When employees receive any piece of communication, they only want to know three things:
- What is this about?
- How does it impact me?
- What do I have to do?
That’s why we use a unique pyramid approach so our communications get to the point — focusing on the “need to know,” “nice to know,” then “benefit geek” (required legal language) last.
Need to know: the what, how, when
- What’s happening
- What do I need to do
- How to do it
- Deadline to take action
- Information needed to make decision
Should be able to scan and get these answers
Nice to know: the why
- Why action is being required
- Why a change is occurring
- The company’s position
Keep to sidebars or sectioned-off areas
Benefit geek: everything else
- Detailed “jargon” required for legal reasons or to provide for further explanation
- If including legal notices, tell them no action is required
Keep to footnotes or as links to other documents for more information
If we force people to search for the message, the message will never be found.
