April 15, 2009
Communicate even when you don't have anything to say... Times like these can be very stressful for employees. Even in organizations that are doing well (and there are some..really!), the ambient stress level can be high. Your employees might be worried about a spouse, friend or neighbor losing a job.. or about the possibility that your company will face some major corporate change (a merger, a plant closing or a move to a new location are three that come to mind). You probably don't have all "the answers" and the temptation is strong to wait until you do.
Don't yield to this temptation! The very best thing you can do is communicate, communicate, communicate. In fact, communicate even when you don't (yet) have anything to say. Take the example of a potential plant closure. Rest assured that no matter how much you try to keep this type of potential news a secret, the employee rumor mill will be up and running. Set the record straight. "Yes, the company is looking at all ways to become more efficient, including the location and number of plants we have. We have not made a decision yet, but we will keep you informed throughout the process. Expect to hear more through All Hands Meetings, meetings with your supervisors... [whatever the case may be.. and, by the way... repeated studies have shown that the #1 way employees want to receive information is through their supervisors. Train yours to be effective communicators,].
In addition to communicating through personal or group meetings, you have many tools available for sharing information in today's e-environment...blast emails, regular updates on your intranet (perhaps start a "What's Happening" page... but remember, this has to be kept current or it quickly loses its value), and executive blogging are three potential avenues. Some have said that social networking - Facebook, Twitter, and similar sites have the potential to replace or augment internal vehicles. Just remember that with these "public" sites, your information is no longer behind the firewall.