2022 has been a bit of a rollercoaster for all of us. On the upside, the country shook off the lockdown restrictions of the last two years but we also witnessed a war in Ukraine, the death of our longest serving monarch and political turmoil which saw three Prime Ministers come and go in three months.
An uncertain year
The economic news has become gloomier as the year has gone on and we’ve all felt the uncertainty. It’s understandable that many people have been feeling pretty negative and unsettled. So, the festive season is just the right time for employers to boost morale and take their staff into the New Year in a positive frame of mind. It doesn’t need to be complicated, some simple internal communication could really make a difference.
A positive message
Many organisations might not have bothered with an official Christmas message in the past, but this year it really could be worth putting in the effort.
As with all internal communications, it’s crucial to strike the right note (or risk doing more harm than good). It’s not always easy to start with a blank sheet of paper so, here is my guide to writing that end of year message.
Some questions to consider before you start writing:
How will the message be sent?
Different mediums may be necessary to ensure maximum coverage – especially if the same message is going out across the entire workforce based in different types of workplaces.
While an email would be immediate and cost nothing, the impact or “specialness” might be lost if staff are receiving emails from management all the time. But, if this is the only practical option then a nice adaptation could be for the message to be handwritten, scanned in and sent as an attachment.
Another option may be for the senior partner, CEO (or whoever) to record a video or audio message and send this via whatever medium your employees use for work. For example, on WhatsApp or by posting onto the company intranet.
A lot will depend on the budget available but, nothing really beats receiving a nice quality card through the old-fashioned post – if only for the rarity value!
To whom will it be sent?
The only sensible answer to this is – everyone. Don’t leave anyone out, Christmas is a time for inclusivity and being generous to all!
There may possibly be some situations where you want to tweak the message slightly for different groups, but generally it’s not a good idea to be saying different things to different people, messaging needs to be clear and consistent.
Who will the message come from?
While it is perfectly acceptable to ask an expert to ghost write the message, it needs to come from the senior leadership – ideally the most senior leader – to give the message legitimacy and gravitas. Christmas is very much about family and the head of the organisation’s “family” needs to step up.
What effect do you want to have?
Think carefully about whether you simply want to say thank you to everyone for your hard work during the last 12 months or, do you need to boast morale and aid retention? Do you want to name-check teams or individuals who have done a great job or got great results? Do you need to recognise there have been difficulties this year and suggest how things are going to be better next year?
Some ideas for things to include
You want the message to engage people. Don’t make it too long or wordy, adopt an open and honest tone – people are very good at spotting insincerity so make sure what you are saying rings true and ideally, comes from the heart (or at least sounds as if it does).
At the risk of stating the obvious, say thank you and acknowledge the hard work and sacrifices people have made this year. Tell people how important their support has been to the team and that they have made a difference.
Include something personal to try and connect with your readers. How have you felt this year, what are your hopes for next year?
Not all your workforce will be Christians so avoid overly religious references but do draw on the seasonal messages of hope, peace and goodwill to all.
Ideally people will feel positive and uplifted after reading the message, leave them feeling upbeat about their work and the future if you can. If the reality is that business is going to be difficult in 2023, stress the positives such as the organisation’s commitment to its staff and the satisfaction of working with great colleagues or doing work that really makes a difference to its clients.
And finally….
It just remains for me to thank you for reading and for supporting Welch PR this year and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Take a look at some of my other blogs for further guidance on legal directories and other tips on profile raising:
How to increase your law firm’s following on Twitter
Top tips for getting a broadcast interview right
Five magic PR ideas for law firms this Halloween
Top tips on how to make the most of a legal directory ranking
Need some help with PR? Feel free to drop me an email to arrange a 30 minute complimentary call or take a look at some of the packages I offer law firms, accountancy practices and other b2b businesses.