Employee communications tips

Here are some ideas to bear in mind
1. Communicate in real time and continuously - the tendency is to leave communications until too late, but people get annoyed if they think something has been going on behind their backs (ie in the executive suite). Sometimes there are genuine confidentiality issues, but not as often as claimed. Communicate in the good times as well as the bad, when there is not much happening as well as when there are big announcements
2. Communicate on the issues that concern employees - that means issues that directly affect them and that they have some involvement with. Long dissertations on the impact of globalisation or the company's investment plans in some other part of the world are boring - after all, all news is local.
3. Talk face to face, where possible - its still the best and most effective method, other mechanisms (memos, emails etc) should always be seen as supplementary
4. Provide real information - avoid corporate glosses and content free statements. If something is stuffed, its stuffed - its not 'performing at a level below expectations' or some such drivel
5. Provide opportunities for questions, feedback and discussion - it doesn't matter what happens, it matters that there are real and valid opportunities
6. Make sure communications has CEO priority and endorsement - anything less is a prescription for failure. Why not start management meetings with an item on internal communications rather than the usual financial performance.
7. Enjoy it! After all talking with your colleagues even those below you in the corporate hierarchy should be a pleasure not a burden. They're just people and they have at least some interests in common with you.