News You Can Use                    10 Tips to Communicating Volume 2 - Number 1                                         In a Bad Economy In a bad economy tensions are high and rumors fly.  It’s only natural that employees worry about job security.  And generally the people you do not want to leave are the very ones who do – they know they are extremely marketable and until you tell them otherwise, they will think the worst possible scenario is about to happen.  It is critical during this economic climate that you communicate the right messages at the right time.  This should be done in a straightforward and direct manner.  Below are some rules of thumb to follow.  More tips can be found on our web site.  Go to our home page at www.theconceptsgroup.net and click on News to Use. Rules of Thumb 1.  Tell – don’t sell.  You want to target your audience’s brain – not their emotions.  Appeal to logic will override emotional response, once the reader takes the time to think about the message.   2.  Be Honest.  Your audience is not dumb…don’t insult them with half-truths or misinformation.  It is important to preserve your credibility and the credibility of your messages.  Providing the information in a straightforward manner and presenting any negative aspects along with the positive will help you accomplish this goal. 3.  Manage emotions and expectations.  The anxiety, stress and gossip surrounding an organization during a bad economy can absorb a tremendous amount of your employees’ energy and time.  This can lead to reduced productivity at all levels.  The best way to combat this situation is through effective communications.  We use the word combat because if you approach this in the wrong manner, you will eventually feel like you’ve been through a war by the time it is all over.   Employees need to be reassured that any changes (e.g., elimination of bonuses or salary increases, hiring/promotion freezes, downsizing) are orderly and planned functions – not a haphazard reaction by management.  The essential question on the minds of most employees is “Will I lose my job, or what does this mean to me?  4.  Don’t assume it’s bad news.  If you treat it like bad news, that’s how it will be received.  Generally, when you explain why you are taking the actions you are now, a rationale person will understand that this is the most logical action to take – even if it means some people aren’t promoted…don’t get pay raises, etc. in the near future.  That’s not to say you should put a positive spin on it (see rules # 1 and 2).     5.  Don’t forget the rumor mill.  It is important to identify rumors and provide the facts.  In these situations, more than ever,  “no news is bad news”.  Emotions are running high and people will fill the information void with their worries and concerns in the form of rumors.     6.  Build support – with senior management, your team and your audience.  As early as possible in the process, start working with senior management to understand the who, what, when, why, where and how of the situation.  Then establish communication channels which allow information to cascade down as well as flow up through the organization.  Senior managers and other peer leaders who have the trust of an audience become an integral part of the message when they help communicate information.     7.  Use All Channels to Communicate.  There are two primary communications channels available – the informal and the formal.  Informal communications refers to the grapevine and rumor mill.  Formal communications are interpersonal meetings, print and electronic materials, videos, etc.  Depending on your situation, you will want to use both the informal and formal channels.  Keep in mind, you will have more control over informal channels once you have provided enough facts to employees through formal channels of communications. 8.  Use appropriate media.  The medium is part of the message.  If possible, use a pod cast/web cast with a Q. & A. session – instead of a video.  Of if that isn’t possible, consider starting the process with a short memo from senior management, followed up with meetings run by local management…and an online Q. & A. that is updated on a routine basis. 9.  Be timely and be first.  Timely communications can help allay fears and answer questions.  This also helps your employees realize that management is dealing as openly and honestly as possible  This, in turn,  helps foster teamwork and cooperation – two ingredients you are going to need a lot of during any difficult business downturn and recovery.  In general, your employees should know more about the situation from the company than their neighbors learn from the local newspaper.  Fast, accurate communications is a preventive stance rather than a reactive position.  10.  Don’t stop.  Communications needs to be an ongoing function. You should not allow the communications to come to a grinding halt after your initial effort.  To ensure good morale and productivity, you will need to communicate with employees on a regular basis – whenever decisions are made.  You may even want to create a special communications vehicle (special spot on your internal web site, etc.) to inform employees about issues related to action the company is taking to improve the bottom line during these difficult economic times.  We also like to recommend the use of a common theme – whether it’s visual or text – to help provide rapid and clear program identification.  If you follow these simple rules of thumb, you should find that your company will experience an evolution rather than a revolution. Another way to improve the bottom line.  The Concepts Group can save you money.  We are a full service communications consulting firm – with expertise in the Employer-Employee dialogue – gained from years of working at the major HR consulting firms and large employers.  We offer all the expertise you need without the overhead.  In other words, we charge less money for the same quality services.  So if you need help communicating with your employees – or if you think you’re paying too much for your current communications consultants – contact The Concepts Group.  When you visit our web site (www.theconceptsgroup.net), you’ll see that our staff – which has won over 160 awards of communications excellence, has worked for many of the major consulting firms and has over 100 years of combined communications experience. Copyright 2009  A.Turetz - The Concepts Group, LLC.