You might need to update your company’s policies because of its growing size, changes in processes, and/or to adapt to the current business climate. You’ll need to communicate these so that your employees comply. However, there might be a miscommunication because you failed to lay it out for them effectively.
How can you implement an effective policy communication strategy?
Tell Your Team Upfront
An effective policy communication strategy includes telling your team of the changes you’d like to make upfront. This allows you to set expectations and provides you with an opportunity to explain why you think the changes are necessary. Discuss all the points about making the changes in your company’s policies. Mention the possible short-term and long-term impact it can make on your workforce. This straightforward dissemination of details prepares your team for the policy updates.
Get Feedback from Your Employees
Involve your employees in the strategic planning process of updating your policies. Ask for feedback and suggestions what the updated handbook should include and the possible changes you need to make. Include your employees in the writing and revising process. Establish objectives on how you want the final handbook to be. Integrate as much of your employees’ inputs as possible. The involvement of your team makes it easier for them to follow the new policies.
Introduce the Final Policies
After writing and revising your handbook, introduce it to all your employees. Focus on the changes and the benefits it provides everyone in your organization. Discuss how you’ll implement it and penalties for violations.
Ask Your Team to Review the Updated Policies
Some employees will probably not be part of the writing and revision process. However, to implement an effective policy communication strategy, everyone needs to have a say in the policy changes. You can provide both hardcopies or electronic ones they can easily access online or download. Allow your team to ask questions and offer suggestions on how you can further improve the updated handbook. Once you get everyone’s feedback, you can start working on the final version.
Provide Necessary Training
You might need to train your employees so they can better understand your policy changes and how they can implement them effectively. You can schedule the training of your staff on different dates so that they can still do their work. You can also train based on need. The training reduces violations and allows for a smoother implementation of your updated policy.
Request Employees to Sign
Once you finish the revised version of your policy changes, you’ll need your employees to review them again. Have them sign the document once they have reviewed it. Doing so finalizes the new policy handbook which you are now ready to implement.
An effective policy communication strategy allows you to implement changes that are acceptable to your employees. After you update your handbook, you might need the assistance of expert bookkeepers. We at Robookkeeper can assist you with keeping your accounting books updated and mistakes-free. Our team offers first-rate bookkeeping services for small business owners. We use secure and quality accounting software when we update your books.