Super Bowl XLVII is right around the corner, so it seems appropriate to kick off this next blog with a football reference. In fact, this particular football news caught my attention because, despite the fact that I live in Pittsburgh, I’m from Ohio and let’s just say I have a few relatives who are Cleveland Browns fans.
This past week, it was announced that the behemoth electric utility company, FirstEnergy, had purchased the naming rights to what was previously only known as Cleveland Browns Stadium. Now, it will be called FirstEnergy Stadium, joining dozens of other stadiums and arenas named for a large corporation—like KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Ford Center in Detroit, M & T Bank in Baltimore and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The announcement was made during a glitzy press conference with images of the stadium with the new signs, high-profile executives from both organizations and former Browns players. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but a follow-up article in the Akron Beacon Journal revealed it is a $102 million deal over 17 years. A good chunk of change for sure.
While some realize a deal like this was probably in the works for several months, if not years, others will see the announcement and make correlations between that business decision and other decisions—rate increases, layoffs, or other “reductions.” When big money is involved, emotions can run high.
Many companies invest a lot of time and energy into making sure an announcement makes a splash with the media by creating awesome visuals, having well-known speakers and passing out shiny press kits but neglect to invest the same amount of time into communicating with their most important audience—their employees. I’m not suggesting this is the case with FirstEnergy, however. I simply want to make the case that businesses should keep their finger on the pulse of what employees are thinking and consider this key audience when laying out a communications strategy.
Employees can and should be your greatest supporters. When they are happy, they let others know it—and when they aren’t, they let others know using every channel possible to communicate their feelings. Despite the fact that many companies say they want to focus on increasing employee engagement within their organization, many still haven’t incorporated communicating with employees into their strategic plans. And, too often, their strategy is reactive or shortsighted—meaning they communicate as needed at the moment—not necessarily in a way that builds long-term engagement.
When announcing a merger, acquisition, sponsorship or other business decision that involves significant dollars, it’s a good idea to plan far ahead and make your employees your first priority. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Consider the timing of your announcement in relation to other news you’ve communicated. Will it make sense or seem contradictory? Will it be a surprise or has the rumor mill been in full effect?
- Don’t assume employees will react a certain way to the news. Remember, you have more information than they do and your opinion is probably very different from what theirs will be. If they had all of the information you have, would their opinion be different? Think this through carefully as you plan.
- Be aware of requirements you may have from a legal standpoint. Do you need to share information differently with union employees?
- Be fair and transparent as you communicate. According to Meghan Biro, a Forbes Magazine contributor and HR consultant, employees are more likely to respond positively to change when the process used to manage the change is open and honest.
- Communicate sideways, not top-down. Employees tend to trust their immediate manager more than executives they’ve never met or rarely interact with. Empower your leaders and management to communicate with their teams rather than blasting out information from the top and hoping it reaches everyone. Provide them with the tools they need to share accurate, timely information.
- Make sure lines of communication are open and encourage feedback. You can’t address problems or issues you don’t know about. You also might find some employee ambassadors this way—ones who are supportive of the company and who are eager to help. And, by soliciting periodic feedback, you can make improvements to how you communicate.
- Use multiple channels to get your message out but have one central place, or hub, for the main details. This might be your intranet site. Every communication should provide enough basic information to get the message across and then link to that “hub” for more.
- Consider a special event or activity. If your news or announcement is truly big, perhaps you want to use an alternate channel to share your message. This will help set it apart and demonstrate the significance of the announcement. It might be a rally, a webcast, meeting with the CEO, video or any other means that is slightly different than your normal, everyday communications methods.
Employees are the lifeblood of your organization. Alienating them when communicating change or a big announcement could cause significant problems for your company both internally and externally. Instead, incorporate proactive internal communications plans into your overall strategy for sharing your news. Be open and transparent as much as you are able and encourage two-way communication with employees. It’s better to know what they are thinking rather than find out later after they’ve shared it with “friends” on social media. Or, worse, experience it on your bottom line because of lost productivity or reduced sales.
_____
Hollie Geitner is vice president, client services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG.
