Campbell Chapter 9

No One Ever Told Me About That

You have three choices for notifying users about a policy or procedure.

1. Announce in person
2. Communicate it in writing
3. Send it be e-mail

Which one you choose will be based on part preference and part circumstance.

Factors that determine how you notify your users depend on:

• Amount of material
• Nature of the material
• Complexity of the subject
• Organization's standards
• Communication method
• Size of user group
• Urgency
• Location of users

Notifying in writing

Pros to notifying in writing are that it communicates the policy or procedure in a uniform way to all users. It can be distributed in mass and reaches users at all locations, on all shifts. It serves as legal documentation. And it formalizes and reinforces the message.

Cons to notifying in writing are that remote locations and later shifts may get their copies late and feel slighted. It may sound rigid or bureaucratic. It eliminates personal contact and the ability to ask questions directly of the issuer.

Tips for notifying in writing:

• You're writing for an external audience such as an accrediting agency or customer
• The audience is large or widely dispersed
• The material is complex or lengthy
• The subject is noncontroversial
• Personal contact is unnecessary

Notifying in person

Doing this can take many forms: group meetings, individual meetings, phone conferences, or videoconferences.
The main advantage of notifying in person is that is gives direct contact with the issuer, which tends in increase cooperation and reduce resistance.
The main disadvantage of notifying in person is that meetings can be both hard to coordinate and unpleasant to conduct.

Tips for notifying in person:

• The subject is simple or the user group small
• You need to convey a sense of urgency or importance
• The policy is ambiguous and needs explanation
• Unofficial expectations differ from official policies
• The subject is controversial or sensitive

Notifying by e-mail

E-mail is a hybrid approach to notifying allowing the user to ask questions to a written announcement. E-mail is best used when you have on-line policies and procedures or most of the organization's communication flows through an e-mail system and users are comfortable with it.

What to put in your notices

Written notices

Identify the policy and procedure
Give a summary of it
Include logistical information (title, number, effective date, implementation time frame, who's covered, whom to contact with questions or problems)
Include a brief summary of the substance (reasons for it, basic provisions, user responsibilities, and the impact it will have on users)

Verbal notices

Will the information session be introductory (brief and very general), informational (lengthier, containing more substantial information), or a training session (lasting as long as necessary covering all operational details)

Notify managers first before issuing a general notice to the company. Getting managers on board will keep their staff in line behind them.