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November 04, 2008
Q&A, part 4
(I continue to answer questions from last Wednesday’s web cast about “Engaging Employees During Uncertain Times.”)
Q: This is a comment, not a question. While I love all the new vehicles that Web 2.0 provides us with, we can’t forget that face-to-face communication (or telephone/live video) is still viewed as the most effective regardless of culture and generation.
A:: Right you are. Plus, the fun thing about some of the Web 2.0 stuff is that it creates some of the human interaction that makes face-to-face so rich and compelling.
Q: The majority of employees at our company don’t have access to a personal computer. What are other things we can do?
A: Leaders and managers are always important, but they become even more so when your workforce is not wired. Leaders (like the plant or store manager) emphasize what’s important to the organization, and what the factory or store or unit should focus on; managers, of course, interpret organization-wide information to “what our team needs to do.”
Q: Are there existing tools like surveys or ROI studies we can use as templates?
A: The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) offers a number of books and toolkits on measurement:
Q: We are looking at web cast technology and it seems to be very expensive. Any suggestions?
A: Shop around, negotiate, and make sure to buy only what you need. A lot of systems have a lot of bells and whistles, but others are more straightforward and no-nonsense. Make sure you’re not buying a Mercedes when a Toyota works just fine.
Q: Most employees are reluctant to speak out during meetings. How can you encourage participation?
A: I have a lot to say about this—I give a whole workshop on remaking town hall meetings to make them more participative—but I’ll try to make it brief. The key reason that employees are reluctant to speak out during meetings is because meetings are poorly structured to encourage interaction. A 10-minute Q&A section does not elicit participation—it shuts people down. If you really want employees to speak out, they need time (lots of it), a safe venue (breakouts, for instance, not a big crowd), and leaders who demonstrate that they welcome all kinds of feedback, including negative comments.
Q: What suggestions do you have for alternatives for Web 2.0 tactics to make communications more engaging? We have a skeletal portal and rely on e-mail primarily for internal communication.
A: If e-mail is your primary tool, ask yourself whether e-mail could be more dynamic and interactive. And then ask IT what’s possible, even with a skeletal portal and a minimum budget. Some cool Web 2.0 tools are actually free—you just have to get over IT’s “not invented here/I’m not putting that within my firewall” objections.
Posted by Alison Davis at November 4, 2008 10:20 AM