Effective communication is critical in every organization. Communication is the delivery of information and understanding from one person to another. Effective communication:
- Builds confidence in those engaged;
- Builds trust;
- Informs people of important information; combats misinformation;
- Minimizes rumors;
- Increases engagement and lowers turnover;
- Aligns employees on organizational values and purpose
In summary, effective communication makes people feel part of a larger support structure; it connects them to each other and creates a sense of collective identity. It removes uncertainty.
While many employees spend hours at a desk using company issued devices such as a computer or phone, many do not. Most workers in healthcare, manufacturing, construction, retail and transportation are deskless workers. These digitally detached workers are often responsible for tasks essential to organizational success.
Thankfully, technology provides more communication tools than ever. Organizations are increasingly using digital screens - video screens and digital signage - to communicate with more employees. Without good design, however, leaders often broadcast versus communicate to employees using these technology tools.
Broadcasting disseminates information to a large group but does not engage the audience, losing all the benefits of effective communication.
Organizations have a short window of time in which to influence employee behavior - employee time and attention is limited.
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Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2620923">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=2620923">Pixabay</a>
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Behavioral science suggests making communications Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely (EAST):
Easy - interaction with digital signage should not require additional effort, steps, choices or actions; it should ‘go with the flow’ of work.
Attractive - attractive signage maximizes perceived value
Social - harnessing social/peer pressure shows desired behaviors are supported by others and encourages shared commitments
Timely - prompting when people are most receptive make messages more immediate
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So how does a leader best use digital tools to communicate? The following five behavioral approaches will create EAST messages.
- Go with the Flow
Our brains value efficiency, seeking out the information that is easiest to process and fits with our existing information. Messages that enable processing efficiency are better remembered, make people feel more positive and are more likely to be perceived as true. Best practices for processing efficiency:
- Use less text
- Use larger, simpler fonts
- Use rhymes to create memorable messages
- Align text and images
- Present only one statistic at a time
- Use familiar imagery in place of words
- Framing
The same information can be interpreted differently depending on how it is framed. People tend to be overly influenced by the first thing they see. Consideration is whether to frame information as loss or gain; losses tend to be felt more strongly than gains. Workplace communication focused on loss is likely to have a negative effect on employee morale and productivity. Best practices of framing:
- Take advantage of primacy - share the most important information first/at the top
- Consider either loss or gain frame
- If you want employees to do something more often, to increase commitment and engagement, a positive gain frame is more effective
- If your focus is around safety or compliance, a loss frame is better
- Avoid Abstraction
Provide clear, unambiguous and concrete behavioral scripts. Best practices:
- Break information into step-by-step guidance
- Each step should be easy to visualize, remember and execute
- Use specific and concrete language
- Use emojis or similar images to convey emotion. People instantly recognize facial expressions of approval or disapproval regardless of language barriers
- Understanding Consequences/Norms
Peoples’ behavior is influenced by social norms. Hence, social norms are one of the most effective ways to influence behavior. Social norms provide relatable role models, descriptive norms, highlight dynamic trends, emphasize relevance and immediacy (the people in your team). Best practices include:
- Include images of people similar to those you want to influence
- Build empathy - promote birthdays, anniversaries, and accomplishments
- Personalize messages
- Provide consistent messages across multiple screens
- Bridge the Divide
Work toward developing a shared identity with employees by focusing internal communications on common causes everyone is working toward together. The technology now exists that these messages can be individualized based on location, job, etc. Best practices include:
- Use collective language such as “us” and “we”. Minimize use of “they” and “you”.
- Use images to convey information to avoid language challenges or cultural differences between groups of employees.
- Identify a trusted and loved messenger.
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References
- Crisp, Richard and Andrew Maranko, “Applying Behavioral Science to Enhance Messaging Through Digital Signage: Insights for the Deskless Workforce.” ScreenCloud White Paper.
- Livesay, Carl. “Are You Listening, or Talking Through a Megaphone?” Industry Week, Jan 19, 2023.
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