Category Archives: Talking to your employees

A headline alone can’t hack it

Talking to your customers, Talking to your employees

I was reading a national newspaper the other day – it’s an occupational hazard – when I was struck by the paper’s complete absence of sub-headers (it was the Guardian if you must know). There’s the headline in all its attention grabbing glory, but what happened to all its little brothers and sisters scattered strategically throughout the piece to help the reader navigate the article and keep them interested?

A barren landscape (there’s a sub for you)
There was a big investigative story that looked interesting, but confronted by the acres of news print, I couldn’t quite face the read. It all looked a little daunting.

One click and you’ve lost it (make them engaging…)
Writing for the web for instance demands that you write less; break it up into manageable chunks; have clear signposting in place; and basically do all you can to keep a tenacious hold of the reader’s digitally shortened attention span. One click and you’ve lost it.

Now I know writing in newsprint gives you a bit more of that reader’s attention span, but just how much? Would you have an article without pictures?  I would say that good sub-headers are just as important.

Free money (…but keep them relevant)
So when you’re next writing a piece whether it’s online or print, an internal newsletter or an article for external publication, think what you can do to the layout to make it as engaging and as easy to read as possible.

It doesn’t matter how well crafted your words are if no one bothers to read them.

Social media: think before you ‘do’

Social media, Talking to your customers, Talking to your employees

If there was a prize for the creation of new or at least reinvented verbs, then step forward social media. Blog it, tweet it, poke me, message me; there is, indeed, an awful lot of ‘doing’ going on. Which is nice for those who like to see a bit of action but those shiny new tools in the box shouldn’t allow you to be detracted from the thinking behind your communications.

Beware the irrestible lure
The pressure to utilise social media can be irresistible but don’t forget to ask the most obvious questions first; who are you trying to communicate with and what are you trying to say? The audience and the message are still the stars of the show. Only when you’ve got that cracked should you be thinking about how best to deliver your communications and, whisper it, social media tools might not always be the best way of getting the message through.

Hand to mouth

Talking to your employees

Do you remember when you were at school, sitting in assembly, and if you wanted to surreptitiously chat to your friend next to you, you’d cover your mouth with your hand while you spoke? That way of course the teacher wouldn’t be able to see it was you speaking – and it was as effective as the child playing hide and seek who covers their eyes and thinks they can’t be seen.

I was in a meeting the other day and I realised that I had discovered the adult version of the hand-in-front-of-mouth ruse. It’s the Blackberry under the table ruse: “If I hold my BB down beneath table top level, no one will know I’m looking at my emails.”

I’m sorry, everyone knows you’re looking at your emails, you may as well have hoisted a flag and sent out a press release to the other meeting participants – actually, just send them an email, because they’re probably looking at their BB’s too.

Trusting your instincts

Communicating in a crisis, Talking to your customers, Talking to your employees

A good take on the Murdoch phone hacking saga today in the Guardian http://bit.ly/oTq5Zp. Deborah Orr discusses the ‘working towards the Führer’ analogy put forward by historian Ian Kershaw, where basically Hitler’s advisers would implement policy according to what they thought were Hitler’s wishes – a sort of please him at all cost approach even if the overall circumstances favoured a different tack.

It is an extreme comparison of course, as Orr says, but how far did/does this type of culture seep through the News Corp culture?

For the communications team in a corporate environment, the Chairman/CEO are big stakeholders in what goes out and, rightly so, often have a big influence in those communications. The dilemma however is when communication is shaped against the better judgement of the comms team because they know what their Chairman/CEO is expecting to see.

Managing that interaction is difficult, but for a comms manager, not losing sight of the bigger picture and trusting your comms instincts should override any other consideration.

The truth will out

Communicating in a crisis, Talking to your customers, Talking to your employees

The recent storm over the use of super injunctions in the UK, much used, it seems, by celebs desperately trying to mask a marital indiscretion or two, has opened up a whole debate on what should, or should not be published in the public interest. I think the issue at the heart of this though, and a good lesson for anyone involved in the world of communications, is the trouble that awaits when the desire to cover something up overshadows the need to communicate openly.

No secrets
The old saying that the ‘truth will out’ has never held as much currency as it does in today’s social media era. What price a super injunction when @tellitlikeitis on Twitter can broadcast the news; seemingly impervious to the legal blows of the judge’s gavel?

Tell it like it is
Whether you’re dealing with the media or communicating company news to employees, obfuscate at your peril. Tell it like it is; people from all sides will respect and admire your refreshing honesty. And even if they don’t, just think of the legal fees you’ll save on super injunctions.