This is a particularly hectic time of the year. It’s back to school season for kids, parents and teachers. And at work, most companies are trying to make the push for what needs to be finished by the end of the calendar year.
Employees are thinking about what they personally need to accomplish to reach the goals they set at the beginning of the calendar year. Leaders are thinking about what they need their teams to accomplish by the end of the calendar year to be positioned well heading into 2018.
In the midst of all of those projects, initiatives and plans, do not forget about the employees impacted by the changes. In fact, the best companies do just the opposite. They keep things employee-centric, the same way the best consumer products companies keep things customer-centric.
This means for each employee, no matter where they sit in the company or on an organization chart, someone has thought through and planned for:
- How to communicate with them personally what the changes will mean to them
- What training they will need (if any) to do their job differently when the changes are implemented
For example, I have a client going live over the course of the next four months with a variety of changes covering:
- Payroll
- Compensation
- Benefits
- Performance Management
- A new company vision and values
Not every change impacts every employee. Our team is working with the company to “tell the right story” for each audience. It’s kind of like puzzle pieces. What picture gets put together with the puzzle pieces for each person, based on their role and responsibilities within the company?
Do not fall into the trap of trying to communicate everything to everyone. People are bombarded with too much information as it is. Then they will start to tune out the important things when you really do need them to pay attention.
Segment your audiences and target your messages for those who need to hear the information and potentially take some kind of action. This will result in a much higher likelihood of the behavior change you need or the attitude shift you’re seeking.
Betsy Winkler is a Partner at PeopleResults. She can be reached on Twitter @BetsyWinkler1. Sign up to receive the PeopleResults blog at Current.
