Communicating Up And Communicating Down
SNAPS DAY 308
11/4/20222 min read
Leaders are expected to be communication experts. Whether you are in your normal state or if you are not feeling well or is distracted with a lot of work, you must be aware that the spotlight is constantly on us leaders. Hence, we must be conscious, strategic and deliberate in communicating with our Associates. Here are some tips I would like to share. It is so basic and yet sometimes we forgot these.
If what you are about to communicate is positive and inspiring, then go ahead and communicate it down to your Team. However, if the topic is negative, problematic, and may cause anxiety to a lot of people, you must first seek help upwards from your direct supervisor or Coach on the communication strategy.
If you are communicating bad news to your Associates, say it in person not in an email or worst is through someone else. Make sure you are honest, sincere, very clear with your messaging, simplify the communication, provide as much information to those who are directly affected and be optimistic for the next steps. On the other hand, if the news is positive, then make it as celebratory as possible to drive inspiration, positivity and accountability.
*About the photo
This photo was taken around July during my 2020 Peak Season strategy roll-to to my leaders from one of the North American Retail campaigns I am managing. I informed them of the huge holiday season volume we need to manage that year and we even need to add another Team in our other Site to help cover the volume. I also announced the good news that we shall already start activating our leaders-in-training batches who have gone through JumpStart Leadership Training certification since March that year. They will start acting as Assistant Team Leaders managing half of the Team where they belong. This gives them hands-on experience in managing Associates while their TL is closely mentoring them. So, when the influx of hundreds of seasonal Associates rush in starting September all the way until December, they will not be overwhelmed with the workload and new-hires.
Managing over double the headcount of Peak Season volumes is our expertise. The key is that we work very hard to prepare for the peak season during the entire lean season months. All-year round, effective communication is extremely critical for the success of everyone, our clients and our beloved customers.
