Ask the People

You and your team have been working hard and are about to unveil a set of new programs. You are excited and are sure the organization will be thrilled. You’re about to put out an announcement about the new programs. STOP AND LISTEN. Bring a group of your people from random departments at various pay scales together and share the programs and the communication documents. Ask for their input. Their comments, questions, and suggestions will reveal weaknesses, add elements you hadn’t thought of, and, in many cases, save you money. They will help you improve your communications and tell you which parts of the programs you’re proposing simply don’t make much difference to them. And sometimes you learn that a program just doesn’t work and you need to start over. This approach works for just about any organization with any new program, strategy, or important piece of communication. Pull people together and let them be your upfront focus group. ASK THE PEOPLE.