Category: Focus on Employee Communications

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A Leader’s Guide to Effective Communication Under Pressure

employee communication co-worker

How can a manager become measurably more effective?

To answer this question, scholars, scientists and leaders have studied personality traits; others have tried to understand and categorize management styles. While these studies yield appealing insights, they are difficult to emulate. Evidence is lacking that these approaches to managerial effectiveness have enabled managers to markedly improve their personal influence and results.

In our own efforts to help managers improve effectiveness, we’ve focused our study on crucial moments — those moments where a manager’s communication has a profound and disproportionate effect on results. In moments when the stakes are high, do managers remain calm, collected, candid, curious, direct and willing to listen? Or do their direct reports describe them as the opposite: upset, angry, closed-minded, rejecting, even devious? And how does either style under stress affect results and relationships?

Our latest research confirms, yet again, that the way a manager performs in these crucial moments has a disproportionate effect on their personal influence and their people. The research also shows, however, that a shockingly large majority of managers and leaders buckle under pressure.

We asked more than 1,300 employees to describe their leader’s style under stress and the impact of that behavior. According to respondents, one in three leaders are seen by their direct reports as someone who fails to engage in dialogue when the stakes get high. Specifically:

  • 53 percent of leaders are more closed-minded and controlling than open and curious.
  • 45 percent are more upset and emotional than calm and in control.
  • 45 percent ignore or reject rather than listen or seek to understand.
  • 43 percent are more angry and heated than cool and collected.
  • 37 percent avoid or sidestep rather than be direct and unambiguous.
  • 30 percent are more devious and deceitful than candid and honest.

This is significant because it’s these nonroutine moments that define you as a leader. In difficult, highly charged situations, some managers react emotionally and aggressively while others became silent and withdrawn. These responses damage relationships and undermine the work being done.

One executive we worked with was adamant and deliberate about creating a fun and supportive atmosphere where his team felt safe to try new things. He saw his role as building people. And yet, to his surprise, most of his team labelled him a “jerk.” As we described a situation his team found particularly “jerky,” he said, “You’re probably thinking I’m some sort of hypocrite. But I’m not. Ninety-five percent of the time, I’m the fun, supportive guy I’ve described. It’s only the 5 percent when I lose my temper that I say stupid things. Those statements are not an accurate reflection of who I am.”

And while it was true that his team agreed he was great 95 percent of time, it was also true that this nonroutine behavior was what left a lasting impression. His team felt those few moments when stakes were high and the heat was on revealed the truth about who he really was.

A leader’s unsavory behavior in stressful moments does more than harm his or her personal influence — it also hurts the team. When asked how their leader’s style impacted their results, respondents said that when their leader clams up or blows up under pressure, team members have lower morale; are more likely to miss deadlines, budgets and quality standards; and act in ways that drive customers away. They also described negative impacts on morale and psyche. Specifically, when a leader fails to practice effective dialogue under stress, team members are more likely to consider leaving their job; more likely to shut down and stop participating; less likely to go above and beyond in their responsibilities; and more likely to be frustrated, angry and complain.

Luckily, there are managers who handle themselves under pressure differently from the rest. In high-stakes situations, they remain calm and respectful. They don’t skirt or minimize issues. They are direct, but their behavior invites others to contribute their concerns and ideas. By doing so, they surface the most accurate, complete information; they better understand problems; they formulate with others the best solutions; and they act together with greater unity and conviction. This, in turn, creates better relationships and results.

Another silver lining? A manager’s ability or inability to deal with high-stakes, stressful situations has nothing to do with age or gender. Neither factor correlated with the skills and behaviors of dialogue under pressure. The ability to stay in dialogue when stakes are high is not dependent on genetic or inherent factors. Rather, these are skills anyone can learn and adopt to not only be more personally effective and influential, but to better lead a team to success.

Here are a few tips managers can use to improve their communication style under stress and see better results from the people they lead.

  • Speak up early. When we anticipate stress or pressure, most of us decide whether or not to speak up by considering the risks of doing so. Those who are best at dialogue don’t think first about the risks of speaking up. They think first about the risks of not speaking up. They realize if they don’t speak up early and often, they are choosing to perpetuate and often worsen the situation — and their reaction to the situation — as they begin to work around the problem.
  • Challenge your story. When we feel threatened or stressed, we amplify our negative emotions by telling villain, victim and helpless stories. Villain stories exaggerate others’ negative attributes. Victim stories make us out to be innocent sufferers who have no role in the problem. And helpless stories rationalize our over- or under-reactions because, “There was nothing else I could have done!” Instead, take control of your emotions by challenging your story.
  • Create safety. When communicating while under pressure, your emotions likely hijack your positive intent. As a result, others get defensive to, or retreat from, your tirade. As it turns out, people don’t get defensive because of the content of your message, but because of the intent they perceive behind it. So, when stressed, first share your positive intent. If others feel safe with you, they are far more open to work with you.
  • Start with facts. When the stakes are high, our brains often serve us poorly. To maximize cognitive efficiency, we tend to store feelings and conclusions, but not the facts that created them. Before reacting to stress, gather facts. Think through the basic information that helped you think or feel as you do, and use that information to realign your own feelings and help others understand the intensity of your reaction.

Managers who can effectively hold crucial conversations outperform their peers. As an organization collects a critical mass of these effective managers, it has a profound effect on successful execution of initiatives, financial agility and overall performance.

David Maxfield is a New York Times best-selling author, keynote speaker and leading social scientist for business performance. He leads the research function at VitalSmarts, a corporate training and leadership development company. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com.

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Make Benefits and Internal Communications Inseparable

Ask any HR professional what they think of their internal communications group and you’re likely to get an answer at one extreme or the other.

Either you’ll hear about an incredibly strong and strategic working relationship or you’ll get an eye roll with a story about how impossible they are to work with. When meeting your HR goals requires reaching and engaging employees — like during open enrollment — ensuring that relationship is working becomes even more critical.

While sometimes seen as a roadblock or gatekeeper, an internal communications team can be a vocal advocate for the benefits team’s goals and vision, supporting their efforts and ensuring campaigns resonate with employees. That is why making that relationship strong and successful is a key goal in our work.

With that in mind, my colleague Lindsay Kohler identified these helpful guidelines for working with internal communications teams. As part of our team, she’s designed and orchestrated global internal communications strategies. In her prior role, she was part of the benefits team at Nordstrom, managing all benefits communication and working with Nordstrom’s internal communications group.

Appreciate their role. Internal communications teams are responsible for ensuring that what every department communicates is clear, on brand, in support of business priorities, and timely. They need to make sure communications are scheduled so that employees aren’t overwhelmed by competing messages but also don’t miss key events or deadlines.

Internal communications teams have to strike a delicate balance. They are the liaison between every department within every business unit and the employee. At the same time, they’re often accountable to the marketing and PR departments, which have different objectives than HR teams.

By understanding their priorities and how they want to support HR, you can better partner with them to make your communications shine.

Understand what’s important to your executive team. Your internal communications partners will share those same organizational priorities, which should drive your benefits goals as well. Keep those strategic goals in mind as you think through what you want to communicate, and you’ll find it easier to win their support to make it happen.

internal comms and benefits Bring in your internal communications partner early. When you make sure they’re in the loop from the get-go, internal communications can prioritize resources on your behalf and be your advocate and champion. They can point out potential issues before you’re too far along to change direction. And they can even lend a hand in drafting and delivering communications.

Be open to their point of view. HR teams and communications professionals are bound to have differences of opinion at some point. These disagreements don’t need to be adversarial. By being open to their feedback, you can create a better partnership on behalf of employees.

Treat them as equals, not as gatekeepers. Often, we hear HR teams complain that “everything has to go through so-and-so in internal communications.” On the flip side, internal communications teams assume that they have to say something about every deliverable because they’re being treated as if they are gatekeepers. A slight change in the way you ask for their review can help you shift to a more strategic working relationship. “Here’s what I’m planning to send; I’d like your advice” is much more collaborative than “Can you review and approve?”

Recognize that your priorities may differ from those of your organization. Internal communications teams do their best to accommodate content from all departments. But there will be times that certain initiatives will have to be prioritized over yours. Don’t let that be discouraging. And remember that getting early buy-in will ensure you don’t get many “no’s.”

Ask your internal communications team to schedule regular summits. Communication summits are an ideal way to generate a holistic view of the communication landscape within an organization. With a deeper understanding of everything, employees are being expected to absorb and act on, you can adjust your own communication plans accordingly.

HR and benefits teams and internal communication teams play different roles within companies, but your goals align around doing what’s best for employees. You’ll find that working in collaboration with your internal communications partners will make it easier for you to achieve success.

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Overcoming 4 Barriers in Communicating High-Value Health Plans to Employees

health care education, health literacy, stethoscope and book

Once a promising benefit design to reduce unnecessary health care spending, the consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) has had in improving consumer decision-making and employer cost savings. In theory, CDHPs encourage consumers to “shop” for health care by paying close attention to cost and quality tradeoffs. In fact, evidence shows that the exact opposite is true. Instead CDHPs have caused consumers to skip both necessary and unnecessary care due to the out-of-pocket costs they face prior to meeting their annual deductible.

To manage cost without sacrificing quality or access, more employers are thinking carefully about how to combine health care payment and delivery reform, benefit design and provider network design, such as in an accountable care organization model. ACOs, which feature a network of health care providers that have responsibilities to coordinate care and manage the cost of care, along with incentives and disincentives to do so effectively, now cover more than 10 percent of the U.S. population.

Employers, other health care purchasers and payers are investing in these efforts by building benefit and provider network designs that encourage consumers to use ACOs. However, to get consumers to select these benefit options, purchasers and payers face some barriers.

Also read: How Employers Can Get More Involved With Maternity Care

Cognitive biases are pervasive in every aspect of decision-making, and health care is no exception. Understanding the obstacles consumers must overcome to make informed choices about insurance products and health care providers can help employers design and implement effective benefits offerings and communications strategies.

First Barrier: Health Care Complexity

A deciding factor in whether consumers choose to take action the way we want them to is whether they understand what they are being asked to do. But according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, there is strong evidence that workers lack the ability to successfully navigate the complex and technical nature of health care. Moreover, a Consumer Health Mindset study found only 40 percent of consumers know where to go to figure out the price of a health service they need or want. Research also shows most adults have a low level of health literacy, lacking the ability to process, understand and act on health information to make appropriate choices.

Learn from employees. As a result, employers must learn what employees care about and where they struggle in their health care experience. What motivates employees to enroll in a particular plan — such as cost or convenience — or prevents them from enrolling may not be obvious.

Second Barrier: Apathy, Inertia and Status Quo

There is an implicit bias toward the status quo when making decisions. This predisposition prevents consumers from carefully considering cost and quality tradeoffs or researching them prior to the moment of decision (in cases where information is available). Change can be uncomfortable and even upsetting.

A large tech company, for example, learned that the primary reason employees chose not to enroll in their new ACO plan was that it was easier to stay in the plan they already knew. Along with deciding whether to enroll in a new plan option, consumers were weighing whether the change, and potential losses from it (e.g., losing access to a key medical provider), were greater than the potential benefits (e.g., ability to access a provider after hours or virtually).

Design the easy choice. For consumers to make a change, the benefits must clearly outweigh the risks. When employers design programs that make it hard for employees to say “no” to enrolling and that inspire confidence that they made the right choice, employees may be more likely to select them. This could mean, for example, offering coverage levels comparable to those in existing plans and/or lower premiums.

Require active enrollment. Requiring active participation during annual enrollment and defaulting those who do not participate into the new plan can be very effective. Employers that include space in benefits communications for employees to write down in concrete terms the action they plan to take and how to do it can also increase active enrollment’s effectiveness. However, employers should use active enrollment sparingly, so it retains its power when they must drive action.

Also read: Employers are Key to Reform in Our New Health Care World

Third Barrier: Established Providers Are Not in the Network

Consumers value their relationship with their doctor with 89 percent saying it’s important. They want to be able to continue seeing the same familiar person who administers their care and may be unwilling to change providers.

One large company asked its employees who didn’t enroll in a new ACO plan, “What would it take to enroll?” Over 60 percent of respondents answered, “my doctor needs to be in-network.”

Make it easy to see who is in the new network. The survey also revealed the main reason employees do not change plans is uncertainty around whether their current providers are in the new network. Therefore, it is critical to provide robust provider-search tools that help employees quickly and easily determine if they can keep their current provider. Communications to employees should boldly promote such tools.

Fourth Barrier: Information Overload

With so many competing sources of information — employers, health plans, doctors, commercials and more — it can be hard for consumers to know what to do and whom to trust. As choices increase, the likelihood that someone will take action decreases.

Also read: When Your Workday Is Interrupted Again and Again…

Think like a marketer. Borrow a page from the consumer marketing playbook and develop multi-channel communication campaigns that are targeted and fully-branded, with simplicity at the core. Personal stories can make communications more relatable and compelling. If a plan has been around at least one year, testimonials from current enrollees can help. If it’s the initial launch phase, quotes from leadership about why they’re choosing the new plan can also help.

Changing deeply ingrained behaviors requires persistent nudging and smart design. To do this, employers need to communicate effectively about the new plans to draw employees’ attention to them while simultaneously shifting their focus from the numerous barriers to enrollment.

It takes effort, but by leveraging these best practices, employers can successfully drive enrollment into high-value health plans.

Suzanne Delbanco is the executive director at Catalyst for Payment Reform, and Lindsay Kohler is a senior consultant at Benz Communications. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com.

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OMG! Ur Hired!

texting
Besides convenience, texting is a great way to get a sense of a candidate’s personality.

Millennials and their Gen Z successors have little time for thoughtfully crafted emails or telephone pleasantries.

These digital natives grew up texting and often consider other formats to be cumbersome and outdated. So it should come as no surprise that they think text messages are a completely appropriate way to communicate with recruiters and their future workplace peers.

A recent survey from Yello, the talent acquisition software company, shows 86 percent of millennials “feel positively about text messages being used during the interview period,” and a similar HeyWire Inc. survey shows 67 percent of employees are using text messaging for business-related communications.

While it may seem like an overly casual environment to connect with potential hires, texts offer a lot of benefits — especially in a recruiting setting, said Jason Weingarten, co-founder of the Chicago-based Yello. “Text is faster, it’s easier and it’s more personal,” he said. It can also solve many of problems that create a negative candidate experience, including delays in communication, lack of follow-up and overly generic form letters.

“There are many points in the recruiting process that are very stressful for candidates,” he said. “Getting a quick response or update can ease some of that anxiety.”

It can also be handy for recruits who have another job and don’t want to communicate via their company email or phone, said JoAnne Kruse, chief human resources officer at American Express Global Business Travel. “They are lot more responsive via text, and it’s an easy way to move the process forward.”

A Strange Bunch

Besides convenience, texting is a great way to get a sense of a candidate’s personality, said Jack Barmby, CEO of Gnatta, a customer service software company based in the U.K. His developers and support staff use text messaging to talk to each other and to potential new hires. “It is the underpinning of how we communicate,” he said.

The company uses Slack, a cloud-based team collaboration tool for its text platform, creating different conversations for different projects, teams and topics. Participants post project updates, questions and comments that others in the group can see and respond to.

“It’s more efficient than email because users can quickly scroll through posts, find those that are relevant, without getting bogged down in a bunch of ‘reply-all’ email chains,” he said. There are no formal rules for use, beyond the basics — don’t be a jerk, and don’t post comments that are not relevant to the topic. “Otherwise it’s very organic, and we encourage people to let their personalities flourish.”

Gnatta also uses it as a vetting tool for new hires. When a candidate makes the hiring short list, they are invited to join one of the casual Slack channels, where Gnatta employees talk about what’s going on in their lives. The recruits get a chance to see how the team communicates, and the team gets a sense of their personality, Barmby said. “The ‘shine’ of the interview comes off, and they have a chance to be themselves.”

Inviting candidates to engage via text helps his team determine who will be the best cultural fit for the organization, and it ultimately becomes an extension of the onboarding process. He admitted that some candidates are turned off by the process because it adds a week to the decision, but others love the opportunities to connect with potential peers. “Developers can be a strange bunch, and not everyone is a good fit,” he said. Spending a week chatting with the team is a great way to decide who will fit in.

For all its conveniences there also are risks to using texts in recruiting. Companies need to be thoughtful about the information they share via text and how those communications can be tracked, Weingarten said. “If you get audited, you need to be able to show the source of the texts, how they were sent, and what messaging you used.”

Recruiters shouldn’t put too many rules around how texting is used. Where recruiters are looking for better, faster and more personal ways to engage with talent, texting is a cheap and familiar solution that can add real value to the process.

“Text is the next iteration of how we communicate,” Kruse said. “It can be a hugely helpful way to quickly connect with people, is a style that they prefer, so why wouldn’t you take advantage of that?”

Sarah Fister Gale is a writer in the Chicago area. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com.

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Doughnuts and Dialogue: Something to Chew on to Communicate Benefits

 

WF_0816_pg15It all started with a doughnut.

For PR firm Walker Sands Communications, that round, sometimes frosted dessert didn’t just pack a lot of cream — it packed a lot of punch as well.

Mike Santoro, president of Walker Sands, wanted to learn how news traveled across his company. He turned his head toward the regular internal employee newsletter, wondering if it was an effective communication tool.

“When you’re a small company, it’s easy to spread the word. You stand up in the middle of the floor and yell, ‘Attention!’ As we’ve grown, it’s definitely been more challenging,” Santoro said. “We wanted to do an actual experiment to find out how they [employees] behave.”

Then, he thought about that popular breakfast treat. Santoro said he thought to himself, “What can we do with doughnuts?”

Besides making Homer Simpson the happiest man in the world?

At 9 a.m. on a Friday, two different versions of the same e-newsletter went out. One read, “Donuts in the Conference Room” at the top; the second placed the same phrase toward the bottom. By 10:30 a.m., 91 percent of the newsletter’s recipients were aware of the information but in a way that interested Santoro. Nearly half of the employees in the conference room had heard about the pastries from a source other than the newsletter. Santoro learned that the office newsletter is only slightly better than word of mouth — and that word of mouth only travels so far.

Walker Sands’ recent study raises an interesting question about effective perks and benefits communication strategies, which can be just as tricky and sticky as the icing on that pastry. How can employers effectively spread the word?

“Today’s employee and the ways of communicating have changed,” Santoro said. “It used to be, you could do direct mail, face-to-face. You could do phone calls. Now, people are consuming information” through many different kinds of outlets.

“As much as you can, communicate with pictures and video,” Santoro said. “That’s really important to be able to tell that story.”

Social media sites, Santoro said, are great methods of doing just that.

“Our own employees tend to be younger people,” he said, “who tend to communicate across Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram.”

But just because the digital age provides more communication tools, Santoro said the traditional in-person meetings should not be overlooked.

“We have quarterly meetings; we have monthly town halls where we gather everyone in the company together and tell them: ‘This is what’s most important for the month.’ Then you have these other secondary mechanisms, like the newsletter and active social channel,” Santoro said.

But communicating those perks and benefits doesn’t always have to revolve around “Who’s bringing the doughnuts?” David Daskal has also seen some unique strategies as director of business development at The Jellyvision Lab Inc., a business that creates interactive software to help employees learn about workplace benefits.

“Being human means you also have the freedom to have a little fun,” Daskal said. “Engaging posters and fliers in the break room, a raffle for everyone who participates in a benefits webinar. We’ve even worked with HR teams who have dressed up in costumes to help promote open enrollment.”

Sarah Foster is an editorial intern at Workforce. Comment below or email at editors@workforce.com.  Follow Workforce on Twitter at @workforcenews.

 

 

 

 

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Sample Communication Policy

Person on laptop

Following is a sample communication policy in the workplace. The purpose of such a policy should be to facilitate better communication, paving the way for better business. Keep this basic principle in mind as you adjust the policy to coincide with your business’ values.

Also read: How to use technology in your internal communications strategy

Sample Communication Policy 

At Make Your Business Better, Inc., courtesy, tact and consideration should guide each employee in relationships with fellow workers and the public. It is mandatory that each employee in this organization show maximum respect to every other person in the organization and other contacts in a business context. The purpose of communication should be to help others and to make our business run as effectively as possible, thereby gaining the respect of our colleagues and customers.

  • Courtesy, friendliness, and a spirit of helpfulness are important and guide the company’s dealings with employees and customers.
  • Differences of opinion should be handled privately and discreetly. Gossip and backbiting are to be avoided. Communicate directly with the person or persons involved to resolve differences.
  • Conservative criticism — that which will improve business by clarifying or instructing — should be welcomed when delivered with respect and tact. Destructive criticism — that which is designed to harm business or another person — is not to be practiced.
  • Employees should strive to maintain a civil work atmosphere at all times and refrain from shouting, yelling, using vulgarities or swearing at co-workers or customers.
  • The standard of Make Your Business Better, Inc. is a work environment free from disparaging remarks about religion, ethnicity, sexual preferences, appearance and other non-work related matters. Each employee has the responsibility to foster an understanding of others’ differences in order to create an environment where those differences contribute to a better organization.Inappropriate remarks based on any of the following are not tolerated and such behavior will result in immediate termination of employment: race, religion, ethnic origin, physical attributes, mental or physical disability, color, ancestry, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition, citizenship and/or age.Inappropriate remarks include those that treat a group of people in a uniform way, assign a behavior in a disparaging way, imply inferiority of a group, are supposedly funny at someone else’s expense, and/or cause embarrassment or distress to others based on comments about a particular group of people.

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.

Comment below or email editors@workforce.com.