As HR communication practitioners, we are often called on to deliver “bad news.” We develop the communication plan and key messages being mindful to consider the possible negative reactions to any change. We design communications that acknowledge the challenges while sending balancing messages about employee opportunities, organizational stability or the long-range perspective. While no employee wants to hear about increased premiums, pay freezes or re-organizations, there is nearly always a balancing message.
As individuals, it’s easy for us to take out a copy of 14,000 things to be happy about*, read a few lines (or pages) and regain some balance to our perspective. It may be harder to find things to balance your organization’s messaging, but it can be done. For example, when one of our clients was facing the first lay-off in its history, we helped craft messages and provide assistance to departing employees: from EAP counselors to health insurance comparisons to Small Business Administration connections. We encouraged departing employees to consider all their options
with the goal of helping them move forward after they left employment. And just as importantly, we signaled to the remaining workforce that the organization was not a greedy ogre but a caring and compassionate employer.
Have organizational challenges to explain? Contact us – we’re available to help you find the balanced approach. Have a challenging day? Some things to be happy about:
day lilies blooming
hugging your kids
chicken fajitas
standing up for yourself
calling your mother
afternoon naps
dinner sizzling on a backyard grill
coming home after a week at sleep-away camp
a sense of accomplishment
softly snoring dogs at your feet
scents from an herb garden carried on a summer breeze…
*14,000 things to be happy about. By Barbara Ann Kipfer
