tips for communicating in io environments
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Tips for Communicating in Information Overload Environments
For Webinar, July 2009 www.cutthroughcommunications.com
Paula CassinCEO/Founder
Technology solutions to revolutionize employee
messaging and communication
INFO FOR YOU….INFO FOR Y
Agenda
1. Information Overload - the Impact
2. The Old vs New Comms Paradigm
3. 3 Suggested Solutions
4. Examples & Takeaways
1. Info Overload: a real issue
First, some stats:
Information Overload costs the US Economy $650 billion a year in lost productivity and innovation due to unnecessary interruptions (Basex Research Dec 2007)
“The average e-mail user spends 25 per cent of their time checking and responding to e-mail – and up to half of that time is wasted.” (Jan 2008, Edinburg Evening News )
Effective employee communication is a leading indicator of financial performance and can produce a higher shareholder return. (Watson Wyatt, 2007-2008 Report)
Too much email and communications
clutter means
important business infogets missed
1. The Business Impact:
Agenda
1. Information Overload - the Impact
2. The Old vs. New Comms Paradigm
3. 3 Suggested Solutions
4. Examples & Takeaways
2. Levels of Communication
3. Drive Action/Chang
e
2. Build Knowledge
1. Get
their
Attention
2.Old: Push and Inform.
Executive
Human Resource
s
Finance
Corp Comms
R & D
Sales
Marketing
Customer Service
I.T.
Your Employees
New Communities of Interest - Innovation
Financial industry forecastAnnual Shareholder Meeting live webcast SAP Training for Accounting Dept – sign up
Cisco Certification coming upNew technology updatesOutage notifications
Monthly call center performance statsTop Telesales rep for the monthCustomer support stories
Upcoming Product Launch – X version 6.2January special offers and promos
Brown Bag lunch on retail industry trendsNew sales claims process
New Expense claim formNew employee disputes process from 1st Jan
Change to staff healthcare plan
Weekly positions vacantWelcome new hires
New intranet goes liveExecutive Briefing coming up
Annual Engagement Survey - complete this weekSales Conference - register
Company mission statement and annual objectives now on intranet
2. The New Paradigm: Pull and Push, 2-Way Conversations
Inviting Employee Interaction
“We need to ‘push’ out information that explains WHAT the business is doing,
and WHY it is doing it . . .and then use interactive social media tools
to get employees to start talking about HOW they’re going to help make it
happen.”Steve Crescenzo, Consultant
2. Implications of New Paradigm
Internal Communicators’ role changes: • Channel (but don’t Control) the Conversation• Coaching Execs rather than simply “Order-
Taking”• More Complicated, More potential noise
The Comms Change:• Better Target employee audiences• Provide more PULL options for employees• PUSH used to spark interaction, not just to
inform• Incorporate Social Media and ask for
contributions.• Change the business’ comms culture
Agenda
1. Information Overload - the Impact
2. The Old vs. New Comms Paradigm
3. 3 Suggested Solutions
4. Examples & Takeaways
Suggested Solutions
Manage Broadcast
Comms – Take Charge
Optimize your Broadcasts – Improve the
message
Provide Alternatives – Remove the
noise
Solution #1: Manage Broadcast Comms
•Limit access to Distribution Lists
•Sign-off process for “push”
Control
•Define which messages qualify for each channel
•Company-wide guidelines + training
Criteria
•Central Comms Calendar and Timeline
•Protect employees from too much info
Visibility
•To reduce ‘push’, provide good alternatives
•Full Range from Pull to Push
Options
Solution #1: Outcomes
Protect Employees from Spamand Info Overload
Make sure that the top 5% gets through
Suggested Solutions
Manage Broadcast
Comms – Take Charge
Optimize your Broadcasts – Improve the
message
Provide Alternatives – Remove the
noise
Solution #2: Optimize your Broadcasts
Measurable
Context
Message
Channels
Interaction
Measure, Benchmark
1. Are you getting through? Do you even know?
2. What’s a normal response rate in yr org?
• Readership
• Click-throughs
• Survey responses
• Ratings
1. Pick your ideal target outcomes
• X entries tagged in CRM by at least X sales reps
• X click throughs to new product page
• Training module viewed/completed by % reps
Measurable
Context:
1. COMPETITION. Who else sends them broadcasts?
2. FREQUENCY. How often do staff receive broadcasts?
3. VOLUME. How many other emails/voicemails do they get a day/week?
4. PAST RESPONSE. How have they responded in the past?
5. INTRANET. Quality of intranet/in-depth resources
Context
Read this.
Really, I mean it
Optimize your Message*
Six key recommendations.• Consistent structure• Make it fresh• Pare it down• Overview for context• Use more than one format
(text, image, table, video…)• Invite interaction
*based on IABC Research Report:Preparing Messages for Information Overload Environments,” Eppler/Mengis, 2009.Read it for more great details!
Message
Channel Mix Criteria
Channel Mix: Criteria.
• Cuts through?
• Appropriate?
• Media-rich?
• Targeted?
• Measurable?
Channels
Inviting Interaction
“We need to ‘push’ out information that explains WHAT the business is doing,
and WHY it is doing it . . .and then use interactive social media tools
to get employees to start talking about HOW they’re going to help make it
happen.”Steve Crescenzo, Consultant
Interaction
Solution #2: Outcomes
Make Comms easier to absorb
Make Comms more enjoyable and interestingfor employees
Suggested Solutions
Manage Broadcast
Comms – Take Charge
Optimize your Broadcasts – Improve the
message
Provide Alternatives – Remove the
noise
EmailVoicemail
broadcastsScreensaversInternal BlogQ&AsForums
I.M.Digital
SignageE-Bulletin
Boards RSS Posters Print pubs Videos Wikis
INTRANET newsLaunch PacksPeers/ChampionsTraining Sessions
Scrolling news tickers
Desktop Alerts
SMS/Text Apps
Micro Blogs
Team MeetingsLeader VisitsConferencesLetters to Staff
Solution # 3: Provide Alternatives
1. Convert info to PULL
2. Consolidate Interruptions
3. Provide Channels for every requirement
Email Overload Case Study
2005: 3,000-employee company, knowledge workers, email overload.
• Volume: hundreds of email broadcasts per day, mostly spam (corporate, divisions, employees… free for all).
• Audience: Email fatigue, “one-to-many” deleted unread
• Comms Team: Even the best email in the world would get a low response. Struggling to get key info to audiences.
• Impact: team meetings – 20-30 mins for announcements
Email Overload Case Study
Solution: Consolidate 90%, showcase 10%, stop broadcast email.
• Consolidate: Employees invited to stop emailing, submit to weekly employee bulletin
• Consolidate: Division/depts invited to stop emailing, submit to weekly corporate bulletin
• Showcase: Comms Team manages screensaver slideshow, pop-up alerts, quizzes, surveys and onscreen newsfeed content.
• Email: reserved for one-to-one or one-to-team. Only CEO can use email distribution lists.
The Snap Comms Tools
Pop-up Alerts, Video, Invites
Scrolling Newsfeeds, RSS
Pop-up Quiz, Surveys
Employee-generated newsletters
Screensaver messaging
Desktop Wallpaper messaging
Solution #3: Outcomes
All Communications still given an outlet (nothing stifled)
Info available on demand
Delivery method matches content relevance
TAKEAWAYS&
QUESTIONS?
Checklists,
MANAGEyour broadcast comms company-
wideOPTIMIZE
each message to be easy for staff to absorb and action
CHANNEL content into appropriate mediums
to reduce noise, maximize cut through
for Webinar: July 2009
CHECKLISTS HERE: http://bit.ly/lqkjcFeel free to contact me/us at Cut Through Comms
www.cutthroughcommunications.com
Paula Cassin1.805.715.0300. Twitter: paulacassin. LinkedIn: paulacassin
THANK YOU!
5 ways to reduce Email Overload:http://blog.cutthroughcommunications.com
IABC Preparing Messages Report: www.iabc.com (free for members or
$99)
http://www.twitter.com/paulacassin