to establish a common language about the numbers and make them come alive. Use examples to show how wasted time or materials affects profitability. Once employees understand their role they become more engaged in the process of work.
Create Compelling Content
It’s not just about the numbers. Highlight key customers and celebrate wins, show employees work going on around the organization for new products or services, encourage participation on educational or service activities. Once you develop the content remember storytelling is a great way to get your message across. Everyone loves a good story, so find them and share them. Consistent communications are a great vehicle to communicate information about benefits and other human resource topics. It can be helpful to create “buckets” of content. For example, financial information might be Dollars and Sense, new products or services might be What’s New…you get the idea. Segment the information so it is easy for the viewer to digest and comprehend.
Get a Schedule
Many companies schedule a quarterly meeting or roll-out. Others have a monthly gathering. Whatever you decide, be consistent with the schedule. You also need to be sure remote workers can be included. You can stream video of live meetings or post video on an internal site for review. You want to have a system for Q & A. This can be live, or a forum where employees submit questions.
Keep it Fresh
It’s easy to fall into patterns with this type of communication and let it get stale. Try to vary the people you use on camera to deliver the content. It’s always great to have executives as well as individuals from throughout the organization. Refresh the visuals or handouts. Ask employees to offer suggestions and above all, have some fun. Blooper videos are a great way to wrap up the year. Contests can stir up a little friendly competition.
These are just a few suggestions and obviously communication efforts are a work in progress. One thing is clear…an educated and engaged employee base can be one of a business’s most important assets.