"Rubbish!" shouted the large, aggressive man in the red-striped shirt (we had to pay attention to him because he owned the company).
"The staff don't need to be told anything. When we've sorted out all the details and have the adverts ready to run, then we'll tell them. They don't need to know beforehand, it'll only stop them working" he went on to loudly proclaim.
It's hard to ignore the wishes of your client, especially when he's paying you so well and has browbeaten every other consultant, as well as his management team, into submission.
Yet my experience, again and again, is this:
Employees not present at strategic planning offsite meetings aren't dumb; they're just not present. They know you're away (they think probably planning the future of the company, their jobs and their salary cuts), so they will gossip and rumour-monger to their heart's discontent while you are not 'minding the store'.
So planning your internal communication is an essential prerequisite to effective and committed implementation of any business strategy. It also goes a long way towards problem minimisation.
In order to minimise the internal and external risks of gossip and rumours, therefore, you should have it very firmly set in your mind that a communication outlining the outcome of the planning should arrive with all due speed, consistency and completeness.
The following guidelines have been tested by experience and found useful:
1. Design and agree
The communication strategy should be designed and agreed by all as part of the planning process, not an adjunct activity delegated to a junior manager who, in all probability, wasn't even at the planning meeting.
2. Tell everyone ASAP
Feedback to all those affected should take place at the earliest possible opportunity-preferably first thing next morning, before the rumour mill has had too much time to gear up. A useful strategy is to have planning meetings on weekends, with the staff briefing occuring first thing Monday morning.
3. One meeting to bind them all
Aim for one single briefing or feedback session, rather than multiple sessions where watering down or distortion of the original message might occur. Thankfully, technology largely allows such a single session to occur, even across multiple timezones. In such an instance, scripting of the communication would prove a valuable tool to consistency, especially where the text of the session will appear on a company intranet.
4. Follow up and re-purpose
A follow-up message (via audio, video or even simple written) to all from the CEO, emphasing the key points, is very useful. It too can be re-purposed to appear on the company intranet, or as a briefing to investors and the marketplace.
All of this might seem like overkill, a tremendous amount of effort for very little gain. But such a view must be evaluated against the fact that the long-term strategic plan will drive the company for anything from the next five to fifteen years.
Investing time at the beginning to 'get it right' will pay massive dividends over the longer term.
When you match consumer psychology with effective communication styles you get a powerful combination. Lee Hopkins can show you how to communicate better for better business results. At hopkins-business-communication-training.com you can find the secrets to communication success.
Chicago limo Skokie ..So you've decided to write your own business plan because... Read More
Business plan financial projections seem daunting because they are so... Read More
No matter what product or service you provide you will... Read More
Businesses tend to avoid doing their annual business plan thinking... Read More
Most companies that are worthy of raising venture capital have... Read More
Whether you are seeking capital for your company or are... Read More
The University of Exeter in the United Kingdom recently published... Read More
Want to become more strategic? Add these traits to your... Read More
As a franchisor it is imperative that you seek, find... Read More
Regroup?is this a new management trend? Not a chance! Regroup... Read More
Part 1A few weeks ago I attended a seminar sponsored... Read More
Before becoming a netpreneaur, I was an entrepreneur. First, I... Read More
I recently took an organizational behavior class where my professor... Read More
In today's rapidly changing and highly competitive markets, many privately... Read More
Many very successful business owners may never have had a... Read More
With a heightened awareness of opportunity, ideas can often be... Read More
The current state of the available technology at the disposal... Read More
The goal of almost every business owner is to generate... Read More
People often ask "What makes a good business plan? Or,... Read More
Let us look at a few of the big distribution... Read More
Although North Americans were the dominant population on the Internet,... Read More
Building a dynamic small business is a constantly evolving, increasingly... Read More
Mobile auto detailing equipment becomes very inexpensive around March each... Read More
Remember reading "Alice in Wonderland?"She asks the Cheshire Cat, "which... Read More
If you've ever listened to Warren Buffett talk about investing,... Read More
limo O'Hare Bonfield ..Writing a business plan can be tricky when all the... Read More
Where would your business be without a proper plan? A... Read More
If you own a pressure washing business one of the... Read More
If you are in the parking business and own or... Read More
By cranking up others development to meet your business needs,... Read More
Is your business growing as fast and effectively as it... Read More
Entrepreneurs often give little if any consideration to their computer... Read More
Business planning is widely acknowledged as one of the keys... Read More
Anyone who has been watching the Idaho Market Carefully for... Read More
One of the key challenges for any business is to... Read More
We all agree Strategic Planning is a critical part of... Read More
Have you ever done a SWOT analysis? No, it's not... Read More
So what makes a vision successful? Everyday companies try to... Read More
Cassy was an employee of a nonprofit who had been... Read More
Six Sigma is becoming a proven approach for businesses and... Read More
If you've ever listened to Warren Buffett talk about investing,... Read More
Are you frustrated by the lack of growth in your... Read More
Every decade we seem to come up with a buzz-word... Read More
1. Attempt Succession Planning Without Other Strategic Plans. Succession plans... Read More
Writing a business plan is no easy task, sure you... Read More
Have you been in a "brainstorming" session where each person... Read More
Let us look at a few of the big distribution... Read More
We have been spending many hours surveying the market for... Read More
Do you work in or own a business that's affected... Read More
This week I coached a wonderfully lovely woman I'll call... Read More
Strategic Planning |