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Turnaround Communications Communicating When It’s Hard to Find a Bright Side
It’s human nature to clam up when times are tough. So it’s not surprising that many companies begin to shut down communication when the business begins to struggle. Sadly, often some of the first people to be let go are marketing and communicating professionals – the very people a business needs most when business slows down.
This is a time to make certain the essential communication tools are being used as effectively as possible. To determine their effectiveness doesn’t require a major investment, but it does require a professional communicator who has the experience and knowledge base to identify what works well and what can be shelved. It comes down to a simple question – Is it nice to have, or need to have?
There are two communication functions, which are essential during the tough times – maintaining at least basic levels of internal communication and marketing/customer communication.
1. Maintain basic, regular employee communication
More now that ever, employees need frequent, candid information. They need to know what they can do to help the company through the downturn. When staff is let go, management needs to remember that the remaining staff needs time to grieve for the loss of co-workers and they need a forum to talk candidly about what the changes mean to their roles and responsibilities.
Management needs to be candid with staff about the financial situation and avoid declaring that things are going to be okay, when perhaps you are not certain. Rather, talk and listen to staff. Given an opportunity employees have excellent suggestions for changing how they handle their functions that can be more productive or more cost effective. Give them an opportunity to share in the solutions.
When management has reviewed the alternatives, present those to the staff in order to help them reach the same decisions as management. They will be much more accepting of radical change if they have the benefit of management’s insights.
Understanding how management reached a decision enables staff to accept and embrace tough decisions because they seem less arbitrary.
If the company has used multiple employee communication vehicles, encourage your professional communicator to assess their value and recommend changes. If the decision is to suspend publication, be certain employees aren’t surprised by the decision. Publish a final edition and discuss how you will be communicating in the future. Perhaps it is more frequent employee meetings, better use of all-employee emails or intranet sites. When a topic is hot, such as a pending layoff,
think about setting up a toll-free call line where basic questions can be asked and answered with confidentiality.
To be prepared have a practical communication plan in place. Create and implement a plan that makes optimum use of your reduced resources. If you must let your professional communicators go, talk to them about the potential for a contractual arrangement that saves the company money, but compensates the professional at a reasonable market value.
The essential element is to continue to communicate frequently and with candor. This will reduce productivity lost to the rumor mill. It will help maintain morale at a productive level. Finally, it can reduce the risk of losing critical talent when you need them the most.
2. Continue communicating with customers and prospects
Now is not the time to cut marketing budgets to the extent they become ineffective in carrying your messages to your customers and prospects. Customers and prospects do not want to be associated with “losers.” They will dump you at first
hint that the company is struggling, or they will shy away from engaging you and your products or services if they even suspect that you won’t be around to support them.
Continue to communicate with these essential audiences. Revise the marketing communication plan that implements only the most effective tools. The level of detail they have about your business situation will depend upon several factors, including whether or not you:
- Are publicly held, which would mean your business status is public anyway;
- Have long-term, close relationships with key customers; or
- Are doing an effective job of managing the external rumor mill.
This is a time when you may need someone on staff or an outside resource to monitor and analyze web sites that are being by our critics. Strategies to find and respond to these sites are a critical part of any organizations’ crisis communication plan. You need to be in touch with the rumors so that you can develop and implement methods to counteract their impact.
It will be important to be honest with your employees, customers and prospects and above all to not surprise them. If you have bad news that will be public, don’t make these key stakeholders read it in the morning paper, or worse, hear it from your competitors.
Tell your story simply, honestly and early. This is critical for your key customers and vendors with whom you have long, solid relationships. They will stand by you as long you don’t lie to them or keep them in the dark. Your employees are your first-line ambassadors and they need the appropriate context in which to support the corporate message.
Your ability to manage the messages being delivered is much stronger if you initiate discussion rather than respond to rumors and questions.
About Mary Ann McCauley
Mary Ann McCauley, ABC, is president of Catalyst Communications, Inc., a consulting practice that helps organizations communicate more effectively by analyzing and defining communication needs through strategic planning to develop effective, measurable solutions using an array of communication disciplines. She is accredited by the International Association of Business Communicators. Mary Ann can be reached at 952-292-8130 or mam@catalystcomm.net. Visit Catalyst at http://www.catalystcomm.net.
Copyright: May 2010
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Mary Ann McCauley, ABC, shares her expertise through custom workshops and professional development presentations. Current topics:
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“Avoid Being a Passenger on Your Information Highway”
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Staying ahead of the competition is an ongoing challenge. Meet that challenge with a results oriented communication program. Mary Ann McCauley, ABC*, president of Catalyst Communications, Inc., takes a strategic approach to communications disciplines including media relations, planning, collateral development and issues or crisis management.
*Accredited Business Communicator accredited
By the International Association of Business Communicators
Staying ahead of the competition is an ongoing challenge
Catalyst Communications, Inc., is about plain talk, practical solutions and strategic approaches. Creativity is great – as along as it is founded in strategies that are aligned with your organization’s goals and vision. Today’s businesses are hungry for a back to the basics foundation on which to build effective, efficient communication tools to reach and retain their customers. But wait – that does not mean that Catalyst Communications doesn’t ignite your communications tools when they need it. Just look at how Mary Ann McCauley, ABC*, Catalyst president, puts flair into her consultancy.
