Dear Staff,
It has come to our attention that some of you leave your dirty dishes in the kitchen after
consuming your lunch. Effective immediately, all staff should wash their dishes right after their
lunch break. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action.
Please be guided accordingly.
-Management
We have all seen the disreputable memos: memos driving down a one-way street in our
organizations. Memos fueled by the grapevines of influence. Memos that do not allow key
stakeholders to provide relevant feedback on the issues that affect staff. Memos that act as seeds
of division between management and staff and grow into thriving forests of employee
disengagement.
Please do not misinterpret us. The message above is needful because no one wants to operate in
unsanitary conditions. However, if “management” wants the staff to conform to its dictates, a
memo may not be the best way to get the message across.
One member of the Human Resources Professionals of Antigua and Barbuda (HRPAB)
recounted her experiences with staff engagement surveys and noted common themes of staff
disengagement among various industries. At the top of the list were a lack of equitable
compensation and benefits, unsuitable managerial/leadership practices, and poor communication.
Believe it or not, something as simple as poor communication hurts the very fabric of our
organisations as it breeds mistrust which leads to diminished morale and decreased productivity.
This is an evil that has no place in a strategic organisation.
Let’s create some skip lines in our one-way streets of communication, shall we? Here’s how to
get it done with some help from the Academy to Innovate Human Resources.
For starters, identify your employee segments and consider how you will create value when you
communicate with them. For instance, your line staff wants to feel like they are valued members
of your organization. So, you can create value by ensuring that key news and product offerings
are shared with them before they hear about it on the news or on a radio ad.
Then, determine your communication channels and activities. At this stage, you want to know
how to get your messages to your staff. If you are unsure, run an anonymous pulse survey
among your staff segments. Simply ask them to identify their age group and to state their
communication preferences. Depending on the nature of their work, some may prefer emails,
while others may prefer regular staff meetings or team huddles. Whatever the case is, try to
accommodate their preferences, as reasonable.
Then, ascertain the resources and costs that will be required. Let’s say that your leadership team
is located all over the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States but prefers quick huddles in real-
time; at minimum, you will require stable Internet connectivity, emails, a reliable video-
conferencing platform, and training in online meeting management. Subsequently, ensure that
all your resources are budgeted and approved.
Additionally, here are some generic tips. Be deliberate about how you communicate. Remember
that everything that you say and every way that you frame your message will have either positive
or negative effects on your staff’s morale, so communicate responsibly. Next, be empathetic.
Place yourself in the shoes of those you communicate with and endeavour to meet their
communication needs. Finally, know your boundaries. Your aim should be to create value for
your stakeholders, not to be everyone’s friend (or enemy); so, keep it professional.
Safe driving on your newfound two-way streets.
HRPAB was registered in 2011 as a non-profit, professional association dedicated to
the advancement of the HR profession for national development. HRPAB’s growing
membership represents private and public organisations as well as independent consultants
specializing in one or more areas of human resource management and development. You
may contact us via email at hrpro.ab@gmail.com or on Facebook and Instagram
@HRPro268.
