Making time for regular employee communication is critical
Dear Dirk,
I’m so busy trying to stay a step ahead of the coronavirus changes that I don’t have time to talk to my employees. I’m not sure what to say to even say to them. Can’t we all just focus on the work we have?
–
Signed, Coronavirus Chaos
Dear Coronavirus Chaos,
It’s true that the situation changes daily, sometimes hourly, for business owners, but one piece of advice is certain: don’t lose sight of your employees. You need to communicate with them. In fact, you probably need to overcommunicate with them. Right now.
Your employees are the ambassadors of your organization. If you’re only dribbling out information – or not saying anything at all – it can quickly look like you don’t care. Whether your business is booming or you’re closed or operating with a smaller team until the crisis passes, you need your experienced workforce to stay engaged. Keeping your team means keeping them informed. Misinformation can spread like wildfire, especially in the vacuum of a crisis.
Now’s the time to communicate daily, weekly or as you need to when business changes happen. Have digital huddles. Set up a group chat or video conference for timely notifications. Distribute a quick-and-dirty daily email newsletter. It doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to tell what you know. And if you don’t know, acknowledge that too.
Stay well, and know that frequent communications can support the health of your company too.
Sincerely,
Dirk the Dog (and his Rasor colleagues)
