What we say today will impact our people and our organisations well into the future.

When your troops are scattered, communication is key to keep things on an even keel. This much we’ve learned from history’s most respected leaders.

Take Harald "Bl?tand" (Bluetooth) Gormsson, for instance. The leader with the discoloured front tooth famously united Denmark and Norway under his rule between the year 958 until 985 and did such a great job that it inspired the creators of the wireless technology standard used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices to name it after him.

The point? Great leaders unite by means of excellent communication. However, keeping employees informed is just the first step at times like these. The thing they will remember most when they look back at this period of upheaval is how you made them feel - whether they felt cared for or not.

High levels of care have been shown to link directly to lower stress and burnout among employees.

Here’s the thing though – showing care goes beyond a daily email update. Care is about truly connecting with your team, uniting the company, helping employees feel secure and empowering them to take care of themselves and their families while we all navigate unchartered waters.

To do so you need to level up in terms of the information and resources you’re providing. But level up doesn’t mean give them more clutter –they’re already bombarded. It means becoming their trusted source of information in the areas they need it most. And it means communicating with them in simple, human ways that help them consume content quickly and easily.

Besides the rolling day-to-day role specific information they receive, I see this 'levelling up" communication falling into 3 vital categories:

Wellbeing Communication

Employees are generally working harder than ever right now and many are experiencing high levels of stress, less sleep and less than optimal physical wellbeing, as they juggle the many balls in the many roles demanded of them.

Helping them manage their self care is critical right now.

Wellbeing communication is related specifically to empowering your team to take care of themselves physically, emotionally, mentally and financially while they work remotely.

It should be inspiring and in a language that employees understand. While topics like mindfulness might be familiar to some, these types of concepts, although essential, are new to many people. So, package your wellbeing content in an engaging way that makes it less intimidating.

Topics covered in this type of communication include:

·            Optimising Mental health

·            Stress and anxiety management

·            Movement and nutrition

·            Resilience

·            Healthy habits

·            Sleep

·            Financial management

·            Dealing with the challenges of working remotely

·            Connecting and thriving virtually

·            Applicable COVID-19 related updates from trusted sources.

Employees’ inboxes are flooded with information from many different sources at the moment. Keep your wellbeing content simple, visual and creative in the form of video, infographics and short, snappy written content in well-designed templates. Please feel free to reach out to me for support with this.

Manager-specific Communication

This type of communication is to equip your managers to better take care of themselves and their teams

Topics covered in this type of communication include:

·            Leading effectively while doing so remotely

·            Prioritise wellbeing

·            Top tips for great one-on-one check-ins with employees

·            Keeping your team connected while working remotely

·            How to coach your teams rather than direct them

Purpose and Strategy and Communication

These comms are important as they relate specifically to maintaining company culture, providing direction and keeping employees informed in the right way.

Ideally this should include communication directly from the CEO, at least three times per week. The main purpose here is to connect, be transparent and show empathy, as well as provide updates, reinforcing company purpose and strategy. I know a CEO who has sent personalised emails to his company every day during lockdown. This has had a very positive impact in keeping staff motivated and reassured.

Secondly, there should be communication from specific department heads around any company, product or operational changes as a result of the changing times.

Again, get creative with the way this information is presented. Personal emails from the CEO can be kept in a traditional format, but to reach your audience in a memorable way, you should include communication across channels that is visual, dynamic and multi-media.

Feedback & Active Listening

On the flipside of the communication coin, remember to stay open and receptive to two-way communication. Listen and connect in a mindful, proactive manner and find simple ways to give your employees a voice. People need to feel seen and heard right now.

If we want true connection and collaboration, we need to be truly able listen our people. This does not just mean sending out a survey to tick a box. This is a huge topic on its own, which I’ll discuss at another time. The bottom line is that your business should be keeping a constant pulse on how employees are feeling and what they want from communication. And then let them know you’ve heard them and act on what you can.

No matter how you slice it, it’s a tall order to keep morale at optimal levels when the rug is ripped from under an entire enterprise. However, if you take this time to open lines of communication, lead with transparency and empathy, and provide your people with tailored resources and content that supports them and speaks their language, you’ll lay the groundwork for a more connected workforce and a more resilient, more awakened organization that becomes a best company to work for.