6 tips for communicating well(being)

People who are well are more engaged.

While the physical health and safety of employees rightly takes center stage, mental and emotional wellbeing cannot be an afterthought—especially for communicators. As we help our clients and colleagues deliver difficult messages to employees during difficult times, it’s helpful to consider how communication can impact—and be impacted by—the mental health and wellbeing of employees.

Here are six rules to follow:

1. Say less.

More information does not make employees more informed. Our human brains are fragile, and when we get hit with too much uncertainty and complex information, we tend to melt down. We cannot retain it.

And we are all getting bombarded by piles of anxiety-producing, cortisol-raising information every day, which we actively filter our way through.

So as much as possible, say less—especially if it’s written communication. Resist the temptation to reduce uncertainty with more information. Stick to the key messages that illustrate what you want employees to think, feel or do. Then, repeat them. Most of us need to be exposed to information more than once to absorb it.

2. Stay consistent.