Quick takes on communications
The right message can’t fix the wrong policy
Sometimes a message from leaders doesn’t hit the mark with employees. Perhaps the evidence isn’t there to support it, the messenger has no credibility, or the wrong delivery channel is used. Or maybe the problem isn’t the message, it’s actually the policy (or strategy, program, etc.) that’s being communicated.
For example, I’ve worked with clients who genuinely believe that one of their firms’ core values is “collaboration.” But when you peek under the organizational hood, it’s clear that there are no incentives to reward working across groups or business units, and no compelling examples of leaders modeling collaborative behavior. So why should employees believe it?
Right now, many companies are trying to convince employees about the merits of returning to the office. But, whether it’s due to the Delta variant, childcare issues, commuting concerns or a desire to maintain more flexible schedules, a lot of employees aren’t gung ho about going back to the workplace, especially full-time. The solution isn’t to double down on the same message, it’s to try and adapt the policy so that it reflects the needs of employees as well as organizations.
THE TAKEAWAY: The right message can’t fix the wrong policy. If employees aren’t buying your story, take a hard look at whether the challenge is what you’re trying to sell them.
Are you thinking enough about emotions?
It’s an axiom of communications that messages are meant to shape what an audience thinks, does and feels. But leaders often give short shrift to the emotional piece of this puzzle, especially in more analytical, data-driven organizations. That’s a problem when communicating change to employees.
Our brains have entirely different systems for managing emotions vs. ideas and concepts – and we process our feelings light years faster than thoughts. As psychologist Louis Cozolino famously put it: “Thinking serves at the pleasure of emotion.”
How is this relevant to communicating change? Employees often resist change, because, emotionally speaking, it can be a trigger for feeling threatened. People need stability to feel secure, so it’s important not just to explain what’s changing, but also what’s not – and to recognize that the most compelling arguments appeal, and give equal (if not greater) weight, to hearts as well as heads.
THE TAKEAWAY: Whether you’re communicating office moves, new leaders, impending layoffs, or any other disruptive organizational change, keep employees’ emotions front and center.
Do your messages break through the clutter?
Are you tired of repeating the same messages, again and again, to your employees? Good – then they’re (probably) just starting to hear you.
When I ran internal communications at McGraw Hill, our chairman, Joe Dionne, once got exasperated at having to make the same points during a series of town hall meetings. The lightbulb went off for him during a Q&A session, when an employee stood up and said “Joe, I’ve heard you say that over and over, but this is the first time I really understood it.”
Employees, on average, receive well over 100 emails a day. Add to that intranet posts, texts and continuously updated news feeds, and it’s no wonder that any given communication doesn’t get the attention it needs. So unless your message includes something like “free money!” in the headline, you’ll need to repeat it, using multiple channels, in order to reach your audience.
THE TAKEAWAY: Communication is not a “one and done” process. If you’re looking to break through the barrages of messages your employees receive, especially for a topic that’s complex or sensitive, build repetition into your communication plan.
Employees can handle the truth!
Notwithstanding Jack Nicholson’s famous film quote to the contrary, employees really can handle the truth. Whether it’s about job cuts, executive exits or bad bonus payouts, too many leaders still operate as if any kind of sensitive news needs to be squelched, spun or otherwise obfuscated.
This approach rests (I think) on a false assumption about communications objectives: The goal is not to have employees like every decision the organization makes; if they do, great, but that’s just icing on the cake. Rather, it’s for employees to understand why, and how, tough decisions were made. It’s about maintaining trust by being transparent.
Obviously, the reasoning behind every decision can’t always be shared, especially if it involves material information about changes within a public company. But too often leaders’ knee-jerk impulse is to disclose as little as possible, even when there’s little risk (and I’ve had many animated conversations with legal and PR colleagues about exactly what constitutes risk…).
THE TAKEAWAY: Err on the side of candor and treat your employees like the mature adults they are. They can handle bad news – what they can’t stomach is when a lack of transparency becomes their leaders’ default response.
How are you shaping your company story?
I recently helped a client’s leadership team develop a shared narrative for their newly formed business. The process was time-consuming, but necessary, because each leader started with a different take on how to describe the organization’s strategy and priorities.
In the end, the story we crafted was broad enough to encompass the entire business, and also could be tailored for each leader’s piece of it. So far so good.
I then suggested that we test the narrative with a few groups of employees. And what we heard back was that, while parts of the message were spot on, others landed like a lead balloon. Several points needed more “evidence” to be credible; some had to be scrapped altogether.
This was great feedback.
THE TAKEAWAY: If you want employees to believe, and endorse, your company narrative, get their input before you launch it. Don’t dictate – co-create, then iterate.
Is your message hiding in plain sight?
Too many communications from leaders start with a lot of throat clearing. They’re brimming with buzzwords like “leveraging” and “synergies,” and the real news – a shift in strategy, an executive departure, a policy change – doesn’t surface until midway through the message.
This is a risky proposition when you’re trying to connect with employees, for two reasons:
People have a short attention span and if you make them work too hard, they might miss the most important points you’re trying to make. Plus, employees have a pretty good nose for spin, so if you bury your main message, they might think, ”What else aren’t they telling me?”
THE TAKEAWAY: Put your “bottom line on top” – then support it with evidence. It’ll save employees time and keep their skepticism in check.
What do you expect from communications?
Every part of a business – from sales to product development to technology – sets goals and then crafts a strategy and plan to hit their target. So what’s your bullseye for communications?
When you deliver a message, you want your audience to think, feel or do something (and usually all three). Looking at communications through this lens can help you shape the right message and the best way to deliver it.
Why? Because every audience is motivated – and persuaded – by different things. And each delivery channel is useful for achieving different outcomes. Email, for example, can build awareness. But it’s not so good at winning hearts and minds. That’s why you first need to be clear about the result you’re after.
THE TAKEAWAY: Set goals for your communications, then build messages and choose channels based on who you’re trying to reach and what you’re looking to accomplish.
Are employees buying the message you’re selling?
In court, juries weigh evidence before rendering a verdict. It’s no different at work, where employees need reasons to believe what leaders are saying. Often, messages fall flat because there’s nothing to support them – or, worse, the evidence contradicts the message.
These “proof points” are how you substantiate messages to achieve your communications goals, i.e., what you want employees to think, feel and do. Ask yourself: “Why should they buy it?”
Here are some examples of what proof points are – and what they’re not.
Proof points are:
Data. “Our latest pulse survey shows that 85% of employees support our new strategy.”
Approved plans. “The Board just approved a record increase in funding for acquisitions.”
Testimonials. “Client CEO Smith said our company provides the best customer service.’”
Proof points are NOT:
Additional messages. "We are restructuring the firm to speed up decision making.”
Unverified claims. “Our employees are more highly skilled than any of our competitors.”
Aspirational statements. “We will have the most efficient supply chain in our industry.”
THE TAKEAWAY: If your messages are hitting a wall, take a look at how well you’re corroborating them. Give employees good reasons to buy the story you’re selling.
Do your messages sink under their own weight?
My wife is a litigator and her approach to communicating with a jury is “one slice of salami at a time” (she’s Italian!) – meaning don’t give them too much information to absorb all at once. That’s good advice for communicating organizational change.
Some leaders load up their change messages with every detail under the sun, so their teams can “just get on with it.” But when employees face a new, and potentially risky, scenario – a shift in strategy, a restructured team, a big technology migration – a lot of cognitive static gets churned up, which can impede how quickly they’re able to process complex, unsettling information.
A better approach is to set up a thoughtful sequence of communications – including mechanisms for listening – that employees can absorb, internalize and support at their own pace. Use this time to answer the questions: What’s happening and why? Who’s impacted and how? What’s next?
THE TAKEAWAY: Employees adapt to change at different rates. A sponge can only soak up so much liquid at a time, so don’t overload your change messages with too much information, too quickly.