A CEO’s guide to employee communications Part I (1 of 3)

A satirical look at employee communications…

You’re the president of your company and you want to write regular communications to your employees.  If you are lucky, you have a communications staff person who will write or help you write your message.  But if you are a small business owner, then you might not have a communications team waiting in the wings so….what do you do?

Don’t despair! I’m going to give you a few tips to help get you through this process.

Your audience
Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to your keyboard), you first need to remember who will be reading what your write.

PRESIDENT OF COMPANY: That’s easy! I already know who I’m writing to.

ME: Not so fast, Scooter… Let me re-introduce you to your employees.

• Kool-Aid Drinkers
  • Who are they? – Happy interns, new employees, lifers who would cut off a finger before working for someone else.
  • Identifying characteristics – Exceedingly cheerful, answer every employee poll, and will always volunteer to help promote company values and services even when it requires after hours or weekends.  Wear corporate apparel every casual Friday.
  • What do they want? – To sit next to you at the company holiday party and another corporate t-shirt.

• Seasoned Vets
  • Who are they? – They’ve been around the block and have seen the good with the bad.
  • Identifying characteristics – Come with a healthy dose of skepticism. Will sometimes masquerade as Kool-Aid drinkers when politically advantageous.
  • What do they want? – A bigger 401(k) company match and more time off.

• Hopelessly Disgruntled
  • Who are they? – Skidded past skepticism and slammed headlong into full blown anger two layoffs ago.
  • Identifying characteristics –Little cloud of doom floating above their head.  Resentment rolls off them like stench from three-day-old fish. Updated resume posted on LinkedIn.
  • What do they want? – A job offer from your competition.  Don’t give them free company t-shirts – it will only enrage them.

So if knowing your audience is key to good communication, which group do you target? Shoot for the middle and write for the Seasoned Vets.

Why?

• Kool-Aid drinkers will love you no matter what you say.  You’re preaching to the converted. You could write it on a cocktail napkin and photocopy it and they’d say you were “creative.”

• The Hopelessly Disgruntled will most likely delete your message without reading it.  If they do read your message, it will only be to look for typos or for more reasons to hate your guts.  Don’t take it personally…

• Seasoned Vets will read your message and might even give you constructive feedback…that is if they’re feeling up to it.

Never forget the real reasons why you are writing a message: Getting in front of your employees regardless of which group they fall into and keeping them informed.

Next up in Part II… Your message!

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