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Long Live Your Communications Project!

August 3, 2018Lori Rohrbach

Here’s the scenario: You invest in the creation of communications materials—presentations, brochures, posters and signage, videos or other multimedia, content for the web and more—for a specific need or event. Maybe it’s an investment of the time of internal resources, or maybe it’s the cost of external support (or maybe it’s a little of both). Your project is a great success, the event takes place, and you move on to the next urgent project with the sense of satisfaction that comes from a job a well done. Except…six months to a year from now, those materials are obsolete and must be produced all over again…or a similar need arises and your organization ends up reinventing the wheel and producing a whole new set of communications materials from scratch. Not exactly the best use of your organization’s time and money.

 

With forethought, planning and communication, you can extend the lifespan of your communications materials to make the most of your investments. Here are some practices to consider as you develop new projects, or revisit existing ones:

 

  • In your content, be specific where you must, and less so where you can. For example, McDonald’s famous “golden arches” around the world now read, “Billions and Billions Served.” It’s an impressive-sounding fact—and there’s no need for McD’s to shoulder the cost of updating signage worldwide every time it sells another billion burgers. Consider this approach any time you’re incorporating figures into communications. Some materials, like investor or executive presentations, will obviously need to be exact, and can readily be updated when needed. But other materials might fare just fine with estimates like “1,000+ sales reps” or “more than 40% of the market,” particularly when you’re producing a big-ticket item like a video or signage that will be time-intensive and costly to update.
  • Consider modular communications that separate static and dynamic content. For example, a printed flyer can direct readers to more detailed content online, which can be continually and easily updated. A glossy, high-quality brochure that must be offset printed can include a pocket for frequently updated sales collateral that reps can download from the portal and print on demand.
  • Communicate with internal and external partners. Stay in contact with others in your organization who might already have invested in materials you can re-leverage, or who might benefit from reusing your materials, saving the company time and money. If you’re working with an external provider, make those team members aware of your desire to reuse the deliverables or extend their useful life. Your communications consultant or agency should be knowledgeable and proactive about recommending formats, physical materials or approaches to maximize reusability.
  • Know your priorities. There is a balance between making content relevant and reusable. Sometimes, you will be able to achieve both. In other cases, the business’ need for up-to-the-minute content or a fresh campaign will trump the budget or your internal team’s workload, or vice versa. It’s about knowing the objectives of your business and your communications project and working smarter to achieve them.

 

By proactively seeking to extend your projects’ useful life, you can ensure that your communications investments pay dividends in the form of improved efficiency, increased productivity, better consistency and continuity of communications, and decreased costs. And that’s an approach you can take to the bank.

 

Author: Kate Tomasco

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Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

 

Whether telecommuting is old hat or something you’ve been forced into as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, here are a few tips to make the experience run smoothly for both employers and employees.

 

Managing expectations

Successful work-from-home strategies always begin with clearly communicated expectations. Make sure your employees have any necessary equipment, tools and resources.  Will they need to track their time? Participate in regularly scheduled meetings? Be available at certain times of day? For employees, know what you’re accountable for and clearly communicate any challenges you’re having.

 

Constant communication

Keep the lines of communication open and be accessible. Check in with employees regularly through apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and Skype, or even an old-fashioned email or phone call. Be genuinely interested in how they’re doing but don’t overdo it. Foster a feeling of trust by not micromanaging.

 

Nine to five…ish

While having a daily schedule is ideal, it may not always be practical right now. Make sure your people know when you need them to be available and try to offer flexibility at other times. They may be juggling school schedules as well as work schedules and working at “off-shift” times may be necessary. Be mindful of employees in different time zones as well.

 

For employees, try to work when you’re at your best, and not when you’re exhausted by kindergarten playtime and fourth grade math. Make sure people know if you will be unavailable at certain times.

 

Taking a break

Getting up and moving clears the head and helps with creativity and problem-solving. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a break for lunch, make time to get away from your desk throughout the day.

 

Signing off

Working from home does not mean being available 24/7. Set an actual end to the workday if possible. Don’t send and respond to messages at all hours. Sign out of messaging apps and close work programs. Understand and respect these boundaries.

 

Location, location, location

When setting up a home office, think about where you will have the fewest distractions – for yourself and for those who may be seeing you and your background on a video conferencing platform. Try to avoid busy spots that may include semi-clad people walking behind you, barking dogs and kids vying for your attention.

 

Conferencing and calls

Be clear about whether you expect people to turn on their cameras during meetings. If so, be clear about how they should be dressed. During calls, mute your phone when you’re not talking to avoid background noise. Headphones can also help with call quality. When speaking, pause frequently so others can participate in the conversation.

 

Social engagement

It’s ok for managers and employees to have some down time together, which may help ward off feelings of isolation. Keep up your normal level of interaction, perhaps with a virtual coffee break or happy hour. Managers should set the tone for how casual to be. Let employees choose what they would like to share, and never pry into areas that were off-limits before.

 

 

Author: Erin Alderfer

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