The Employee Publication

THE EMPLOYEE PUBLICATION: THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR

Five Tips for Creating a Successful Newsletter From the Experts at Drizen-Dohs Corporate Communications

Communication is more essential than ever in today's culture. From the global village to the global business model, it is crucial to continually find new and better ways to share information successfully. And when it comes to sharing information within an organization, employee publications have proven to be an invaluable tool and a great resource. But how do you effectively communicate via a company newsletter? As every community has its own distinct set of members, subsets, culture and image, so does every company. That being said, it's best to consider each of these components as you plan for a successful employee publication. Consider the divisions in and among the community within your organization when planning an internal newsletter. Remember that while all of you work as a team, there can still be departments that function separately, employees at varying levels of the company, and team members with vastly different schedules, resulting in entire groups of people who aren't that familiar with one another. A good employee publication can link these groups together, enhance morale and make people feel important and valued. In this spirit, here are some tips on how to create a newsletter or enhance an existing one that your employees will look forward to reading and that will bring your company's community closer together: Represent all departments and levels of the company: Recognizing the importance of every role in the organization will lead to increased morale and a feeling of inclusion. Feature employee roundtables and current company events: This is a great way for employees to learn from and about each other, share best practices between departments and keep everyone up to date on important company-wide information. Try to avoid using the newsletter solely as a way to pass along company rhetoric or executive lectures. Recognize employee contributions and achievements: This will be much appreciated whether it is an individual or an entire department being congratulated. Plus, this sort of recognition has been shown to be valued as much as monetary recompense. Cover all important company events: From trade shows and picnics to community awards and holiday parties, it's a great way to chronicle the things the organization has done together and accomplished as a team. Be consistent. If your publication comes out when it is scheduled to and adheres to a familiar tone and design that reflects your company's culture, your employees will embrace it and look forward to receiving each issue. A good publication can really make a difference in your company. Not only can it effectively communicate important information, but it can positively affect your company's morale, productivity, training and retention efforts.

Established in 1994, DDCC is a full-service communications and publishing firm that provides editorial services, public relations, marketing, graphic design, art direction and digital pre-press and printing. Located in Chatsworth, California, DDCC has a full staff of editors, writers, designers, and public relations professionals. For more information, please visit www.drizen-dohs.com or call (818) 772-9555.

About the author: Ruth Drizen-Dohs is the president and CEO of Drizen-Dohs Corporate Communications (DDCC).