Let’s not make this awkward
Mass layoffs and price hikes, strategy shifts and saying sorry: it’s not an easy time to be in comms. But you can keep even your toughest critics onside, if you use the right words.?
Four types of difficult conversation (and how to have them)
Honesty’s the best policy when you’re raising prices?
Just ask Pret a Manger, who put the cost of their coffee subscription up and?created Marketing Week’s winning campaign of 2022 in the process.
Saying sorry never sounded so good?
Apologising can be hard. But get it right, and it’s a great way to win trust. One of our favourite examples comes from LNER on Twitter (see above). The train company said sorry for their team member using non-inclusive language, making their support of non-binary people clear at the same time.?
领英推荐
Switching strategy needn’t be confusing?
For teams who’ve experienced a lot of change already, a shift in strategy can feel overwhelming. But,?according to Harvard Business Review , if you?give your new strategy a story , your people are more likely to get invested.?
A layoff is a layoff: don’t try to cover it up?
We trust Jessica Kriegel. She’s an expert in workplace culture who says, “Leaders claiming empathy with those they’re laying off aren’t being honest with themselves about their role. ” So we’re throwing out the new workplace jargon of ‘quiet ’ and ‘compassionate’ layoffs. When you tell someone they’re being made redundant, start with what they need to know, not what you need to do to make yourself feel better.
Need a hand??
We’ve all struggled to say sorry before, or found it tricky to stay on track when there’s big news to share. Luckily, at The Writer, we’re experts in both.?Get in touch ?if you want help with the hard words.
Sammaysamiis.wordpress.com .
1 年I learned in my healthy Relationships class that a difficult conversation to have is also one where one person doesn't know how to be assertive. Conversations can be difficult, but truthfully it's how you present yourself.