In the business world, change is the only constant. Whether it's adopting new technology, a shift in leadership, or a global crisis that demands rapid adaptation, change management and crisis communications play a pivotal role in an organization's success.
Companies need to have crystal-clear communication with employees during times of change to ensure success. Whether you need to put together a change management plan or a crisis communications playbook, Guru is the tool you need.
Don’t underestimate the internal communications benefits a well-managed wiki or intranet can bring an organization. Guru is designed to help everyone do their best work, and that includes times of change. The next time a big change happens at work, here are just a few ways Guru’s unique features can help.
Summarize key documents
Everyone needs to have access to that 18-page doc that lays out every change the company is about to implement. It may be the most comprehensive source of information available, but expecting people to read through a long document and retain information can feel a little unrealistic.
Information overload can be such a problem during critical times of change. Assist makes it easy to give people clear direction in times of change, reduce stress, and give everyone a bit more of their day back.
Make sure people understand the most crucial information upfront by using Assist to sum up the most important points of any necessary documents. You can give everyone a summary paragraph, a short list of bullet points, a simple list of anticipated FAQs, or a list of action items to execute.
Send important information and communicate urgency
We talked a bit about how times of change can be the perfect catalyst for information overload. Everyone is flooded with emails, Slacks, DMs, and shoulder taps for more input and information. After a while, it’s understandable that some people may ignore the constant stream of communication to keep their sanity intact. Guru’s announcement feature makes sending important company-wide and team-wide communications easy. Announcements can also be an effective way to gauge how employees consume the information you’re sending out. Use Card analytics to see exactly who has opened the Cards and communications you send. You can also use reminders to send gentle push notifications to let people know they still have important messages to read.
Find information fast
With changes happening at lightning speed, everyone will want access to your latest information ASAP. Luckily, everyone can easily and quickly access information when you have a 3-in-1 knowledge management solution that includes enterprise search.
When you have Guru on your side, searching for answers is straightforward and efficient. It takes the guesswork out of searching and ensures that you can find the information you need the moment you need you need it. You can even up your information game by using Knowledge Triggers to give people automated in-context knowledge when they use certain web pages.
Adjust your voice and tone
We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you said; it’s how you said it.” Striking the right tone during difficult times can be challenging. People are tired, they might feel like they’re getting pulled in different directions, and they’re doing their best to grapple with upcoming changes on their own. The usual empathy and respect your typical communications have may be lacking, but you can bring that back with a bit of help from Assist and its easy-to-use editing magic.
Let Assist review that last Card to ensure your tone is direct enough. Consider doing a quick copy/paste on that company-wide email you’re about to send out to make sure it sounds professional enough. Assist uses generative AI to craft just the right responses in your chosen voice or tone so you can take the guesswork out of your writing and focus on the facts.
Overcome language barriers
Managing language differences at work can be tricky. This presents enough challenges on its own during your average workday, but dealing with different languages can become incredibly challenging during times of change.
Sometimes you don’t have the time (or money) to send things to your translation team. Luckily, Assist makes breaking those language barriers a lot easier. When you have Assist, you can translate entire documents and office communications with the click of a button. Don’t wait or take extra steps to get people up to speed on new changes. Use Assist to communicate with lightning speed regardless of language.
Consider establishing regular communications through a newsletter
Times of change require plenty of communication between management and employees. If you don’t have a regular way to keep people informed at work, now is the perfect time to establish one.
We’ve talked about our love of company newsletters in the past, and change management and crisis comms are perfect examples of why they’re still helpful. Establishing a communication cadence can help ease employees' anxieties and let them know when to expect updates. Starting a newsletter doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out our blog post to see how.
Uncover unasked questions
You’ve gone over plans with managers, you know they’ve reviewed it with their employees, and employees know they can come to their managers with any additional questions. It seems like you’ve covered all of your bases, but you’re still concerned about not addressing everyone’s questions. If you want to learn more about what your employees are really thinking about, consider using Trending Topics in your Slack channels to unearth questions employees may be thinking about, but haven’t had the time to ask. Add it to a specific channel, and then you’ll be able to start filling in the knowledge gaps you’ve discovered.
Create your own change management communication plans with help from Guru’s free templates
Need a little more direction on how to set up some plans for your team? No problem. We have your back! Download our free templates for change management to start creating plans today. They’re great for Guru users and can help new users start their knowledge base in style.
In the business world, change is the only constant. Whether it's adopting new technology, a shift in leadership, or a global crisis that demands rapid adaptation, change management and crisis communications play a pivotal role in an organization's success.
Companies need to have crystal-clear communication with employees during times of change to ensure success. Whether you need to put together a change management plan or a crisis communications playbook, Guru is the tool you need.
Don’t underestimate the internal communications benefits a well-managed wiki or intranet can bring an organization. Guru is designed to help everyone do their best work, and that includes times of change. The next time a big change happens at work, here are just a few ways Guru’s unique features can help.
Summarize key documents
Everyone needs to have access to that 18-page doc that lays out every change the company is about to implement. It may be the most comprehensive source of information available, but expecting people to read through a long document and retain information can feel a little unrealistic.
Information overload can be such a problem during critical times of change. Assist makes it easy to give people clear direction in times of change, reduce stress, and give everyone a bit more of their day back.
Make sure people understand the most crucial information upfront by using Assist to sum up the most important points of any necessary documents. You can give everyone a summary paragraph, a short list of bullet points, a simple list of anticipated FAQs, or a list of action items to execute.
Send important information and communicate urgency
We talked a bit about how times of change can be the perfect catalyst for information overload. Everyone is flooded with emails, Slacks, DMs, and shoulder taps for more input and information. After a while, it’s understandable that some people may ignore the constant stream of communication to keep their sanity intact. Guru’s announcement feature makes sending important company-wide and team-wide communications easy. Announcements can also be an effective way to gauge how employees consume the information you’re sending out. Use Card analytics to see exactly who has opened the Cards and communications you send. You can also use reminders to send gentle push notifications to let people know they still have important messages to read.
Find information fast
With changes happening at lightning speed, everyone will want access to your latest information ASAP. Luckily, everyone can easily and quickly access information when you have a 3-in-1 knowledge management solution that includes enterprise search.
When you have Guru on your side, searching for answers is straightforward and efficient. It takes the guesswork out of searching and ensures that you can find the information you need the moment you need you need it. You can even up your information game by using Knowledge Triggers to give people automated in-context knowledge when they use certain web pages.
Adjust your voice and tone
We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you said; it’s how you said it.” Striking the right tone during difficult times can be challenging. People are tired, they might feel like they’re getting pulled in different directions, and they’re doing their best to grapple with upcoming changes on their own. The usual empathy and respect your typical communications have may be lacking, but you can bring that back with a bit of help from Assist and its easy-to-use editing magic.
Let Assist review that last Card to ensure your tone is direct enough. Consider doing a quick copy/paste on that company-wide email you’re about to send out to make sure it sounds professional enough. Assist uses generative AI to craft just the right responses in your chosen voice or tone so you can take the guesswork out of your writing and focus on the facts.
Overcome language barriers
Managing language differences at work can be tricky. This presents enough challenges on its own during your average workday, but dealing with different languages can become incredibly challenging during times of change.
Sometimes you don’t have the time (or money) to send things to your translation team. Luckily, Assist makes breaking those language barriers a lot easier. When you have Assist, you can translate entire documents and office communications with the click of a button. Don’t wait or take extra steps to get people up to speed on new changes. Use Assist to communicate with lightning speed regardless of language.
Consider establishing regular communications through a newsletter
Times of change require plenty of communication between management and employees. If you don’t have a regular way to keep people informed at work, now is the perfect time to establish one.
We’ve talked about our love of company newsletters in the past, and change management and crisis comms are perfect examples of why they’re still helpful. Establishing a communication cadence can help ease employees' anxieties and let them know when to expect updates. Starting a newsletter doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out our blog post to see how.
Uncover unasked questions
You’ve gone over plans with managers, you know they’ve reviewed it with their employees, and employees know they can come to their managers with any additional questions. It seems like you’ve covered all of your bases, but you’re still concerned about not addressing everyone’s questions. If you want to learn more about what your employees are really thinking about, consider using Trending Topics in your Slack channels to unearth questions employees may be thinking about, but haven’t had the time to ask. Add it to a specific channel, and then you’ll be able to start filling in the knowledge gaps you’ve discovered.
Create your own change management communication plans with help from Guru’s free templates
Need a little more direction on how to set up some plans for your team? No problem. We have your back! Download our free templates for change management to start creating plans today. They’re great for Guru users and can help new users start their knowledge base in style.
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