How to know when to let go.
Communicators are really good at addition. They’re not always great at subtraction.
When it comes to developing a communication plan that works both internally and externally within a company’s budget, comms teams need to carefully weigh what strategies work well and in turn, not be afraid to cut what’s missing the mark, said Jim Ylisela, co-founder and senior partner at RCG.
“The first thing (comms teams) need to do is draw a line in the sand and get a full assessment of the current state of communications so that you can map out a future state,” he said.
If you’re looking to make changes, save time and money, but don’t know where to start, Ylisela has some suggestions for how to be successful every time.
Here’s what he recommends.
- Test the current climate: Use focus groups to find out what’s working really well and what’s not working. Do employees regularly look to your newsletter for company updates? Or are they engaging more with your intranet? Does your audience lean towards one social platform over another? It’s OK to make cuts. It’s OK to focus your efforts in one area over another, Ylisela said. “Establish a baseline because you want to be able to measure your progress,” he said. Use these focus groups to find out where you’re wasting time, effort and money, and cut out the unnecessary stuff, he said.
- Determine what’s ‘need to know’ versus ‘nice to know’: People, whether that’s employees or your target audience, want clarity. They want to know information that’s relevant, useful and important. Communicators need to help separate the “nice to know” information from the “need to know” information, Ylisela said. “’What’s essential and how do I prioritize this when you’re sending me so much information that I gave up halfway through?’ is how a lot of people are feeling right now,” he said. If your company is making a change and it’s essential that people know and understand that change, then say this clearly. Label it in a way that shows the information is critical. Speak plainly and use clear language. Keep it simple or make a list, he said. This will help cut through the noise and get to the point quicker, saving people time. People still value the “nice to know” information, but they’ll be able to differentiate much easier from the “need to know,” Ylisela said.
- Provide specificity and a “what” for new tech tools: Companies invest a lot of time, money and training into integrating new tech tools. But they aren’t useful if no one is using them or understands why they’re there. If you’re investing in tech and you want your employees to adopt these tools in a meaningful way, you have to offer a “what, why and how” behind it, Ylisela said. “People can be trained (on a tool) but they really want to know ‘why are we changing?’ or ‘why isn’t the old way good enough?’” he said. You must be very specific about how and why a new tech tool can make life easier or help streamline workflows or cut down on valuable time, he said. Provide real examples of how it works. Make sure every employee at every level understands the tech. And especially train managers so they can answer employee questions and provide support when it’s needed. Essentially, justify the change, Ylisela said.
Join Ylisela and others for Ragan’s Communication Boot Camp Virtual Conference on Sept. 18 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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