For HR leaders, the following scenario may sound familiar: the organization spent weeks (or months) crafting a strategic business announcement from the CEO that seemingly lands well at first, but is later met with skepticism, confusion, or even displeasure by the time it circulates throughout the company. Where did things go wrong?
In this case, a key missing component is the absence of middle managers to contextualize and reinforce the message to frontline employees in an empathetic and people-first way. Middle managers are by far the most influential, trusted, and often under-utilized distribution channel in any organization.
In a previous blog, we discussed how investing in middle managers enables companies to take the next step in their growth trajectory or withstand market headwinds. The investment pays off with enhanced employee engagement, reduced turnover, and increased profitability and productivity. In short, middle managers are critical to any high-performing organization.
In this article, we’ll discuss actionable steps Chief Human Resources Officers can take to ensure communications strategies succeed by partnering with middle managers. Key concepts include filling gaps between what leaders say and what employees hear, why talking points alone are doomed to fail, and the need to prep managers before strategic announcements are made.
Fill in Gaps
When significant organizational announcements are delivered, the first thing people want to know is “What does this mean for me?” That’s the perfect entry point for middle managers, as they can translate high-level executive messaging into practical, digestible context for their teams.
Managers typically fall into the role of translator whether they are prepared for it or not. When they don’t have answers, it can be challenging to fully support employees as the manager may fall back on guessing, speculation, or saying nothing at all.
HR teams can aid in this translation effort by spending time with middle managers to talk through their top anticipated employee questions and possible answers before the announcement is made. Other tactics include:
Provide managers with one-pagers that specifically address employee impact and next steps.
Guide managers on how to address questions they can’t answer and develop a plan to get the information they need in a timely fashion.
Work with managers to capture employee feedback so their role becomes more holistic than just delivering information.
Why Talking Points Alone Fail
Talking points, while helpful to a certain degree, only provide a script from which managers are likely to read and repeat. That may lack authenticity and empathy when delivered to employees. Talking points are also one-sided from manager to employee and don’t account for resistance or the emotions that can follow big announcements.
What’s really needed is context or the “why” behind the announcement. HR leaders can address this in several ways:
Create a context brief for managers, including the reasoning behind the announcement, what other options were considered, what will change, and what will remain the same.
Allow managers to draft responses in their own words to ensure authenticity and compassion when delivered to employees.
Conduct role play sessions in advance to work through difficult conversations, preparing the manager for what may come.
Provide comprehensive FAQs that address difficult topics along with easy or positive ones.
The Power of Advance Notice
Many times, middle managers receive announcements when their teams do, which prevents them from supporting direct reports as they are just processing the news themselves. Employees will sense this disconnect, and it undermines the manager’s credibility when they are looked at to provide insight and context into what’s been announced and what happens next.
As alluded to above, maximizing the power of middle managers as part of a communications strategy happens before major organizational announcements are made.
To ensure a smooth rollout and proper employee support, HR leaders should brief middle managers 24-48 hours before major announcements are shared with employees. A middle manager all-hands meeting that shares the message, appropriate context, reasoning, and support structure will establish a foundation managers can utilize.
Advance notice will also allow managers to process the situation and how it will impact them individually as well. HR teams can also clearly identify information that’s safe to share along with details that should be kept private.
Middle managers aren’t just another cog in the organizational wheel; they are the delivery system that determines whether a communications strategy resonates and helps propel companies forward or falls flat and leads to stagnation. CHROs serve as the bridge between the communications function and the people who carry it forward. By giving managers context, the “why”, and plenty of notice, CHROs will increase their chances of success during pivotal organizational moments.
Are you ready to develop a communications strategy for your next big announcement that will maximize middle managers and set your company up for success? Contact us today.