Q. I’ve been working at improving internal communications at our small manufacturing company which has a diverse bi-lingual employee base. Turnover is prevalent. So, to form a cohesive “whole” I’ve been doing a monthly newsletter, mostly detailing problems as they occur and how (and how NOT) to handle them. I keep a pile near the water cooler, but honestly the pile rarely goes down (which means no one is paying much attention to them). In addition, I post procedures in-house so everyone is on the same page, and I have put up suggestion boxes for workers’ input (most of the employees are not online). Suggestions do dribble in.

Keep in mind, there really is no communications or human resources department here. As a mid-manager, I am somewhat the liaison between upper management and workers. I want to know when I can stamp this as “job done”?

A. The short answer: Never.

Now here are the longer reasons. There are some problems mixed in with the proactive communications efforts you are making.

It sounds as if the information is flowing from upper management to you to the frontline. And that is a classic cascade – one-way information sharing.

What’s more, the information that you mention sounds largely instructive, with a slant to the “how NOTs.” Of course it’s important to discuss all aspects of procedure in various ways, but when a newsletter becomes a vehicle for negative reinforcement, it can lose its power to engage. You mentioned that turnover is a problem. Therefore there is a clear need to build a team that unites through understanding of the business, the importance of each person’s job, the power of the group dynamic in moving business toward success, and the ultimate “what’s in it for me?” when each person on the team performs at a high level.

So turn that sometimes-scolding newsletter into a team builder. Add a human content. Small, personal profiles about workers will help them feel a sense of connection. Be sure the writing is relatively uncomplicated to help facilitate translation, or better yet include a bi-lingual component so no one is excluded. Try to focus more on what is done well than what is not. Name those connected to jobs of merit. Recognition goes a long way toward employee retention and engagement in general.

And how about the suggestions in the suggestion boxes? Include them in the newsletter as a way to open discussions on work-related issues from the employees’ viewpoint. And more importantly and powerful:  publish how those suggestions are addressed and acted upon by the company. It will show a real appreciation for employee concerns.

Distribution – getting them into the hands of employees – can be handled in a variety of ways. You could personally hand one out to each employee, include it with the paychecks. Or, better, include a feedback coupon in each newsletter for each reader to clip and submit for a monthly drawing. (One company I work with gives a monthly gas card – always an appreciated one-size-fits-all prize.) Ask for response to newsletter content, and for an individual concern. You’ll start building data on the issues that are important to workers.

You mentioned, too, that you bridge upper management and workers. Here’s my own suggestion for that suggestion box: Ask management to schedule in their own face-to-face time by making regular appearances on the floor and getting to know their employees. If they want an effective team, they, too, need to be a part of it.

When can you call this a “job done”?

Never.

The creation of a Spectator-Free Workplace™ is a process that is on-going. You can hand the effort off to others, perhaps. But in the end, effective 2-Way Communications leading to full employee engagement is a constant, professional way of life that helps employees – and management – reach their own on-the-job potential. And that is an essential to power business forward.

L.M. Dulye & Co. offers leadership training which encompasses effective communications throughout all levels of company structure. For information on Leadership Trainings & Skills Development Programs contact Roger Gibboni at rgibboni@lmdulye.com or call 845-987-7744. For information about L.M. Dulye & Co. staff, training opportunities and products visit www.lmdulye.com.