The Great Recession may be over, but it will continue to impact how we think, and rethink, our business strategy for years, even for the remainder of our careers.
One thing that certainly did test us during the recession was change, and how we communicated it. While change done strategically can create better efficiencies and leaner operating budgets, communicating change or crisis effectively to employees can soften negative impacts.
For larger, higher-profile organizations, a common breakdown of internal communication and trust occurs when employees learn of company troubles through the news media or rumors, without a word from management. Smart companies find that open communication with employees during challenging times builds trust. Sometimes, it even opens a forum for fresh ideas of ways to help the company recover from the crisis. This type of internal communication is much better than allowing outside forces do it for you.
Another significant benefit of maintaining an open dialogue with employees is providing a consistent, accurate and managed message for your customers. If your company is in the midst of a crisis and staff members only have secondhand information, employees can quickly become resentful of tight-lipped management. In addition, company leadership sitting silently can motivate employees with an uncertain future to poison your customers’ confidence in your company.
Looping your team members in and managing their message to the public is a vital communications step. Engage your employees with information, including how potential new developments may affect them. If your company’s changes are in the public realm or will directly affect your customers, invest in a well-planned training program for your workers in advance of the transition. You want all of your employees delivering the same, consistent message to your customers.
In addition to developing an internal and external communications strategy, make sure to include key members of your team, such as human resource officials and managers who oversee frontline staff.
A poorly implemented plan during crisis or change can result in poor staff morale, loss of employees you want to keep, and a diminished bottom line.
Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a leading Hudson Valley advertising and public relations agency. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 294-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at www.advertisingandpr.com.
