Because I said so!
Do we sometimes treat our employees like children?
Sales are down, profits are dwindling and so is our patience. At times like this we can allow our stress to show in the way in which we treat our team. I would suggest that now is exactly the time to embrace our team even closer. In the words of the 3 Musketeers “All for One and One for All!” 
Or to modernize the reference, in the words of the kids from High School Musical “We’re all in this together.”
As the New Year dawns, let’s make a pact to look upon our employees as part of the team that will help us navigate the tough economy together. How can we do that? I wrote an article a few years ago called “The key to obtaining buy-in, explain the “why,” in which I offered the following suggestions:
When communicating with your associates remember these tips:
- If there is an action, task or deadline for the reader, state it early and often
- Explain the why behind the message – it should be as simple as a sentence:
“In response to competitor’s recent advertising we are…”
“Due to changes in our vendor supply capability you will need to…”
“In response to requests from your peers we are changing…”
-Tell them how their compliance will impact the company. When associates realize that the request isn’t busy work but will actually impact the overall company results, they are more likely to comply.
-Thank them in advance
-Reinforce any specific task and/or deadline
-Give them a contact in case they have questions or comments
What would you add to the list?
