Delivering Your Message for the New Year
As the calendar year winds down and the holiday parties begin, many leaders contemplate the message they will send to their employees in the New Year. Many employees want to hear what the future holds, but keep in mind the factors that may affect the delivery of the message. The message, either positive or negative, can be interpreted differently by each employee. Here are some suggestions to consider when crafting your message:
- Your core message for what the future holds should be delivered during regular working hours. This allows all employees to participate and allows the message at the holiday party to stay light and festive. If the “state of the organization” message is delivered at the holiday party, it may turn the festivities into a gossip and conjecture session.
- Do not deliver the message just before a holiday party or other large event. Employees should not be distracted or led to believe the “rest of the message” will be delivered during the event. This may cause some people to not attend the event for fear of something else happening.
- After the New Year, communicate your message again. This ensures that all employees have received the message and that everyone understands the direction for the year.
While many year-end messages for organizations will include a lining of caution for the upcoming year, employees still need to understand where the organization is headed and what is expected of them. Leaders who choose not to communicate will cause uncertainty and leave employees to leap to their own conclusions about the future. Being thoughtful of when and how you convey your message will instill confidence in employees that they have chosen the right organization in which to work.
