K.I.S.S -- Keep It Simple St*pid
It would be an understatement that for a business of any size, there’s a lot going on.
With product launches, technology changes, and more, the sheer amount of change can be overwhelming. But sometimes the group generating the change is completely unaware that they share an audience with other change initiatives, and those audiences are suffering from change overload. That’s why communication is essential. To help manage this tsunami of change, we put together a list of 3 things you can do to improve communication between departments.
BEWARE OF BUZZWORDS
One of the biggest barriers to open communication between departments is a lack of a shared language. Modern businesses have invented thousands of buzzwords and acronyms, and some departments use technical jargon that may not be easily understandable to other groups.
Take the phrase “the new normal” for example. I’m sure you’ve heard it quite a few times over the past year and a half, but what does it actually mean? Does it refer to COVID restrictions? The adoption of remote work? The truth is that it means something different to everybody, and that leads to confusion.
If you can’t avoid buzzwords and acronyms entirely, a great way to create common understanding is to maintain a shared glossary across the company hosted on the intranet. We helped one company do that, and it really made a world of difference. Clarity is king.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
It’s also important to understand that making things clear doesn’t mean making them more detailed. It may feel helpful to map out every contingency, but sending emails long enough to put Stephen King novels to shame will not improve outcomes. Keep things concise. K.I.S.S. Enough said.
THE 180 DEGREE PIVOT
The 180-degree pivot is a technique that we use all the time at Bonavox. When implementing changes, leaders often only consider what the changes sound like coming from them, and not how the changes feel coming at employees.
“The truth is people will almost always respond to WIIFM (“What’s In It For Me”) messaging.”
Try to make change meaningful to the people whose lives you are disrupting. The truth is people will almost always respond to WIIFM (“What’s In It For Me”) messaging. Make messaging personal. Make it real.
If you can take this 180-degree approach to your communication, it’s easier for others to see the value in what you’re proposing.
The final takeaway we'd like to leave you with is this: Stuff happens. People will complain. The best thing you can do is listen openly. Look at things from different points of view. It may not feel like it, but resistors can be your best friends -- pointing out weaknesses in your project or your communications that correcting will help your success in the long run.
We’ve been doing internal communications for 25+ years. Reach out now for a free consultation.
