Communicating with Employees

2. Preparing Your Message

2.1 Before communicating, be clear what you are trying to achieve.

• Break down your message into a series of points that you want to get across. The fewer, the better.

2.2 Find out about your audience. Are you communicating with one person or a group?

• Are they interested in what you have to say? Are they already well informed? Are they likely to be receptive or hostile to the information you are communicating?
• Consider the timing of your message. A busy person is unlikely to take in much information unless the message is directly relevant to the job in hand.

2.3 Structure your message carefully.

• Start by explaining the purpose of the communication.
• Present your ideas in order of importance.
• Organise written information by using clear numbering and headings.
• In a meeting, end by summing up all the important points again.

2.4 Use language your audience understands.

• Use simple, direct words and short sentences.
• Avoid vagueness. For example, 'Mike will check the work tomorrow' is clearer than 'The work will be checked'.
• Use jargon and technical terms sparingly. Specialist vocabulary, such as that used in finance, IT and production, will confuse and often irritate non-specialists.