11 Tips for Communicating Important News to Your Entire Company


Communicating Important Information

The only thing worse than having team players out of the loop when it comes to important company news is rumors being spread in order to compensate for the lack of information. That’s why we asked 11 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

“What is one tip for communicating important information and news (key hires, funding, etc.) to the entire company?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Embrace Brevity

“Keep the message simple. You probably have a lot to say about the important news, but you want to deliver clear and concise information to your employees so everyone understands. Don’t leave any room for speculation.” ~ Alfredo AtanacioUassist.ME

2. Stagger Staff Meetings

“It can be difficult to maintain culture and communication when you have many part-time employees or employees who come into the office on different days. For this reason, hold staff meetings on two distinct days to capture the greatest number of attendees overall. Then, be sure to send a summary of meeting notes to the whole team to account for any individuals who aren’t able to attend.” ~Lindsay TanneLogicPrep

3. Maintain an Open Door Policy

“Although you may share all important updates in a company-wide email, you want to also make it clear that your “door is always open.” Company-wide emails are the most efficient way of sharing widespread information, but it is also extremely impersonal and may leave employees feeling that their voice is not heard. Let them know they can always come and chat with you regarding any announcements.” ~ Miles JenningsRecruiter.com

4. Align and Realign Organizational Goals

“Regardless of whether it’s good or bad news, it is important to not lose sight of the vision your company is building. Each key update should help reach your organizational goals, and it is important to communicate to your employees how each piece fits in into the overarching vision of the company.” ~ Sathvik TantryFormSwift

5. Communicate Early and Often

“Rather than sending out a monthly newsletter, we try to communicate news as it happens. This helps employees stay updated on company events and prevents some people from knowing information that others don’t. By keeping information accessible, you can create a stronger sense of community and ownership among the team.” ~ Bhavin ParikhMagoosh Inc

6. Use Video

“If you have a message that matters — good or bad — use video. Seeing someone’s face and non-verbal communication activates mirror neurons and enhances emotional contagion. Whatever emotion you’re wanting to spread and amplify (excitement, a sense of urgency, sadness) will be best spread by video. It’s what our teams feel about our messages that will most determine how they respond to them.” ~ Charlie Gilkey, Productive Flourishing

7. Constantly Communicate

“For a great culture, your employees should be involved in every major decision at your company from the ground up, and they should already be aware of important news before it’s official. At LexION Capital, a new hire won’t come as a surprise because my whole team has interviewed them already and given feedback. Your team will feel much more involved and happy if they are included.” ~ Elle KaplanLexION Capital

8. Stay Ahead of Rumors

“Control the message ahead of the rumor mill. Regardless of whether you’re communicating good news or bad news, word travels fast and you want to proactively control key communications. Otherwise, you will come across as being reactive and will have to fight against misinformation.” ~ Christopher KellyConvene

9. Articulate Why It’s Important

“Do your best to frame the announcement in terms of how it fits with the company’s mission. By doing so, you’ll continue to galvanize your team around the mission, which will reinforce your company culture. Also, be honest and excited. Be transparent about how a key hire or funding will make the company better and help achieve the shared goals of the company.” ~ Andrew ThomasSkyBell Video Doorbell

10. Be Detailed and Thorough

“Make sure the news is direct but at the same time clear and thorough. You should use weekly meetings to make these announcements so they are not abrupt and out of the blue. Also, have your answers ready for questions your employees are most likely going to ask.” ~Jayna Cooke, EVENTup

11. Email for Good News, Face-to-Face for Bad News

“Email is an increasingly acceptable format for delivering good news like funding announcements, new hires, and key product improvements. But bad news should be delivered in person; if that’s impossible, then at least over video. In the context of giving bad news, showing your face to the other person is common courtesy. Give people the opportunity to ask questions and react in a private medium.” ~ Dave NevogtHubstaff.com


Speech Photo via Shutterstock

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The Young Entrepreneur Council The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

2 Reactions
  1. Also consider time zones. Don’t announce something first thing in the morning Eastern time so that your West Coast employees hear about it on the news before they get into the office.

  2. I think this applies to schools as well. I remember the days when the head of schools would make really long announcements. The tendency is that students tend to forget about what is said. So brevity is a must.