One of my clients was about to embark on a merger that would likely produce some layoffs and completely shift how employees would work. I was asked to review their communications.
Mergers and acquisitions always produce fear. Therefore, I first checked that messaging would be high touch: Live, in-person, and interactive. The client had selected a leader-led town hall meeting to make the announcement with time for questions. Good start.
Next, I drilled into the content of the presentation to see if it answered these questions – The 5Ws + H:
1. What?
2. When?
3. Who?
4. Where?
5. Why?
6. How?
I know. It seems very basic. But you would be surprised how often something is missed or unclear. In fact, when I analyze messages, each of the above questions is preceded by the word “exactly.” Exactly what? Exactly when? When fear is high, the hunger for details explodes. If they can’t get the answers they need, they will fill in the blanks themselves, and you will lose control of the narrative.
Notice that I did not put why first. The order is intentional. People need to know what you are talking about first. “When” determines whether they need to take action now. “Who” confirms whether they are impacted and need to pay attention. Once employees know the basic details, they are ready to assess the reasons for the change (why).
Thanks to Tim Duthie for sharing the following communication. Running the checklist against it quickly illuminates several gaps.
Could you take action based on this? How does this stuff get approved?? You are better than that. Use the 5Ws and H to ensure your messaging is on point.
Thoughtfully yours,
Jeff
