According to Gallagher’s most recent Employee Communications Report, there’s an apparent dichotomy regarding how employees view communication from their employers.
- Employees feel they’re receiving more than enough—in fact, maybe even too much communication from their employers.
- Yet, despite what some feel to be an overwhelming number of corporate messages coming their way, many fail to feel connected to their employers.
Communicators themselves note challenges with connecting effectively with employees.
Communicators Challenged to Communicate
HR and internal communication leaders report that they are increasingly dissatisfied with their ability to appropriately and effectively tailor messages and segment audiences through their existing communication channels. That results in employees receiving what they consider to be a “flood of communication from multiple stakeholders.”
It’s not that communicators aren’t trying to be more effective in their corporate communication efforts—87% say they’re advising leaders on messaging. Unfortunately, 70% say their leaders aren’t implementing the advice they’re offered.
Companies are also, by and large, failing to measure or track the impact of their internal communications.
Change Fatigue
One of the drivers behind so much communication may be the pace of change. As Gallagher reports: “As companies navigate an increasingly turbulent external environment, communications and HR leaders have identified ‘change fatigue’ as one of the top five barriers to success.”
There are steps organizations, and their managers can take to address change fatigue, say Mollie West Duffy and Liz Fosslien, writing for Harvard Business Review.
They write: “Too often, organizations simply encourage their employees to be resilient, placing the burden of finding ways to feel better solely on individuals.” Instead, they advise, leaders can be more proactive, and more effective, in helping employees address change fatigue, by:
- Taking time to acknowledge change—and the discomfort that comes with it.
- Help employees reframe their concerns more proactively. For example: Instead of, “I can’t do this…,” reframing the statement as, “I am learning how to…”
- Be more flexible when deciding how to address various issues, allowing the leeway to shift course as necessary.
- Work with employees to create rituals or habits designed to address and reduce stress—for instance, meditation breaks, or 15-minute stand ups where everyone shares something that’s inspiring them.
The pace of change is unlikely to ebb any time soon. But instead of throwing out more communication to help employees understand the changes going on all around them, focus on being more mindful and strategic in overcoming communication fatigue while building new habits designed to help employees be proactive and resilient.
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contribuing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.
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