By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady
Want to improve communication at your workplace? BLR’s CEO tells you how we do it in just 3 minutes a week.
As regular readers of this column know, internal communication–up, down, and across–is always at the top of the agenda at BLR (and, I suspect, in many of your companies, as well).
One innovation that we introduced this year has been our “Friday Letter.” The brainchild of our Chief Operating Officer, Brian Gurnham, it is kind of misnamed. It’s really the “Friday Podcast.”
Every Friday (well, probably four out of five), Brian writes and records a 3-minute communication, which is then e-mailed to the entire staff (and posted on our intranet). Some weeks it is about new products or initiatives. Other times it is about financial performance or personnel moves or actions. (See link below if you would like to sample a typical “Friday Letter.”)
It is very well received. Recently Brian surveyed the staff to get their opinions about the “Friday Letter,” and 95 percent urged him to continue. A phenomenal endorsement!
Brian lamented that was both good news and bad news. He is very happy that people perceive the “Friday Letter” as valuable, but it is a commitment on his part that requires some work. (“I’m glad I didn’t call it the ‘Friday Morning Letter’ because more than once the press of business has forced it back to Friday afternoon,” he jokes.)
The equipment needed to do the “Friday Letter” is surprisingly simple. He writes a script (500 words equals 3 minutes), then uses a $10 Radio Shack microphone and “shareware” recording program in his home office to make the recording. (One column was just his “BLR’s Funniest” blooper-outtakes.)
What makes the “Friday Letter” successful?
1) Number one is its honesty and credibility. Brian pulls no punches. He projects trust.
2) It’s relevant. He has a way of picking and presenting topics of interest to everyone. Most of the time, it is about “what we need to do,” but he gets there subtly. (Some topics come from staff suggestions – a good thing.)
3) It’s quick and easy for staff to access. Click on the link in the e-mail and it plays itself. No technical expertise required.
4) It is entertaining. Although these are serious communications, there is a place for humor, and it is clear that Brian is having a good time doing them.
If you want to sample a typical Friday letter, click here: Friday Letter Sample
A Note About BLR’s National Employee Attitudes Survey Program
Speaking of improving communication … and teamwork … and morale, thanks to all of you who have agreed to participate in BLR’s National Employee Attitudes Survey program (you can still join by going to http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/NEAS.) We’d like to let you know that all materials were emailed to participating employers last week. If you haven’t seen the material, first check your Spam box, and if not there, email us at KCallahan@blr.com. We’ll rush you another set.
If you have got the materials, please activate them immediately to create the employee materials and get the needed information. Remember, the deadline for first wave data collection is April 20. You can join the survey after that, but your data will be compared to the first wave. Thank you!