We’ve all heard the phrase: that meeting should have been an email. It's often painfully true that time is wasted on meetings with no purpose or agenda that produce circular conversations resulting in no decisions and no action items. In many instances, it is absolutely the case that those meetings or calls could have easily been emails.
But the flipside can also be true: sometimes an email should have been a meeting. When emails, particularly key announcements from leadership to all employees, land in inboxes without context they can be a recipe for confusion. A few meetings with key stakeholders in advance of hitting “send” can go a long way toward creating understanding and acceptance.
As teams continue to work remotely or are adopting hybrid work models, it can be difficult for employees to sense when big news is coming. It’s important for leaders to set expectations and lay the groundwork for major announcements. A few things to consider in advance of sending an important all-staff announcement:
Don’t assume.
As a leadership team, you’ve likely been thinking through and discussing the matter at hand for a while. Maybe it’s a policy update around returning to the office or an upcoming leadership change – whatever it is, don’t assume that it’s on anyone else’s radar. With that in mind, spend some time thinking through how best to communicate the news to a new audience and understanding what context might be required to get employees up to speed quickly. Share your thinking and bring employees through the decision-making process with you, creating alignment with strategy whenever possible.
Cascade the news.
When possible, share the news with your managers and other influencers within the company early on to build understanding and field questions. Bringing in others in advance of an announcement is a singular opportunity to take a pulse on how the news might land and proactively address any issues of concern. Those managers and influencers can also serve as key points of contacts for employee questions post-announcement.
Consider the format.
Many times, an email is the best way to clearly communicate a big announcement, particularly when you’ve done the advance work of bringing in the right people early. You have full control over the message, employees can read it at their convenience, and it is available for future reference. But it needn’t be the only way of communicating news. Scheduling a follow-up town hall or series of smaller team meetings can help to provide added clarity and allow for in depth Q&A.
Mind the timing.
When important news hits is critical in terms of both attention and perception. Announcing difficult news at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend, regardless of how well-intentioned, is going to come across to many as an attempt to bury the story. Think through how to best schedule an announcement when employees will be most receptive, and coordinate other communications and key meetings accordingly.
Communicate clearly.
When you’re ready to make an important announcement, get to the point quickly and clearly communicate what, if anything, is expected of employees. Everyone receives information through their own lens. Answering the question “what does this mean for me?” up front and being clear about any required action will go a long way toward gaining understanding and acceptance. When possible, provide an accompanying FAQ or fact sheet to provide additional clarity.
Create formal feedback channels.
Once the message is out, provide clear guidance on who employees can go to with questions or comments, and make sure those contacts have the information and resources they need to answer questions and elevate concerns.
One of the cornerstones of clear communication is understanding your audience. Proactively thinking through your news from your employees’ perspective and creating a plan for top-down messages that create clarity and buy-in can give important announcements a softer landing.
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