Bridging the hardships with context
Posted by Martina Mangan on August 31, 2009 in Internal Communications, Strategic thinking with 0 CommentsTen days ago a 20-metre section of the viaduct across the Malahide estuary collapsed, rendering the busy route between Dublin and Belfast defunct. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but it will be up to three months before this very busy section of Ireland’s commuter belt is back up and running.
I listened with great interest to a radio report, where some of the affected commuters discussed how they felt about the incident. These people are now faced with having to make alternative arrangements, bring their cars back on the road, or use the buses that Irish Rail put on to replace the train.
As I listened to these people, I was surprised by their very calm, acceptant tone. Yes, they were inconvenienced by an extra hour added to their commute, but amazingly, none of those interviewed seemed angry or bitter. Their response was very balanced. "It's tough, but it's nobody's fault", "It's just one of those things that happens", "I suppose we'll have to live with it for a few months, we'll get over it."
It got me thinking. Why were those people so acceptant of the inconvenience they will have to suffer, especially now, as we face into the colder, wet days of winter?
Why? Because these people knew what happened. They understood the context of their inconvenience and they accepted that it was out of anyone's control. And really, no one (at the time of the interviews) was to blame. It really and truly was just 'one of those things'.
The response of the commuters really struck me as to the importance and power of communication within the workplace. In these difficult times, tough decisions are being made that impact all members of staff: cutbacks, changes in work practices, lay-offs, reduction in expenses, and removal of perks. These decisions are being made in order to cut cost and rationalise, thereby creating a leaner organisation - the only model that will ride out this storm. But for those members of the workforce that feel and are impacted by the changes, it can be difficult, unless the changes are given some context and unless they are engaged in the process.
Over 10 years of studying this topic, Gallup research found that an engaged workforce is significantly more productive and profitable and delivers better customer outcomes, there is better staff retention, lower absenteeism, fewer accidents and yield lower levels of "shrink" (e.g. theft, breakage, etc.) than disengaged workgroups. Engaged employees are also more innovative, compare that to the mentality of a disengaged company, where creativity and innovation shut down.
An engaged workforce, that understands the context of the changes, that sees them as part of a series of steps being taken to pull them through difficult trading times, will with good spirit share the burden and contribute positively to the future shape that the organisation will take. Having the context will clarify the perceived 'hardships' they are facing, and explain the 'why'.
Investigations are continuing into the collapse of the railway bridge and I have no doubt that as the nights get shorter, colder and wetter, the affected commuters will become less acceptant of the inconvenience.
But there is a valuable lesson for us all in this: when you implement changes that will affect your workforce, make sure that you provide everybody with the context for those changes, through relevant, timely and frequent communication, thereby helping you to maintain strong levels of colleague engagement.
Martina Mangan has been working in Internal Communications for the last 9 years. She is passionate about all aspects of employee engagement from strategy right through to implementation.Find out more at Martina's Profile. Don't forget to subscribe if you'd like to hear more!
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