Archive for the ‘Internal Communications’ Category
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
When companies have a new product, they often spend a lot of time testing those products before they roll them out, especially when it comes to software and websites providing a service. They want to make sure everything functions properly and the end-user experience is the best possible one. So why not take the same approach with your communications – before you send them out?
You likely have some kind of review process for the materials you create. Your boss, your boss’ boss, your internal client, legal. What about your “end-user”? Whether you’re communicating a new company program or marketing a new product, someone from your target audience can provide invaluable feedback before they see the final email or the shiny new brochure along with everyone else. If you work in retail, for example, that target audience person can be a store manager, district manager or front-line associate. If you work in health care, that target audience reviewer can be a doctor, nurse, HR administrator or patient. If you are working on a marketing brochure, reach out to your network and find someone you know that fits the customer profile.
Giving your target audience a sneak peak of the product and how you plan to market and communicate it can save you a lot of time, energy and money. Because he or she is not as close to the project as you are, your target audience tester will think of questions you might not have thought about. He or she will hopefully be up front and let you know if something is unclear or sounds too salesy and not authentic enough.
Does your review process allow for testing your communications with target audience members? What works for you?
Tags: Arizona communication consulting, Arizona public relations, Arizona public relations agency, Arizona small business marketing, communication, content, employee communication, Internal Communications, marketing a new product, marketing strategy, personalized communications, Phoenix communications agency, Phoenix marketing firms, PR, public relations agencies, Scottsdale communication consulting, Scottsdale marketing agency, small business communication, small business marketing strategy, target audience, writing
Posted in Internal Communications, Public Relations, Social Media | No Comments »
Sunday, January 8th, 2012
Let’s take a look at The Flip Side of our last blog post about how to turn a PR problem into a positive using Target’s example about breastfeeding. Because we’re not employees, we don’t know how Target communicated internally about the string of events and how they advised their employees on how to handle customer complaints and questions in stores. We can, however, use it as an example about how companies can stick to some guiding principles to proactively communicate with their employees when a PR issue or crisis arises.
Be timely: Get the word out to your employees quickly. Don’t wait for the storm to get worse or blow over. Your employees should hear about important events affecting them and their company from an internal source rather than an external one. Well-informed associates can serve as informal ambassadors of the company. Proactive communications with your employees helps them better communicate with customers who might ask them questions. Tactics can include:
- Check in with your cross-functional team of go-to people from HR, Operations, Legal, Marketing, Social Media and of course any leaders who need to know. Keep them in the loop of your communications plan of action and get their input on communications. Don’t forget external communications folks if they are in a separate department. They should be integral partners. Internal and external communications should be aligned.
- Let your employees know about the situation through your regular channels as soon as possible. Keep them in the loop on an ongoing basis. Even if you don’t have all the facts, communicate this is what we know now. We’ll keep you updated when we know more.
- Create a central source of information on your intranet. Don’t bury information so employees have to search to find it. All communications should be visible here and should point employees to this central location for all the info they need. Post a link to important documents like the company policy involved to reinforce the correct actions.
Be open and honest. Let your employees know what happened. Don’t leave out details you think your employees can’t handle. Transparency builds credibility. Be forthright. Let them know if the company screwed up. Tell them what should have been done and what will be done to handle the situation. Tactics can include:
- Make your top execs visible. Think about a thoughtful and sincere CEO blog or video addressing the situation with employees.
- Arm managers with tools such as talking points to inform and discuss the issue, explain how the company is handling it, reinforce the company’s policy and where to get additional information.
- Create talking points for frontline employees who speak with customers in person or on the phone. How should they handle customer questions or complaints? Keep the message consistent and clear companywide.
Two-way: Keep the lines of communication open. In the face of a serious issue or crisis, employees will have questions and concerns. You need their feedback to know how to communicate differently or better. Tactics can include:
- Create a central point of contact to field questions and concerns. Depending on the PR issue, you might want to create a special internal email box or hotline.
- Ask managers to forward any questions they are getting from their teams.
- If your intranet platform lets employees post comments, use them to gauge how well you’re communicating.
- Refresh your communications if you see a pattern of questions or comments.
Sometimes PR problems bring out the best in a company. As mentioned in our previous blog, they can help establish your company as an industry leader and give your employees a chance to shine under pressure. If you hear about an extraordinary example of how an employee handled a situation related to the issue, share the story with the rest of the company. It shows appreciation, boosts morale and lets employees know they can make a difference even during difficult moments.
Tags: Arizona, breastfeeding, communication, communications plan, crisis communications, employee communications, how to handle customer complaints, HR consulting, Internal Communications, Phoenix, PR, pr issue, PR pro, pr problem, Scottsdale, Social Media, target, The Flip Side Communications, video
Posted in HR Communications, Internal Communications | No Comments »
Saturday, October 29th, 2011
All she wants is something quick and good looking. Something glossy, pretty with a ‘wow’ factor. I’m thinking she’s into the juice, something meaty.
I’m not sure what you’re thinking about, but I’m referring to communications strategy. The nuts and bolts, the glue, the big picture. I’m meeting with a VP of HR. I show her a recruiting brochure sample from my portfolio. Her eyes widen and she asks me to explain the process of getting something like this produced.
The HR VP is new in her position, and I’m starting to sense she’s eager to make a splash with “collateral candy” as I like to call it. I start to explain about how I partnered with my internal client, determined key messages, wrote the copy, partnered with creative services to produce a branded piece.
I quickly stop myself. I tell her let’s take a step back and think about the whole picture. This brochure was just one piece of a puzzle. It was part of a whole communications strategy for recruiting. I explain my process for creating a communications strategy. She seems to get it. I see a light bulb. Now, we’re going somewhere. She knows she needs HR communications help. This is refreshing to me. That’s why I’m talking to her about contract work. I’m excited about the possibility of helping a growing company with something I’m passionate about. She seems eager to get started but needs help figuring out where to begin. An overall HR strategy would be helpful. I rub my hands in anticipation.
The following week, I get an email. She’s changed her mind. She wants a graphic designer/writer. Does this exist? I love writing and can do some graphic design, but an expert in both? Hmmmm…. Then I realize, she’s looking for the one night-stand approach to communications. Collateral candy. <Sigh.> If you’re a communicator, you know what I’m talking about. We’ve all had those one-off requests for a brochure or other communications piece that has to look good but no one took the time to think about how it will be used, what the goal is, who the audience is. I like to follow the old rule: form should follow function.
The HR VP gets credit for wanting more of a branded, unified look to HR communications, but sadly, she seems to value look and feel more than strategy. Don’t call us, we’ll call you. It’s not you, it’s me. I just can’t commit to any serious communications right now.
Have you experienced anything similar? Are companies investing in internal communications or do they still need education on the value it brings to the bottom line?
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Tags: Arizona, business video, business video production, communications consultant, communications consulting, corporate video production, hoenix, HR communications, HR companies, journalism, Keith Yaskin, media, media training, online video production, Phoenix AZ, Phoenix HR consulting, Phoenix human resources, Phoenix marketing consultant, Phoenix marketing firms, Phoenix reporters, Phoenix video, Phoenix video marketing, Phoenix videographer, Public Relations, public relations agencies, public relations firms, Social Media, social network, social networking, The Flip Side Communications, tv news, video email, video marketing, video production, video production companies, video production company, video production for the web, video production Phoenix, video production service, video production services, web video production
Posted in HR Communications, Internal Communications | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
It happened on a day like any other. I was at my last corporate job reading emails when I received a meeting invite to help with a project. But this wasn’t just any project. It had a name and a logo that was not the company logo. It might as well have been a project more suited to NASA. It had a space theme and a clip art logo. Ugh. A communicator’s pet peeve. Uh, Houston – we’ve got an identity problem. There was a growing trend in the company of rogue logos and strange project names with lots of acronyms that had nothing to do with our company. A sort of logo and acronym soup was simmering.
One department in particular was so proud of its logo, I knew it was going to be incredibly resistant to let go of it. Armed with the creative director, I met with the department head whose jaw dropped when he heard that his logo was “childish” looking. I was secretly elated to hear this. But the light bulb seemed to go off when the creative director explained how his wayward logo was competing with the company logo.
Sure it’s great that project team members are excited about their work and want to gain visibility for it. But what’s a communicator or marketer to do when faced with a sea of project names and logos in direct competition with the corporate identity? The way I see it, the company logo reigns supreme. There is no need for lots of other logos. They dilute the brand. From the outside looking in, multiple logos and project names can appear to be like independent companies all shouting to get noticed.
Here are some ideas to help cast your brand protector net over those project names and logos gone wild:
- Start communicating about brand identity and graphic standards early. Orientation is a great place to start.
- Create a graphics standards policy that can be easily found. Post it on your intranet.
- Think visually. Educate employees about your brand identity through examples they can see. Video is a powerful way to do this.
- Send out periodic reminders through your communications channels.
- Compromise. Yes – there are little things that can be done. Instead of creating a logo, how about a typeface using the company’s brand font of choice?
- Arm managers with talking points so they can be prepared to answer questions and address situations sooner rather than later.
What’s your opinion of multiple logos and project names? How do you address them in your company?
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Tags: communications consultant, employee communications, HR communications, HR communications consulting, Human Resources communications, Internal Communications, Keith Yaskin, media training, Phoenix communications consulting, Phoenix marketing consultant, Phoenix marketing firms, Phoenix media, Phoenix Public Relations, Phoenix public relations agencies, Phoenix public relations firms, Phoenix reporters, Phoenix social media, Phoenix TV news, Phoenix video production, Phoenix video production company, Phoenix videographer, Public Relations, The Flip Side Communications, video, video marketing, website videos
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Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
An HR manager in a satellite office sends an email to employees about changes in building security stemming from a corporate office mandate. The tone of her email is hostile and employees feel like children being chided by a teacher. They didn’t do anything wrong but the email makes them feel that way by including warnings about things to avoid – all starting with “DO NOT…”
The tone of employee communications directly reflects the relationship an organization has with its employees. And in this case, the HR manager’s email indeed reflects the employer/employee relationship and a lack of established tone or voice of the corporate brand. (Turns out, we have never seen any evidence of an established brand voice for this company.)
Writing Tone
The tone of your communications piece is as vital as the content of the message. With so many different communication channels in the world today, including emails, memos, newsletters, social media posts, it’s easy for ideas and intentions to be misconstrued. If it can’t be shared with the world, don’t even put it in writing and send it out. Here are some helpful points to keep in mind. The tone of your business communications should be:
- Accurate – Review all statements and facts for accuracy before sharing them.
- Professional – Avoid personal remarks or inappropriate comments.
- Positive – Avoid disparaging remarks, negative comments and using ALL CAPS which often comes off as yelling.
- Polite – Don’t include rude requests or make demands. Treat others like you would want to be treated.
- Open – Be as open as you can be in your communications. Being vague or unclear can cause miscommunication or start rumors.
- Consistent – Sending mixed messages can make you appear disorganized or dishonest. If there’s a change in message content, it’s important to address the previous communications in your new piece.
- Clear – Jargon, slang and acronyms are okay if you are sure that your audience will understand your meaning.
Before you push the send or publish button, review the tone of your piece to make sure that it represents your intentions and is consistent with helping to build a compliant culture that achieves your company’s strategic priorities and objectives. Also, ask at least one colleague to review your piece before you send it.
Does your company have a distinct writing tone that reflects your brand’s characteristics? What steps does your company take to make sure communications reflect it?
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Tags: Arizona communications consulting, Arizona public relations agency, Arizona small business marketing, brand voice, branding, communication consulting, employee communications, HR communications, HR communications consulting, Human Resources communications, Internal Communications, Keith Yaskin, marketing strategy, media interview, media pitch, media training, Phoenix communication consulting, Phoenix public relations agency, PR, Public Relations, reporter, small business strategy, Social Media, The Flip Side Communications, TV interview, tv news, video, video marketing, website videos, writing tone
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Saturday, May 7th, 2011
I was walking with a co-worker when she acknowledged she should be back at her desk meeting a fast approaching deadline. She asked me why she didn’t care. I knew why.
Shareholders and highly compensated executives whose holidays include potential bonuses are obvious stakeholders in a company’s success. But employees standing further down the corporate ladder don’t necessarily assume the company’s success automatically translates into personal success. Some of these workers survived the recession but suffered substantial pay cuts. They read corporations are financially bouncing back but are told big raises are not on the horizon. The salary that was lost will not be won back anytime soon.
Some employees are happy just to have a job. Others are too close to retirement to raise a ruckus. And some feel trapped without options. But top performers will eventually exit when the evidence shows hard work only pays off for those at the tippy top. A team can continue to compete even if one or two stars move on. But as sports often display, those teams start to fade, and before a boss begins to know it, rebuilding is in order. Competing for a championship was yesterday’s news. Unlike in sports, some businesses don’t get a chance to rebuild.
If you can’t offer top employees the raise they feel they deserve, explain why without the BS. (No matter how cleverly you spin it, your words won’t cover the stink of a raise that doesn’t even keep up with inflation.) Include those employees in key meetings and ask them for feedback in key decisions. Clue them in to future changes and exciting ideas. Pull them off to the side casually and bounce ideas off them. Make these employees feel their opinions help direct a division or company. Make them feel they truly are part of the success and should continue to invest their time.
If you don’t reward someone with a raise plus don’t give them decision-making power … plus don’t make their opinion wanted on key aspects, top performers typically aren’t going to play puppet while you pull the strings. The ambitious ones need more to push their passion.
That co-worker I walked with felt the company didn’t show her the value. (They already weren’t showing her the money.) I could see even a “you’re important to this company” would have lifted her spirits. The economic recovery is developing slowly. But overall, the news is more good than bad. Now more than ever, keep your team, your lineup intact.
Remember this. When teams are forced to rebuild after falling apart, often the coach is the first to go.
We want to hear from you. What are some innovative ways your company has made employees feel part of the team? How are employees included in key decisions? What kinds of reward programs are in place at your company?
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Tags: Arizona communications consulting, Arizona public relations agency, Arizona small business marketing, branding, communication consulting, employee communications, employee engagement, employee recognition, Internal Communications, Keith Yaskin, marketing strategy, media interview, media pitch, media training, Phoenix communication consulting, Phoenix public relations agency, PR, Public Relations, reporter, small business strategy, teamwork, The Flip Side Communications, TV interview, tv news
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Sunday, May 1st, 2011
I call it The Flip Side because I offer both external and internal communications. My writing typically spotlights one or the other. But here’s an opportunity to kill two blogs with one subject.
Keith and I were exchanging emails with someone about the possibility of refinancing. We’ve known her for years. She is very nice. Most importantly, we trust her. And she responds to questions on Saturdays! So she sent an email detailing our options. Her email included the following phrases:
• MTA fasttrack
• streamline program
• stated documentation
• LTVs
• MI
In addition to those terms, other sentences required me to be someone who spends at least part of my time hanging out in a loan office. After reading the email, I spent time Googling these terms and exchanging emails, defining each phrase one by one. It was as if we were speaking different languages.
Don’t do The Lingo. If a member of the media is scheduled to interview your client, cleanse that client of all the jargon (or “jargonese” as I like to call it in this blog on the topic) he or she is comfortable with in the corner office. If you don’t, those sound bites will, well, never become sound bites, and the reporter will forever categorize your client as the business geek that can’t relate to the rest of the world.
Losing The Lingo is just as important in internal communications. When sending your employees important information, the last thing they need is to download a translation app just to figure out what the heck you’re saying about the lastest 401(k) or healthcare policy changes. And corporate or industry insider language simply reinforces a glass wall some employees already feel stands between the boss and his staff.
Sometimes, there is no way to get around using some of your industry terms. If you must use them, define them clearly. I’m amazed at the number of companies with websites busting at the seams with jargon. They assume they have one type of audience. They are possibly turning away media inquiries or potential customers without even knowing it! For internal communications purposes, consider creating a company or industry glossary of terms. Post it on your intranet. It’s a great resource for new employees, too. Create hyperlinks to words in the glossary whenever you use key words in e-communications.
Don’t do The Lingo. If you do, you’re forcing people to dance around your words. Communicating clearly (and like a human being) is important for business both externally and internally.
What kind of lingo do you see as an employee and as a consumer? Do you have good examples to share? What works to combat jargon? We’d love to hear from you!
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Tags: Arizona communications consulting, Arizona public relations agency, Arizona small business marketing, branding, communication consulting, employee communications, Internal Communications, jargon, Keith Yaskin, lingo, marketing strategy, media interview, media pitch, media training, Phoenix communication consulting, Phoenix public relations agency, PR, Public Relations, reporter, small business strategy, The Flip Side Communications, TV interview, tv news
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Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
Now that benefits open enrollment is coming up, benefits communications are top-of-mind for lots of companies. But communicating about benefits shouldn’t be a once a year deal.
Too often, companies treat benefits like a dirty little secret. It’s an icky topic that no one dares talk about because let’s face it. Benefits can be complicated and scary – like death and taxes, right? Besides, the benefits website will take care of ALL of the company’s benefits communications needs. Yeah, right. So, it’s all too easy to engorge employees with a giant platter of benefits messages at once when open enrollment rolls around.
Maybe your company doesn’t have the resources to dedicate to benefits communications, but there are a few things you can do with a little planning to keep benefits in the company foreground and weave key messages into companywide communications channels.
Think big. Create overall key messages for each major benefit. Use these as one-page summary or fact sheets to post on your intranet or benefits site. Distribute them to managers to use as talking points for staff meetings or just to have on hand when employees ask them questions. Managers really should be able to answer the basics since their team members often look to them to answer benefits questions. Q&A sheets for each benefit are great tools as well.
Think quickly. Draft brief articles for the company newsletter or intranet. Just some quick facts or tips to keep benefits top-of-mind for employees and to help them make the most of their benefits.
Think little. What about all the little benefits that are oft-forgotten like insurance discounts, credit union memberships, pet insurance?
Think circular. Think about the life cycle of an employee at your company. What are all of the “touch points” you can tap into and weave in benefits messages? On an individual level, there’s recruiting, orientation, merit reviews, promotions, retirement. On a company level, there’s quarterly companywide updates like town halls or conference calls.
All of these things can help make benefits more digestible for employees. Breaking off the information and serving them up in bite-size chunks for employees make benefits easier to understand. Sure, employees will still want their benefits info when they want it (like when a question pops up at home), so you definitely need to make sure it’s easily accessible and available to spouses who often share in the decision-making.
For more tips on benefits communications see this earlier blog post.
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Tags: Arizona communication consulting, benefits communications, employee benefits, employee communications, HR communications, Internal Communications, open enrollment, Phoenix communication consulting, The Flip Side Communications
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Monday, August 30th, 2010
A company makes a major change to its daily business operations but doesn’t let its employees know about it ahead of time. What does not saying anything actually say to employees? Lots. It tells employees they are not important enough to “bother” with – just shut up and do your job! Management’s let-them-eat-cake attitude acts like a proverbial guillotine, cutting off any sense of trust from employees. Talk about disengagement.
With management hiding behind the corporate curtain like the Great Oz, employees speculate about what the change means to them. How does it impact their jobs? What does this mean for the company’s future? This only churns the company rumor windmill with gusto. Questions meet vague responses. Or, better yet – a shrug and the ole’ standby: “It’s corporate’s decision.” This is a company that sets its cruise control to adequacy and apathy and its weak communications style will always play second fiddle to rumors.
On the flip side, there’s the company with an open and honest communications policy. Facing layoffs affecting every department, the challenge: when to communicate? Do it from the outset without yet knowing which employees will lose their jobs or wait to communicate – springing the news on employees on D Day? The decision: Honor the open and honest communications policy by communicating early and letting employees know this is coming. Why? It’s the right thing to do. Maybe some employees plan on making major purchases like a house or a car. Knowing this information would be invaluable to their decision-making.
Does announcing the news early cause some panic and rumors? Sure. In fact, this is the argument some people might have against letting employees know about the layoffs in advance. Communicating early gives the company the chance to stay ahead of the rumor mill and explain the why before too much noise filters out what’s important.
When companies sit on big news without letting employees know, it hurts credibility. It can have a negative domino effect on all future announcements requiring employee buy-in. Employees who have been scorned, stunned or outraged from past actions and lack of communication will raise their eyebrows with skepticism at whatever the company line happens to be.
So, does your company have major news or changes coming down the pike?
- Communicate early.
- Communicate often.
- Communicate consistently – before the rumor windmill spins out of control.
- Refresh and continue. Communications shouldn’t stop once the change happens. Get feedback on how messages were received. If necessary, fine-tune your message based on that feedback and continue.
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Tags: Arizona communication consulting, change communications, employee communication, employee communications, Internal Communications, layoff communications, Phoenix communication consulting, rumor mill, Scottsdale communication consulting
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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
Put a ring on it
- Met online on at jobs website – seemed like a perfect match.
- Intense courtship (recruitment).
- Popped the question (the offer).
- Signed a prenup (acceptance letter, confidentiality agreement, new hire paperwork).
- Went on honeymoon (new hire orientation).
- Started to feel out of touch (didn’t feel appreciated; tried to meet unreasonable expectations; didn’t know important information).
- Tried to rekindle the romance with a company BBQ and some gifts (tsotchkes like a key chain with the company logo).
- Tried to make it work with counseling (Employee Assistance Program).
- Broke up (exit interview).
- Kept the ring (key ring) but gave the office keys back.
What comes to mind when you think of employee engagement? Is it just another buzzword? How achievable is it in a tenuous employer/employee relationship where each partner wonders if the other is going to love ‘em and leave ‘em?
Is it too much for companies to think they can capture the minds and hearts of employees? Probably – especially when company profits are increasing yet they continue to cut costs and salaries. Companies are still expecting employees to do more with less – like take on two jobs because the company isn’t replacing people it fired and is offering little in increased pay. Then there are companies who get creative and give employees more responsibility in the guise of a promotion by putting them in a completely different area of the company without the proper tools to do their new jobs. It’s a “sink or swim” mentality – a setup for failure. In these cases, companies are working against themselves, making it impossible for employees to feel engaged.
So, what’s a corporate communicator to do when the company holds employees in the palm of its collective hand, squeezing every last bit of productivity out of them like pulp from a lemon? How do you communicate when the company:
- doesn’t give employees the tools to do their jobs effectively
- is not clear about the company’s vision
- hasn’t created a culture that’s rewarding and fun
- doesn’t treat employees with respect
- has a management team that fears open and honest communication
- doesn’t promote ownership in the business by including employees in decisions
- doesn’t encourage development or provide opportunities to learn and grow?
Not doing these practices day in and day out leads to disengagement. Communications alone can’t shoulder the responsibility of engagement unless these practices become a company way of life. Engagement should not simply be a program that makes its way on the executive radar screen once a year when the employee survey results come in. It has to be woven into the company fabric to be successful.
What does employee engagement mean to you? Have any good examples to share of companies doing it right?
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Tags: Arizona communication consulting, Arizona public relations, communication consulting, employee communications, employee engagement, Internal Communications, Phoenix communication consulting, Phoenix Public Relations, Scottsdale communication consulting, Scottsdale Public Relations, The Flip Side Communications
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