Workplace of Choice

Are you wondering how to communicate with your employees about the state of your organization during this economic downturn? Here are some key considerations for determining the right balance of communication:

• Have an honest - but hopeful - conversation about the current state of the business;
• Provide focus for specific contributions so employees feel like they are contributing;
• Involve cross-functional teams in the implementation;
• Have a strong implementation process, including follow-up, status report communication to everyone, as appropriate, and frequent communication;
• Focus on feedback sessions so the company can understand what the employee feelings really are;
• Reassure employees that you are interested in what they think and how they feel - especially the critical employees that you really need to stay on board;
• Engaging employees in idea sharing is important and gives employees a strong direction to follow; and
  
• Unify the management team, who will be conducting most of the day-to-day communcation. Perhaps scripted notes or an "agent of the company" approach can make a big difference in ensuring clear and reasonable communication.

Focusing on your human capital can bring strong teams together to survive these difficult times. Now, more than ever, it is essential to keep employees engaged and informed!