How to Communicate with Employees When You Don’t Know...
Contact Us
News & Trends
HR Management
Legal
HR Insights
Benefits
Training
http://www.tlnt.com/2010/07/07/how-to-communicate-with-em...
Advertise
About TLNT.com
HR Basics
Technology
About ERE Media
search TLNT
Follow TLNT:
Recruiting & Staffing
HR BASICS
How to Communicate with
Employees When You Don’t Know
Everything
by
Jennifer Benz on Jul 7, 2010, 8:05 AM | 0 Comments
Share
Share
Like
1
SUBSCRIBE TO TLNT
Enter your email address below to subscribe
to daily updates via email.
Your email address
Subscribe
View more subscribe options...
10
Too many companies delay communicating with employees until
they have “all” the answers or have decided every last detail of a
big change. This is the wrong approach for many reasons.
In addition to getting the rumor mill started (especially when
someone is tipped off that the CEO and CFO have been in
back-to-back meetings all week), it excludes your employees
and doesn’t treat them like the smart, educated, and rational
adults they are. They know something is up — and it is in the
best interest of the company to make them feel like their concerns are being accounted for and
listened to, even as decisions are being made.
It is simple to put together an executive communication that addresses employees’ concerns while
setting expectations about what may or may not come next. Follow this format:
Introduce letter/email/podcast and set context (what’s going on, why you’re getting this
info, “we know you’re concerned about X, Y and Z…)
This is what we do know. Explain key issue (for example, “The economy is forcing us to
make significant changes to the business.
Find us on Facebook
TLNT
As a result, this is what’s changing:
Bullet or paragraph list of changes or program impacts
Like
379 people like TLNT.
Be specific;
Explain when/how employees will receive more details.
Nicola
Shaily
Jesse
Michael
Kara
Wendi
Marc
Jonathan
Mike
Robin
This is what we don’t know/what may happen (for example, “We don’t yet know how this
will impact bonus payouts or salary increases.”).
Bullet or paragraph list of what is TBD — to be decided;
Facebook social plugin
Be clear about when you’ll know more/make decisions;
Where to go with questions (to managers, online, etc.)
Thank employees for dedication and patience.
MOST POPULAR ARTICLES
For even better results, send this out to managers a couple days in advance and give them talking
points and a Q&A to have in-person conversations with employees. Give them, and individual
employees, a way to report back and ask questions.
Leadership Lessons From the
Uproar in Egypt: The “Youth Bulge”
at Work
1 day ago
Directly address employee concerns and be clear and honest about what’s happening. This
approach will always be more successful than silence.
Building a Brand: What Would Your
HR Department “Elevator” Pitch Be?
14 hours ago
Jennifer Benz is Chief Strategist and Founder of Benz Communications, a San Francisco-based
1 of 3
2/15/11 5:01 PM
How to Communicate with Employees When You Don’t Know...
http://www.tlnt.com/2010/07/07/how-to-communicate-with-em...
consultancy that focuses on custom, comprehensive benefits and HR communications services. Jen
is an active member of the Council for Communication Management, the International Association of
Business Communicators, the Northern California Human Resources Association and Women in
Consulting. Contact her at [email protected].
Tags: Communications, Company culture, Engagement, HR basics, HR
management
Like
|
More
Lessons From a Courteous
© Copyright 2010 EREGarbage
Media, Inc.
All Anyone
rights reserved
Man:
Can be a
News & Trends HR Management
Great Employee
Legal
13 hours ago
Personal Branding: It’s All About
Creating Great Footprints in Our Life
8 days ago
How to Create a Great Talent
Pipeline
6 days ago
One person likes this.
A Sign of Our Times: The Business
of Layoffs – George Clooney Style
1 day ago
0 Comments
Is Employee Loyalty and Longevity
Really All It’s Cracked Up to Be?
7 days ago
Top 10 Leadership (and
Management) Tips for All Around
Success
3 weeks ago
Add New Comment
Optional: Login below.
HR Roundtable: On Creativity,
Innovation, and Being a Change
Agent
5 days ago
Type your comment here.
The NLRB-Facebook Firing Case:
Four Things Employers Need To
Know
5 days ago
Post as …
more popular articles »
Showing 0 comments
Sort by
Popular now
Subscribe by email
Subscribe by RSS
RECENT COMMENTS
Lance! Such a good post! It's so
“ Hi
refreshing to see the kind of
Reactions
customer service this gentleman
showed without . . .
Dramanique 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
RT @DrewCarls: When a company situation is unclear, communicate with employees even without all information
http://ow.ly/287l7
DrewCarls 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
”
— ZuzuHire on Lessons From a
Courteous Garbage Man: Anyone Can
be a Great Employee, 3 hours ago
been on both sides of the table,
“ i've
and there is definitely a way to do
layoffs with humanity and . . .
”
— Fran on A Sign of Our Times: The
Business of Layoffs – George Clooney
Style, 9 hours ago
about another scenario - poor
“ How
family whose Mom made sure they
got to the library once a week
When a company situation is unclear, communicate with employees even without all information http://ow.ly/287l7
jenbenz 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
Thx to @TLNT_com for picking up another of our posts--How to Communicate with Employees When You Don’t
Know Everything http://ow.ly/28kc8
michaelwolfe 7 months ago
2 of 3
because . . .
”
— Mtoney on Bookmobile HR, or Why
Changing a Workplace Culture is so
Terribly Hard, 1 day ago
just read a resume for someone
“ Iwho
listed in their accomplishments
that they had been responsible for
"cost cutting . . .
”
— Mtoney on A Sign of Our Times: The
Business of Layoffs – George Clooney
Style, 1 day ago
2/15/11 5:01 PM
How to Communicate with Employees When You Don’t Know...
http://www.tlnt.com/2010/07/07/how-to-communicate-with-em...
concur, 278%. Dumb, foolish, and
“ Iself-destructive!
It's just simply such
From Twitter via BackType
RT @tlnt_com: How to Communicate with Employees When You Don’t Know Everything http://bit.ly/a63WHH by
@jenbenz
”
One more retweet from dsjanus
RT @johnhollon: New at TLNT.com - How to Communicate with Employees When You Don't Know Everything
http://bit.ly/a63WHH
BizofManagement 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
New at TLNT.com - How to Communicate with Employees When You Don't Know Everything http://bit.ly/a63WHH
TLNT_com 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
How to Communicate with Employees When You Don't Know Everything http://bit.ly/a63WHH
Trackback URL http://www.tlnt.com/2010/07/07/how-to-communic
involved and everyone . . .
— Ipsa on A Valentine’s Day Sermon:
Why Office Relationships Are
Self-Destructive, 1 day ago
SeamlessWkfce 7 months ago
From Twitter via BackType
a conflict of interest for those
FEATURED ARTICLES
Lessons From a Courteous
Garbage Man: Anyone Can be a
Great Employee
13 hours ago
Building a Brand: What Would Your
HR Department “Elevator” Pitch Be?
14 hours ago
A Sign of Our Times: The Business
of Layoffs – George Clooney Style
1 day ago
Bookmobile HR, or Why Changing a
Workplace Culture is so Terribly
Hard
4 days ago
Health Reform: Half of
Organizations Are Still Waiting for
Guidance
6 days ago
more featured articles »
blog comments powered by DISQUS
3 of 3
2/15/11 5:01 PM