Before you bring your team back, make sure your communication is optimal

By Kristin Marcum, President of ECPR

Posted on 05/19/2020 by Austin Chamber of Commerce

As teams across Central Texas start the carefully planned transition back into their workspaces, there is a lot on the line for operations, productivity, workplace safety and potential setbacks that could come with miscommunications. It is critical to your business interests and your team’s wellbeing that they know what is expected.

Think about a simple policy that you may have had pre-pandemic for your office, such as turning in a form on time or cleaning out old food from the fridge, and how difficult it was to get that message to stick? Now apply that same set of behavior patterns to something as risky as exposure to COVID-19, which could endanger employee health and productivity.

This is why it is essential to set clear expectations and communicate new behaviors in a way that builds trust and compliance. Put simply, your workers need clear instruction that puts their minds at ease—and you need their cooperation to keep your workplace safe.

Effective communications around return-to-workplace transitions will be key to not only your employees’ confidence but also for guests and customers as they start accessing your physical spaces. How you do it will leave a lasting impression on your brand perception. As I think we all understand, this moment is not something smart leaders will leave up to chance because a misstep could be costly in many respects.

This is something we’re thinking about around the clock at Elizabeth Christian Public Relations (ECPR), where I am the president of the agency. With 25 years of corporate and crisis communications work in Texas, our team can help build your team’s expectations and safe behaviors.

ECPR is now offering a turnkey solution we’re calling “Return-to-Work Strategic Communication” to help you prepare your facilities, employees and customers—whether they are physically in your space or planning to return soon. This strategic communication module, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and data, includes:

- A checklist of messaging considerations for your physical and digital spaces

- 10 branded custom signs for your office conveying safeguards and protocols

- An internal communication to employees on your plans and their responsibilities

- A facilitated town hall meeting with your employees—in person or virtual—with a professional moderator

We would be honored to work with you to make sure you are ready to get open and stay open in the safest possible way.