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Snap – Internal Communications Solutions.
6
Hot Tips for Internal Communicators
Listen
Do staff need to offload and should you let them?
Many change management projects get stuck right into telling staff what changes to make and then start
filling them in on all details. This type of insensitive approach can cause employees to feel shocked and
ambushed. And this initial shock is often ‘followed by behaviors such as denial, anger, ‘blocking’ and in
some cases depression.’ (Adrian Cropley).
Staff need time to come to grips with what the organizational change means to them before they can
move on. Since these emotions are an expected part of the change curve, it is wise to provide some
avenues whereby staff can have their say. Staff who perceive that they may lose their job, or be
relocated, or redeployed need to voice their concerns. Listening to and acknowledging their views will
assist them and you.
Part of your role, therefore, is to find ways of listening to staff and listening proactively. You need to
create opportunities to hear what employees are thinking after any changes are announced. You can use
a variety of approaches such as team meetings, interviews, or open staff forums. It is important not just
to gather staff feedback but to probe deeper so that you really understand the issues and understand
how these issues affect each individual. Internal communication should be a two-way street.
Staff may be exploring their feelings as well as their options, so making comments beginning with ‘but’ or
trying to answer their questions does not help them or you to clarify the issues. So listen first and try to
get to the heart of the matter and acknowledge what they feel.
Sometimes staff just need a place to let off steam. If you do not listen to staff and allow their feelings
and ideas to be heard, then rumor and resentment can grow. Even if you have to communicate bad
news, you can manage the process with dignity. Active and empathetic listening is paramount in this
process.
Use face to face meetings for sensitive issues, and allow plenty of time to hear responses and to answer
questions. If you need to comment, keep your message brief and clear.
Staff may think of additional questions or wish to make further comments once they have had time to
assimilate your information. Time may not permit you or other managers to have continual face to face
meetings, so you may need to think of other ways to ‘listen.’
Try these Snap Internal Communications Channels
Snap tools can be your ‘ear.’ They provide very effective ways of gathering personal or anonymous
feedback. Since these tools are easy to use, you can easily ‘speak’ and listen to key stakeholder groups,
rather than using a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
face, it can be used effectively to keep the information channels open.
Snap Staff Discussion Forum can provide a virtual meeting where people can share their ideas,
opinions, and if necessary, let off steam. Snap Staff Discussion Forum allows people to post ideas
anonymously. This is a good option for finding out what staff really think. Forewarned, as they say,
is forearmed.
In case this all sounds too risky, note that Snap Staff Discussion Forums are highly secure, provide a
range of moderation options to allow you to keep a close eye on the conversations, and targeting
options mean that you can set up specific secure forums targeted to specific groups (meaning that
negative feeling doesn’t have to ‘infect’ the whole organization.
Snap RSVP Invite is a meeting request or invite that is presented like a Desktop Alert. It is an ideal
channel for maximising employee attendance of face to face briefing sessions. During times of
organizational change, it can be tricky to get everyone in a room at the same time as staff still have
jobs to do and can be very busy. Snap RSVP Invite provides options on available time slots and
venues. Once responded to, Snap RSVP Invite automatically populates the employee’s outlook