Office Culture: Message Delivery 101

Have you ever received a text or e-mail and wanted to immediately celebrate, but were worried those around you would look at you funny if you started doing a happy dance at your desk? What about bad news that ruined your day, but you didn't have an outlet to talk about it? These types of scenarios are best handled in person. Written messages can be interpreted differently by each individual, and having a conversation face-to-face will allow all parties to get their thoughts across clearly and concisely.

As a general rule of thumb in our tech-savvy world, the following types of conversations are best delivered face-to-face:

1. News to be celebrated!

This can be anything from a promotion or raise to the company being recognized as the top in the industry. Whatever the news, this should be done in person so that employees feel like a team and can celebrate together! This does not have to be a big production. Grab employees for a quick five minute huddle and announce the news. If employees want to continue the celebration, everyone can meet for happy hour after work. Another quick way to celebrate is through food. If your team hits a monthly goal, celebrate in the morning meeting with donuts. The small gesture will go a long way.

2. News that will trigger a strong negative response.

Examples of this would be a reassignment of job duties, someone leaving the company, or a disciplinary issue. With these topics there are many unknowns, and delivering the news face-to-face, allow the person receiving the message to ask questions and express concern. Delivering news in person also helps diffuse any after-the-fact gossip. When a person is able to express their feelings, they can work through their emotions much easier then having to keep it bottled up. You can also clear up any misconceptions or concerns that relate to the news and avoid rumors.

3. Changes in company policy.

This one should be obvious, but it isn't always. Any change in company policy, or standards, should be communicated in person. As with the negative news, there may be many questions about the policies that arise-such as implementation or impact-that can be answered right away when delivered in person. As opposed to delivery through e-mail, where employees may tend to gossip about why the policy came to be, how it will be enforced, etc. This also ensures that every team member has received and acknowledged the policy. This will help later when you need to enforce it.

4. Events that concern the majority of the team.

Internal or external events that involve the majority or all of the team should be communicated face-to-face. This can be inter-department goal setting competitions, a family picnic, or gaining a new client. At some point, each team member will need to be aware of the event for either participation or collaboration. Delivering this news face-to-face allows the team leader or supervisor to get all of the facts- good and bad- across to their team and open the floor for any discussion.

The trend with all of these is communication. Be sure you are allowing your team the opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns and collaborate whenever possible. Your team will feel included in the company and will have a higher 'buy-in' to their position. If any conversation begins to derail, you can always table it and set a time for a future 'lunch bunch' or round table discussion to pick it back up. It is also a good idea to follow-up in person conversations with a quick email recap or the specific policy, event, etc that was discussed. (Be sure to include how you want any other questions, concerns or suggestions to be brought to your attention.)

If you need further consultation on whether to break the news in-person, (or need help breaking the news in person) let us know, we are here to help! Visit our website to get in contact with us at www.onboardhro.com.