As HR professionals, most of us are gearing up for "HR Busy Season." Upcoming projects include open enrollment, annual appraisals and merit review, just to name a few. As we get ready for everything we have to roll out, communication becomes one of the most important elements of our plan. How do we communicate without overloading employees and managers and still ensure critical deadlines and major changes are clearly conveyed? Here are a few things to consider:

1. Have a plan! Not only should you have one for your projects, you should have one for communications, especially when multiple projects are running at the same time. Take some time to put together a timeline of events and any corresponding communications you need. Be sure this includes items such as "heads up," "what’s new," and "go live" messages, reminders, and any follow-ups.

2. Organize your message! Take plenty of time to write out each piece of communication according to your plan.

• Know the audience relevant to the message you are sending (who they are, their role, where they are, etc.). As an example, messages to managers will have different content than to employees in some cases.
• Be sure to provide information that answers who, what, when, where, why and how. Align this back to the intent of the specific communication you are sending. For example, if you are sending a "mark your calendars" message, then the focus will be on what, when and why.
• Use a simplistic approach! In your core communications, pull your elements into key bullets or 1,2,3 steps. Keep the general messages short and to the point using laymen’s terms. If you publish a message that takes more than a couple of minutes to read and is too technical, you will lose your audience. From the primary message, you can link to your detailed guides, instructions, or FAQs as necessary.

3. Communicate in multiple ways. As you are working through the previous three steps, think about what mediums you want to use to communicate. A lot of this is dependent on your company’s demographics, locations and infrastructure, so weigh the pros and cons of resources, reach and cost for each. However, it’s a good idea to deliver your message in more than one way. Consider:

• Trainings (In-person or through webinars)
• Written (Email, Paper, brochures, table tents)
• Videos
• Website / Intranet
• Mobile Access / Social Media / Text reminders

4. Get creative! The more creative you are, the more you will get the attention of the audience. Build a theme that carries through the process and relate it back to your project’s purpose. Use visuals and don’t be afraid to use humor! This is especially helpful when you are sending reminders as a deadline approaches. Tie-in fun facts that align to your project, like wellness facts related to a biometric screening. Share past success testimonials from employees to encourage participation in programs.

5. Have a solid review group! Enlist others to review your plan and content. This should include people outside your team and within. We often get so close to our work that we don’t see the flaws. Having others review communication ensures messages contain the correct content and that the messages are clear. This can also help make sure critical stakeholders on key projects are delivering the same message.