The Source for Communicators

Melcrums Source for Communicators - A Free Weekly E-Zine for Corporate Communicators

June 20th, 2007 Help the boss make an impact

Internet search firm, Yahoo!, has replaced its CEO, Terry Semel, after he failed to meet expectations.

We're sure that the new chief, Jerry Yang, will be communicating clearly and effectively with Yahoo!'s employees to make the transition as smooth as possible. But in case he needs help, here's some simple tips that might be of assistance.

Make time for employees
Regular, one-on-one meetings with your team members are important; if employees work remotely, meet by phone. If you can't meet weekly, do it at least twice a month. Show your employees they have your full attention.
Get the word out
Take great pains to reach those who should be in the know about workplace changes coming down from above. This is tough, because it's easy to forget to tell someone, on a timely basis, something they should know about.
Put out a consistent message about your values
Knowing who you are and what you stand for can help your employees make better decisions on their own (or at least decisions that you'll like better). If you're sending mixed messages, explain them or suffer the consequences.
Give regular feedback; avoid surprises
Employees shouldn't first learn about significant performance issues in an annual evaluation. They should be informed well in advance (and as humanely as possible), there's something they need to improve.
Be effective in speaking to groups
If you can't speak well at employee meetings or in front of employee groups, you lose credibility as a manager. Learn how to do it; learn how to get better at it. The same thing goes for writing group e-mails.
Don't hide behind e-mails
Most delicate matters must be discussed in person. Most conflicts must be settled in person, or at least by phone. When emotions are involved, e-mail becomes a less-appropriate vehicle to communicate.

Source: Monte Enbysk, Microsoft.com

For more advice on change communication, have a look at Melcrum's new "Delivering Successful Change Communication" report.

Hope that "leads" you in the right direction.

Mandy Thatcher,
Editor
mandy.thatcher@melcrum.com

P.S. The new Melcrum podcast is now available for download. This edition includes interviews with Richard Roberts, head of resourcing and people engagement at Virgin Mobile, Intemal Comms Hub expert, Bill Quirke and Audra Rothermel gives us her take on the Boot Camp event in San Francisco.

Further reading
Change efforts fail to reap rewards Getting employees engaged after change Winning grass-roots support for change