Running low on bandwidth when it comes to communication planning and execution? Try some of these solutions.
- Have a plan. A solid communication plan is important when looking to maximize your bandwidth. An effective plan includes the who, what, when, where, and how of the message you’re trying to communicate. You can avoid the last-minute scramble when you have a good communication plan.
- Use your managers. A manager is the bridge to employees and can help you with your communication strategy. By arming managers with the information they need to talk with employees, you can free up some of your time.
- Use your employees. There is no better cheerleader than employees. Recruiting “internal influencers” to be champions for your communications initiatives can help take some of the load off your shoulders.
- Explain the why. Your employees will be more receptive to your organizational communications if you explain the why behind them. If you get employee buy-in early, you may not need as many communication touchpoints, allowing you to free up your time and energy for other areas of your job. And be sure to track employee opinions and feedback.
- Keep it targeted. Personalized communications can make a huge difference. If you have different employee groups, consider targeting your communications to prevent confusion. In the end, you can likely skip spending time answering avoidable questions.
- Keep it simple. Big town halls or launch parties are great, but you may not have the bandwidth to plan them. So, sometimes keeping it simple is enough. Weiting Tao, Associate Professor in Strategic Communication at the University of Miami, says using a straightforward method such as face-to-face to have a two-way conversation with employees is often just as effective as other communication approaches.
- Know your tools. It’s good to use various communication channels. After all, an organization can have up to five different generations in their workforce. Each will have a preferred way they would like to be communicated to. However, if employee engagement is low with certain channels, you may want to set them aside and put your energy into the channels employees are using.
Author: Jennifer Bohmueller