Communicating Authentically

Introduction

This document is to guide employees to engage in healthy, effective communications with others on the team in every event or situation. Effective, healthy communications is an organizational imperative that supports us in achieving our company’s goals as well as our own.

This document provides guidelines for regular informational messages, as well as more sensitive messages dealing with news announcements (both “good news” and “not so good news”). Depending on the nature of the message, you may want to involve Human Resources. You should also feel free to ask the firm’s Internal Communications team for assistance in crafting broader communications plans.

Connecting to our strategy, values and culture

At our firm, it’s important for everyone to be in communication in a way that supports and connects our team in the healthiest, most effective way possible. Communications present important, high-impact opportunities to help people across the firm connect the things they do every day to our strategic goals and our culture.

Whenever appropriate, use communications messages to connect the subject to strategic goals – whether it is related to business development, product management, reducing costs, or improving client relations – or to our culture and values.

When making these connections, focus on creating understanding for people on a human level: capture the reader’s heart, mind and spirit, and not just their intellect. Invite them to participate in fulfilling the firm’s purpose and goals, rather than simply providing instruction or a mandate.

ALWAYS have someone review broad-distribution messages

Whenever sending messages to large groups of people, you should always have someone proofread it – preferably someone who is not too familiar with the subject matter, who will be more likely to provide a fresh perspective. Ask them to review for:

• Spelling, typographical or other errors
• Completeness of information
• Accuracy of information
• Authority of information – for instance: Does it contain sensitive or confidential information? Does it comply with our firm’s Code of Ethics? Does it contain undisclosed information about our firm’s financial performance?
• Clarity of message; would the average teammate understand what’s being communicated, or what they need to do?
• Tone – does the message impart:
  • Respect and goodwill
  • Appropriate use of humor or light-heartedness
  • The right sense of urgency

Feel free to ask the firm’s Internal Communications team to review your messages before sending. You may also want HR to review certain messages, especially those of a sensitive nature.

Informational Messages

There are different types of informational messages that may be sent to team members; for simplicity, this guide focuses on two main types: directives to take action, and messages to share information only.

Request/instruction to take action

Here are guidelines for sending a message about something teammates need to do:

• Include the action needed in the first line or two – do NOT waste the first paragraph setting the context. Most of our consultants read email on their phone. If the “to do” is not immediately stated, it may be missed.
  • If it is helpful to set the context, indicate that the reasons will be explained further in the email.
  • If providing context first is absolutely necessary, then you may want to consider that email is NOT the best vehicle for sharing this news. You may want to schedule a conference call or share the news with team leaders who can pass the message to their teams first. Then send an email message as a confirmation/reminder, if needed.
• If the message pertains to only a certain portion of the team, or if there are different actions needed by different groups, it is best to send the message(s) ONLY to those affected or sending separate messages to different groups.
  • When sending different messages to different groups, it is helpful to create a checklist to ensure that you don’t miss any individuals or groups.
  • If you do send out one companywide message, be sure the actions for each group are clear.
• Include:
  • Complete instructions for what must be done.
  • A due date by which the action must be done.
  • Contact information for questions or concerns.

Information only

Here are guidelines for sending a message about something teammates need to know, but no action is necessary:

• Include the important information in the first line or two – similar to “action needed” emails, don’t waste the first paragraph setting the context. If the context is important, include that information in the subsequent portion of the message.
• As above, if the message pertains to only certain team members, or if different actions are needed by different groups, it is best to send the message(s) ONLY to those affected or send separate messages to different groups.
• Include complete information including names, dates, and all relevant facts.
• Include contact information for questions or concerns.

Good News

Good news affecting a member of the team

Announcements regarding promotions should always come from the person’s manager/boss, working through Human Resources.

We encourage all team members to share good news about exciting life changes, such as:

• marriage
• pregnancy, birth or adoption of children
• graduation
• award, recognition or special accomplishment

It is best for the individual employee to send the message themselves, but if they aren’t comfortable doing that, it is important to be aware that the decision to share (or not share) any personal news belongs to the employee alone – do not share any news about another teammate unless they have given you express permission to do so. Depending on the nature of the message, you may want to ask Human Resources to review the message.

Good news affecting several employees

Examples of good news are special recognition of a client team by a client, or participation by the team in a fundraising event. Good news can be communicated via e-mail; another option is to work with Internal Communications on an article for the company intranet. These stories help the team create closer connections that facilitate collaboration.

If sending an email, depending on the nature of the message, you may want to ask Human Resources to review it before sending to ensure the information is appropriate and does not create a liability or the firm. If the message involves a client, please be sure you are involving the Partner or Principal on the account to determine what information is appropriate to include.

Guidelines for delivering good news

• State news clearly
• Describe what led up to the situation/event, including all relevant facts, dates, people who deserve credit
• Describe how this will benefit the company/individuals
• Clearly state if this will change goals, strategies, procedures
• Clearly state what (if anything) you need them to do
• List contact information for who to call with questions (or congratulations)

Difficult or Challenging News

Difficult/challenging affecting a member of the team

Unfortunately, we all experience losses and stressful life-changing events that we would not consider “good news.” Examples include illness or injury of self or spouse/child, the death of spouse/child, loss of home through disaster, etc. For these types of messages, you should always involve Human Resources, and follow the below guidelines:

• If this event necessitates the employee taking leave, those parties affected by the employee’s absence need to be advised. How much information to divulge will depend on the circumstance (see below); however, we should make an effort to ensure that people know what they need to know in order to make effective decisions. HR will help determine who needs the information and how much.
• If the employee can be contacted, the employee’s manager/supervisor (Nick Neuhausel or Ian Johnston for most consultants) and Human Resources should contact the employee to inquire about if/how the employee would like to communicate the news. If appropriate, the employee or HR/Communications Manager will send a message.
• If the employee cannot be contacted (i.e., the employee is injured, hospitalized, etc.), then the employee who has been made aware of the situation should work with Human Resources to decide if what is appropriate to communicate to the company. HR will work with the appropriate people to create the message. If the employee’s family must be contacted, a representative from Human Resources should do this.

Messages about a change in employment status should always be handled through Human Resources.

Difficult/challenging news affecting several employees

If difficult/challenging news affects several team members, always work with Human Resources and Internal Communications to announce it in an appropriate way, as soon as possible. Examples of difficult or challenging news include an emergency at one of our offices, a large regional travel advisory, etc. Many times when something affects a smaller cross-section of the team, there is a ripple effect that touches others, so making team members aware is useful in many ways:

• Team members can ensure that client needs are met as smoothly and seamlessly as possible.
• It helps us know how to work with each other. For example, if we know that a team has experienced a travel nightmare, we can choose to delay a non-essential project or direct a question to someone who is a bit less stressed just now.
• It is possible that a team member has a unique solution to the situation.
• It is also possible that the news affects others than those directly involved. Letting the entire team know about the situation might avert additional issues.

If the news is related to a tragic event, notify Human Resources before sending out any communication.

Below are guidelines to consider when drafting this type of message.

Guidelines for delivering difficult/challenging news

• State the news clearly (don’t try to obscure the situation)
• Describe how it happened:
  • All relevant facts (including dates, people/systems affected)
  • History, strategies or invalid assumptions that contributed to the situation
• State the recommended course of action or decision
  • Discuss how recommendation addresses the problem
  • Discuss how plan will address hardships resulting from action
  • Set a time for expected results
• Clearly state what people need to do, should do, or shouldn’t do
• Express empathy /offer support
• If appropriate, reassure audience to build confidence and motivation
  • Reaffirm your goals
  • Set expectations for the future
• List contact information for who to call with questions, concerns, requests for support
• Work with Human Resources to finalize message before sending.

Forwarding Emails

Because we rely so much on e-mail for both personal and business communication, the line between them is often blurred. We often receive what are known as “viral messages,” the subject and tone of which range from humorous to offensive and from inspirational to irritating or even frightening.

Because it is difficult to gauge how a recipient will respond to a message, you should take great care in forwarding these messages in general. However, it is even more vital to take care when using your work e-mail to send messages. When using your work e-mail, you are tacitly stating that you are a representative of the organization, and as such, our company becomes liable for anything you may say in that message, even if you are merely forwarding a message someone else has sent to you.

Some e-mails could be harmful to the company, specific co-workers or clients. For example:

• a message containing misinformation about personal safety might put someone in an unsafe situation or create undue fear
• a message containing a virus or misinformation about a technological issue could create a problem with a recipient’s computer or even the entire company network
• a message containing privileged information about a client could create problems on an account or even a legal issue for the client or the organization

Sometimes, even e-mails that seem harmless can create problems:

• a message with references to a particular religion or belief sends a very non-inclusive message to a person of a different religion or belief
• a message you find humorous may be offensive to someone else

As a rule of thumb, avoid forwarding e-mails to entire distribution lists; instead, address the message individually to those individuals you think would appreciate and/or benefit most from the message.

If you’re unsure whether an e-mail contains information that may be useful to others, or whether it is incorrect, misleading or inappropriate for the workplace, check with your Internal Communications Manager or the appropriate department head, such as Human Resources or Technology.

Message Templates

Welcome message info

• Full name and/or nickname of new employee
• Position (with description if necessary)
• Location (if office employee)
• Start date
• Accounts working with (if consultant)
• Past work experience and/or education, professional accomplishments
• Personal information:
  • Residence location
  • Marital status, name of spouse/significant other
  • Names/ages of children, other family members, pets
  • Hobbies, interests, accomplishments, etc.
• Email address
• Voicemail extension

Template/examples:

• I am pleased to welcome (name)
• Please join me in welcoming (name)
• I am pleased to introduce

• , the newest member of our team. (Name) joins us as (position and/or location).
• , our newest (position and/or location).

• (Name) joins us from/ comes to us from/ brings his/her experience from…
• Prior to joining our team, (name) held a position as (position) with (business)…

• (Name) holds a (degree) in…
• (Name) attended (college), where s/he earned a (degree) in…

• (Name) lives in (location) with (spouse, family, pets, etc.) and enjoys…
• In his/her spare time, (name) and (spouse/kids) enjoy…

(Name)’s email address is email@domain.com and voicemail extension is XXX.

• Please take some time to leave him/her a message to welcome him/her to the team.
• Feel free to drop (name) a line or leave a message to welcome him/her to team.
• Please make (name) feel welcome by leaving him/her an email or voicemail message.

Transition/promotion guidelines/info

• If it’s a promotion, the message should come from employee’s manager
• If it’s a transition (employee is choosing to move to a lesser or lateral position), the message may come from employee

The message should include:

• Name of transitioning employee
• Former position and new position
• Date transition/promotion is effective
• Reason for transition (i.e., promotion, decision to reduce responsibility/time at work/change focus)
• How the transition will affect people/procedures
• If appropriate/necessary, who is taking over former duties
• If appropriate/necessary, who to call with questions/concerns

Template/examples (for an e-mail from transitioning employee):

Team,

• After a great deal of thought and deliberation, I have decided to transition my role from (former) to (current). This transition will take place on (date).
• I would like to announce that as of (date), I will be stepping away from my role as (former) to take on a new role as (current).
• I am transitioning my role from (former) to (current). This decision is a result of a great deal of soul-searching on my part, with support and coaching from (manager/coach). The effective date of this transition is (date).

• This change will allow me to spend more time focusing on (new work focus/family/the things that are important to me…)
• My new role will actually benefit both the company and me because…
• I am excited about this change, as I believe it is the right direction for me and for our firm.

Template/examples (for promotion e-mail):

• I am happy to announce that as of (date), (employee name) will be taking on a new role as (new role).
• Please join me in congratulating (employee name), who has been promoted from (former role) to (new role), effective on (date).

• (Employee name) was selected to fill this role because…

• We are confident that (employee name) will be very successful in this new role, and that everyone on our team will support him/her in this transition. If you have any questions, please contact (employee’s manager or appropriate contact).

Exit message info

If an employee is leaving voluntarily, i.e., retiring or moving, and would like to send a personal message, s/he should work with Human Resources for approval. If approved, below are guidelines for the message:

The first paragraph should contain (but not necessarily in this order):

• A clear statement of your intention to leave the firm
• Date of your last day
• A brief description of the reason for this decision and/or your future plans
• Name of the person to contact regarding your role/responsibilities (your manager or the person who will take over the role)

You may also include in a subsequent paragraph:

• If it seems appropriate, describe your feelings (i.e., “I’m sad to leave, but excited about what the future holds…”)
• Brief appreciation for what the team has meant to you/contributed to your life/growth, etc.
• Your future plans, if not already mentioned
• (Only if you want to) your contact information

Template/examples

Team,

• It is with mixed feelings that I announce my retirement from our firm. My last day is…
• Upon much reflection, I have decided that the time has come for me to move on. My last day with the company is…

Protocol for announcing an enforced departure (employee is fired, laid off, or asked to resign)

• If departure is cordial, at the discretion of the employee’s manager, the employee him/herself may send out an exit message based on above guidelines, which must be approved by manager and HR.
• If any representative of the organization other than the departing employee sends the message, the only information given in the message should be: “(Name) is no longer with the company. If you have any questions regarding who is handling his/her role/responsibilities, please contact (employee’s manager).” (Or list who will be taking over the role/responsibilities.)
• Even if the departing employee has given verbal permission to give out other information, no one from the organization should give any specific information regarding the employee’s departure in any format, either via email, in person or over the phone by any other employee.
• Failure to follow the above guidelines could result in legal action against the organization. Please work closely with HR to ensure compliance in these situations.