Archive for employee communications

Tips for Your Interview on a Talk Show

October 9, 2010 at 9:44 pm · Filed under communications, employee communications, media relations, presentations, publicity, traditional media ·Tagged , , , , ,

Can you please prepare some comments for Paul for tomorrow’s talk show?  We just received this invitation, so I apologize for the short notice.

That was the short email message the corporate communications manager received from Paul’s boss, one of the company’s vice presidents.  The talk show was being taped the next morning for later broadcast on a local community access cable channel.  The topic of the interview segment was to focus entirely on the work Paul does for the company every day.  There would also be two other guests on the segment — Paul’s counterparts who do the same work for two other non-competing organizations.  

“Why would Paul need talking points from me?” the corporate communications manager pondered.  

She called Paul and said to him, “Look, since you are the expert, I’m sure you’ll do fine.  Let me just offer a few quick pointers on performance. 

  • RELAX AND SMILE!  RELAX AND SMILE!  RELAX AND SMILE! People watching you at home won’t care how much you know unless they can see how much you care about helping them.

 

  • Just have a conversation. Think: that’s not an interviewer you’re talking to.  He or she is your best friend or next door neighbor. 

 

  • With every question you get, stop and think, “How can I answer this question so people watching at home can understand quickly and simply?”

 

  • Keep your responses short so you don’t drone on and on and on…..  Let the interviewer decide to ask you one or more follow-up questions.  There are two other people being interviewed in the segment with you, so leave plenty of time for them to talk!

 

  • You can highlight a few statistics, but don’t get too wrapped up in them.  People watching you at home want to know – “How can Paul help me?” You don’t help them with statistics.  You help them by engaging their involvement in your program!    

 

  • To help people, remind them about these items at least once (and don’t be afraid to repeat them in rotation as you answer different questions):
    • upcoming program outreach events
    • the company’s web site is a great resource
    • the phone number and email address where you can be contacted directly for more information

And again —

  • RELAX AND SMILE!   RELAX AND SMILE!   RELAX AND SMILE!  People watching you at home won’t care how much you know unless they can see how much you care about helping them overcome challenges, learn something new or be successful.

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Run, Tackle, Score in Corporate Writing

February 20, 2010 at 6:18 pm · Filed under communications, corporate communications, employee communications, writing ·Tagged , , , , , ,

 
When I worked as a local TV news reporter, my copy had to be quick and crisp.  At most, I only had 60 to 90 seconds to show and tell. I still think like a reporter when I’m working on annual reports, CEO commentaries, and other corporate communications.  I’m filling paragraphs and pages instead of short blocks of air time, but I’m careful not to lapse into slow, cumbersome, abstract styles that are drab and weighed down with jargon. I recognize that employees, vendors, media, shareholders and other audiences are busy, cynical, and overwhelmed by interests competing for their attention.  They just don’t have time to read everything that comes their way; they choose to read things they like and what they have to.

So here’s how I make sure corporate writing is interesting and important enough to rope in readers:

Focus on people

Just compare conversations about national health care reform to the amount of chatter about Tiger Woods.  People want to hear, talk, and read about people.  Likewise, stories about corporate policies, procedures and programs are best when they focus on the people affected.

Get out of the office, go find people and see what’s going on. Do interviews in person or over the telephone. Avoid e-mail interviews — they lack personality.

Compose high quality headlines

Because a headline is the first thing readers see, it’s crucial to get it right. A good headline should capture a reader’s attention. It needs to tell readers what the story is about in a nutshell so they can decide whether or not to read further. It should not imply anything unrelated to the story, and it must set the tone for the rest of the article.  That’s why I write it before I write the story; it’s too difficult when I put it off until the end. Sometimes, I start with something outlandish and then scale it back.  I may also throw a bunch of ideas out to several people and get their feedback.

Don’t forget the lede 

Like headlines, an enticing lede draws in a reader, especially if it’s short, punchy, and right to the point. Just ask, “What is this story about?” Answering in a creative, inviting way is sure to win reader attention.

Be clear

I don’t get caught up using technical terms and convoluted sentence structures. Straightforward language explains what I’m talking about. If it’s not written clearly, nothing else will matter because people won’t understand it.

Use action verbs

I use words that I can see happening.  I can see a company “deliver results,” but my vision blurs when I read that it “achieved established performance objectives consistent with strategic goals.”  

Apply active voice 

Sentences in active voice are more concise and direct because fewer words are needed to express action. Passive voice hides the “doer” and therefore muddles the sentence. Noun-verb construction works best.  For example, say “He made a mistake,” not “Mistakes were made.”

Specify everything

Concrete words that make direct statements help the audience understand what I’m talking about. And the more they understand, the more engaged they will be.

Avoid jargon

Jargon is intimidating and excludes certain members of the audience.  It can give some the sense that they’re not qualified to read the item.  If jargon is necessary or unavoidable, limit the number of terms and be sure to define them.

Include quotes

Quote should convey real points of view.  If they’re good but long, I like to break them up with attribution in the middle. 

Write with your ear

Good writing is just an edited conversation, that’s all. I read it out loud so I can hear what works and what doesn’t. I pay attention to rhythm and pacing. If I’m running out of oxygen or fumbling, that’s a signal for more punctuation.

Allow a little mess

I don’t try to write perfect sentences in my head.  I have to let my thoughts go and then fix them. Good writing involves rewriting, so I embrace the chaos, walk away, come back, reorganize, move things around, and change things up.  Then, I do it again.

Take chances

Look for the twists and turns. Ask, “Why should I care about this?” I find the fun in writing topics so my audience will enjoy reading about them.

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Road-Mapping an Internal Communications Strategy

January 4, 2010 at 4:29 pm · Filed under communications, employee communications, employee engagement, productivity

An organization’s employees are its ambassadors.  Consequently, communicating with employees is just as vital as delivering the corporate story to the outside world.  A workplace where management is respected, products are made with pride, and workers believe they are being treated fairly is a key factor in corporate success.

 

 

I’ve found a lot of wisdom on this subject from Bill Quirke, the author of Making the Connections: Using Internal Communication to Turn Strategy into Action.  He describes internal communication as “the core process that enables businesses to engage their people’s intellectual and creative assets to produce value.”  I couldn’t agree more, especially in this uncertain economy.  People want simple truths about what’s going on, and they deserve to be treated in a way that tells them they matter.

 

 

It boils down to identifying the intended business value in communicating and then designing a process to deliver that value.  Therefore, internal communication has to be a process focused on conversion rather than distribution.  Just as an industrial production line worker converts, or adds value to, a component received from up the line, the internal communications coordinator must convert information from the corporate office and from the assembly line into meaning in order to make the right decisions.

 

 

Again, Bill Quirke is right on point:

  

 

“The role of internal communication is to illuminate the connections between different pieces of information, to shine a light on the web of interdependencies, and to show the links between one area and another.  Its job is to provide the information to do the job, but to paint the bigger picture and to tell the fuller story that puts that information into context.”

 

 

I’m looking forward to delving deeper into Quirke’s text to gain a deeper understanding of the role of communication in bridging the gap between what a successful business needs from its people and the obstacles that get in the way.

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Glad you’re here. Now, what should we do?

December 29, 2009 at 8:10 pm · Filed under communications, employee communications, employee engagement, industrial plant, productivity, workplace culture

Advancing culture and productivity through communication?

 

That’s the question that greeted the industrial plant’s internal communications coordinator on the first day of work.  During the job offer, the hiring manager had said the company wants programs that will create a unified culture and improve productivity.  

This plant is one of hundreds around the world owned by a US-based corporation.  It makes a product that’s a component for other products.  Many workers are the second and third generations of their families to work at the plant, which is one of the largest employers in the small town.  

Management sponsors an annual picnic in the spring for workers and their families, and retiring workers get a farewell barbeque bash.  Information about benefits and company announcements come out as paycheck envelope stuffers from time to time.  Empty suggestion boxes have been collecting dust for who knows how many years.  

It seems everyone just does their jobs and goes home.  Pay is good, benefits are generous, and turnover is low. The company has always done the right thing for workers and their families who’ve been adversely affected by the few on-the-job incidents that have occurred in the facility’s 50-year history. 

So, here’s what the new internal communication coordinator is considering: 

Do some informal research.  Listen and observe at a down-to-earth, grassroots level without a lot of formality.  Put on jeans, a hard hat, work boots or other necessary gear and just get out on the plant floor and in the employee cafeteria.  Find out what people feel and think.  Why do they like working here?  What do they dislike?  Are they concerned about the economy and layoffs?  Worried about safety? Health? Environmental challenges?  

Initiate a formal program to allow managers and administrative workers to spend a week on the production line. It could be an eye-opening (and sobering) experience providing first-hand, up-close look at how production workers communicate, which tools work for them, and which ones don’t. 

Schedule quarterly all employee meetings.  Formalize the programs for each meeting with written prepared motivational remarks for plant management.  See if higher level regional/divisional management can participate.  Incorporate multimedia for entertainment value, such as full-screen projections of the company’s latest ads and montages of positive media headlines.  Incorporate ceremonies recognizing employees for productivity, safety, teamwork, etc. (consider making it peer-based).
Annual public open houses/tours hosted by plant employees. Invite families, neighbors, local chamber of commerce members, the media and other stakeholders, and let employees serve as tour guides.  With a little coaching, they can be great ambassadors since they work on the product, are very experienced and very passionate about what they do.

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