May 9, 2005

Set Up a Communicators Network to Help Reach Employees

A significant challenge for communicators is ensuring that employees everywhere receive and have equal access to essential information. One of the most efficient, cost-effective solutions is to develop a communicators network.

Setting up a communicators network is a best practice solution that has worked for some organizations highlighted in Davis & Company’s groundbreaking study, “Reaching Employees: Best Practices in Distribution and Access.” Networks help address common issues communicators face in finding ways to keep communication consistent across different work sites, including:

• Employees are in a wide variety of positions and levels, with different access methods available to them
  
• Locations are geographically diverse—keeping track of how sites operate on opposite sides of the world is virtually impossible
  
• Sites frequently have their own internal organizational structures that vary from the company standard—what works at one location might not work at another

What is a communicators network?
A communicators network is made up of employees at sites across an organization who are charged with facilitating communication at their locations. Network members don’t need to be experienced communicators; instead, they can be employees who are interested in expanding their skills and have a desire to support improvements throughout the organization.

How a communicators network can help your distribution processes
Setting up a communicators network will enhance your distribution processes by:

• Having someone who is accountable for distribution
  
• Allowing for individual sites to customize distribution processes to meet unique needs
  
• Giving employees a local contact person for questions about a communication vehicle, such as how they can submit ideas for a newsletter.

Defining distribution roles for a network member
A major part of a network member’s role would be to ensure that all communication vehicles are distributed properly at his or her site, using whatever method works best. That way, you can rely on a network member who knows the ins and outs of his or her site’s intricacies, rather than trying to implement a rigid corporate-defined system that may fall apart because it’s too inflexible.

To effectively fulfill their role in helping you reach employees, network members should know:

• The best method for distributing print publications for their sites, whether that be inter-office mail, desk drops, literature racks or a combination of the three
  
• How to design an effective bulletin board—creating a clear, consistent layout so messages are easily understood by employees
  
• When newsletters will be shipped
  
• How quickly bulletin board updates need to be posted
  
• Basic answers to employee questions about publications and newsletters
  
• Where they can go to get questions answered
  

To learn more about the study, Reaching Employees and how Davis & Company can help you improve the effectiveness of your distribution processes, contact Alison Davis at:
1.887.399.5100 (toll-free in the U.S.)
1.201.445.5100