Transcript Communicating From the HR Department

Communicating
From The
HR Department
NNHRA
January 16, 2014
NeuroSense Consulting
Putting Brains to Business
Business Coaching
Training Design And Delivery
Performance Management
Executive Development
Susan Strating
Bradley Harris
Share Your Experiences
What communication job do you
dread the most?
What is the most difficult message
you have had to communicate to
your organization?
Communication is a Project
Build the Project Charter
Draft the Project Plan
Craft the Message
Decide on the Channels
Flesh Out the Project Plan
Execute
Follow Up
Big Communication Jobs Should Be
Managed Like Projects…
…Because That’s What They Are.
Project Charter
“In preparing for battle I
∂ Project Manager
∂ Project Sponsor
∂ Project Team
∂ Project Goals
have always found that
plans are useless, but
planning is
indispensable.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Project Plan and Timeline
Hermagoras of Temnos
1st Century BCE Greek Teacher of Rhetoric
‘Elements of Circumstance’
W ho
What
Where
W he n
Why
Ho w
Also know
as the
journalist’s
outline.
The Communicator’s Outline
The order of the questions is as important as the
questions!
Why, What, Who, Where, How, When
∂ You don’t know what to communicate until you know
why you are communicating.
∂ You don’t know who will do the communication until
you know what and why.
∂ You don’t know where or how (channels) until you
know why, what and who.
∂ You don’t know when you can get it done until you
know everything else.
Questions for the Project
1. Why are we doing this? Goals
2. What are the three or four key points?
3. Who is the audience(s)? Who will deliver it?
Who will approve the communication plan?
Who is on the project team?
4. Where and How will it be delivered?
Channels
5. When will it be delivered? Timeline
Project Plan
∂ Kick Off Meeting with the Team
∂ Major Tasks in Order
∂ Dependencies
∂ Owners
∂ Reviewers
∂ Timeline
∂ Work Backwards from Deadline
∂ Approvals, Travel Schedules, Vacations, Other Priorities
∂ Don’t Let Deadlines Drive Sloppy Communication
Crafting the Message
Journalist’s Outline
Who What Where When Why How
Build the message off your goals and the key points.
∂ Who is affected? Who isn’t? Who made this decision?
∂ What do affected people need to know? What do they need
to do? What is changing? What’s this going to cost/save?
∂ Where can affected people get more information?
∂ When will decisions be made? When is this change effective?
When will more information be available? When will this all
be over?
∂ Why is this being communicated? Why is this happening?
Why now? Why are the affect people affected? Why should
employees care?
∂ How will it work? How will they know the final outcome?
CHANNELS: Where and How
Hard Channels
Soft Channels
Formal Meetings
One-on-ones
Email
“MBWA”
Press Releases
“HRBWA”
Staff Meetings
Gossip and Grapevine
Bulletin Boards
MEDIA: What
PowerPoint
Paper
Audio
Electronic Text
Video
Speech
Channel Considerations
∂ Use Multiple Channels
∂ Is There A Need For An External Release Of
Information? Customer, Vendors, Investors, News
Media? If You Don’t Do It, Will Employees Do It
For You?
∂ How Complex Is Your Organization? Shifts,
Geography, Languages, Occupations?
∂ Consider The Grapevine and the Gossip Mill a
Fact Of Life. How Do You “Invite It In”?
A Tool For You
Communication Project Planning Template
EXECUTE THE PLAN

Plan the Follow Up
∂ Formal and Informal
Feedback
∂ Decide on Channels for
Responding to Feedback
∂ Filter
∂ Restate the Key Points
∂ Reminders
Tips
∂ Impact matters more than intent.
∂ Consider your company’s culture. How does this
impact your message? Your channels?
∂ Is it news or change? Do you need to manage the
change along with communicating the news?
∂ Use others in the planning process to increase
buy-in and effectiveness. Include some tough
critics.
∂ How do YOU feel about presenting?
Final Thoughts
∂ Remember the radio station we all listen
to: WIIFM.
∂ Communication = Leadership. Your
credibility is enhanced when you do this
well.
∂ Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
It’s a sign of intelligence.
Give Us Your Business Card…
…And We’ll Send You The
Communication Project Planning Tool.
W ho?
What?
Where ?
W he n?
Why?
Ho w ?
Questions?
NeuroSense Consulting
Putting Brains to Business
Thank You
Susan Strating
Bradley Harris