Lesson 2C

Was it difficult to craft the message?

    Yes, very difficult. To tell anyone that there is a possibility of layoffs and/or restructuring is not easy for management to deliver to the employees.  It certainly is not easy for the employees to digest.  Loss of income comes to mind first to me as staff have worked very hard so it has nothing to do with poor performance.  Remaining staff will also be dealing with a loss of co-workers, ongoing job insecurity and increased workloads.

The message I needed to deliver is not pleasant for anyone, an attempt must be made to ensure communication is key, clear and comprehensive about the source and reasons for change.

What were the factors you considered while crafting your message?

    Under the chapter--Developing the Leadership Message-- I thought about credibility and how "communication reinforces a leaders credibility."  Speaking the truth, not hiding bad news, not over promising and doing what we say we are going to do.

I attempted to incorporate  at least a couple of the Four I's--inform, involve, ignite and invite.  

What were the factors you considered when delivering  this message?

    I choose to verbally deliver the message to as many staff as possible.  I do not feel an email would have delivered the message in the same way.  Visibility and support from management was key for me.  I wanted to deliver useful information and generalize anxiety.  I wanted to empower staff rather than having them feel out of control.

    The rumor mill is an area of concern as we cannot stop it fully, however, if employees are provided times with meeting updates, support from management and encouragement, they can make their own choices and complete their own job duties with less worry. I wanted to keep the message simple until I have more concrete information, sending out speculation would fuel the rumor mill and create more anxiety,