will fall into line much more easily than if employees feel kept out of the loop or if they get little or no recognition for a job well done.One vehicle that can disseminate information to the employee population is a corporate newsletter. Newsletters can not only give the crucial information (vision/strategy, progress/performance, financial), but also human interest stories to help employees feel as if they are part of one big family even though they might have 40 locations across the globe. Videos are also a worthwhile method which can get the message out while showing employees the “live” version of executives in the company who they might rarely see face-to-face. Videos can humanize executives so that employees can relate to them not only as management, but as people. Sales people are a different breed. Because they are always on the run, audio tapes make a great communication vehicle for this group. They can be played in the car between stops to see clients. Since sales people sometimes work out of their home or rarely see the office, it is vital to keep them apprised of the latest happenings in the company as well as making them feel like a part of the family even when they are alone most of the time.Recognition programs range from being very simple to very exorbitant. Managers can praise employees for their hard work with little notes of appreciation or big bonuses at the end of the year. But sometimes it is nice for employees to receive public recognition. In our office, we receive “berries” at staff meetings for a job well done. These are simply tiny plastic pieces of fruit that we put in a small bowl on our desk for everyone to see. Then, the boss calls us in his office and gives us a reward for our “berry.” This is done in private so that people do not compare their berry gifts. The gifts can be anything including a long lunch hour coupon, a gift certificate at a department ...
