Every project, every position and organization in which I have served as a professional business communicator has yielded new ideas on ways to improve communications with employees. Here’s a few simple, low-or-no-cost ideas you can implement right away to improve your skills.
1. Have coffee with a co-worker. One of the fastest ways to learn what’s going on—your company’s challenges, goals, and strategies—is to spend a few minutes with a leader/manager from another department. Come prepared with 3-5 questions and gain from their perspective. You can gain a lot of knowledge for the cost of a cappuccino.
2. Read a newspaper. Yes, you can read the online editions instead of print.If you company does business locally or regionally, read the local paper (at the very least). Doing business nationally or internationally? Read The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business Week, and industry-specific publications. Ask your boss what he/she reads. Effective communicators are also well informed business people.
3. Talk directly to your audience using “you”. Everyone likes to feel valued. An easy way to add impact to messages is to focus on the benefit to the reader. Which sentence is more impactful? “I want to share information about our company’s success.” “You can help our company succeed.”
4. Read what you wrote out loud. This is a quick, easy way to make sure the message is simple, conversational, and most important, makes sense to the reader.
5. Communicate every which way. Most employee communication is vertical, with the majority being top-down messages. Think horizontal! Bring people in similar jobs from different departments or locations together to share their ideas on what works and what needs attention. The organization benefits when best practices are uncovered and shared across the enterprise.
6. Reinforce key messages in every available medium. Create a simple matrix with key messages on one axis, and your tools on the other to make sure you don’t miss an important tool. Cross reference various media; for example, in an email message, embed a link that takes the reader to additional details on the company intranet.
7. Join the conversation on LinkedIn. Test-drive some LinkedIn groups devoted to internal communications and public relations. Join the conversations, share your own ideas and insights. It’s a great way to stay current in the profession and build relationships with your peers.
