The Appropriate Cadence For Member Communication

This post was originally shared in August 2019, but we’ve made some additions and updates to this 2020 edition. Enjoy! 

Communication is critical for any organization. These days, most companies have become aware of this matter and have taken appropriate steps to ensure that employee communication happens among them. Unfortunately, despite efforts, the bridge between the importance of communication and its effects is still overlooked. 

Depending on the organization, communications can happen in a variety of ways. There may be more structure needed for professional or corporate organizations regarding who delivers the message and what the feedback loop looks like. There might be a bit more flexibility for more casual organizations like neighborhood cycling teams or booster clubs. Regardless of your team’s roots, leaders need to understand the importance of clear and consistent communication. 

What Does “Communication Cadence” Mean?

A communication cadence is the rhythm and frequency of communication between people. In this case, communication is between a leader and members of a casual group, professional corporate team, intramural club, or nonprofit organization. While this rhythm may not be the same for each team member, having a transparent and predictable communication rhythm can make your employees or members’ lives easier and keep morale high! 

Getting Started 

Determining the correct communication cadence can be done in several ways. Just like not every song you hear has the same tempo, not every person requires the same type of communication with you! In a professional setting, think about the nature of their work, along with their needs and yours. Consider the competence and confidence of each team member, along with their personal communication needs. Outside of work, ask your group members how often is too often when it comes to mass communication! 

Formal & Informal Communication

Professional leaders can switch between using formal and informal communications to connect with employees. Formal communication may be in the form of a printed newsletter, memo, policy, or employee forum. Informal communication can be through a simple gathering, chatting after a call, or socializing during downtime. 

Casual leaders outside of a work setting can connect with groups and members via automated emails, newsletters, discussion forums, and in-person events or meetings. 

Content, Audience, and Timing 

With any communication, you need to consider the message. It’s essential to understand the message’s content and who is in the audience before delivering it to the group. Before sending anything out, determine who will be included, when the communication will occur, and what the message will be. 

For example, in a lay-off scenario, not all employees need to be included during the affected individuals’ initial notification. 

Consider timing, as well! While life can be hectic, it may be most appropriate to set aside time for some messages instead of discussing things between calls and meetings. Communications that are interrupted can lead to confusion, misunderstanding, and frustration.  

Delivery 

In any case, the subject of the topic will determine who delivers it. 

For instance, the supervisor should most often deliver a discussion involving an employee’s performance. 

For larger organizations, daily operational updates don’t always need to be delivered by senior leaders, since a department manager or director should be enough. If organizational restructuring is happening, senior executives should be more appropriate to provide the message.

Since there’s likely to be less structure in a neighborhood rugby league than in a national corporation, there’s a little more leeway when it comes to more casual groups. Still, let the subject dictate who reaches out to members. 

Creating a System 

In order to facilitate and encourage a dialogue, a system needs to be in place to allow for an ongoing follow-up. Consider building a system that allows for two-way communication. For example, a regular meeting, such as a weekly or monthly update, could be an effective decision. During the meeting, all members or employees can have the chance to report their updates, brainstorm, or ask questions. 

Frequency 

The frequency with which you reach out to your team or gather everyone for a group discussion will vary depending on the type of organization. 

For casual, low-touch organizations like gaming lounge membership groups, an email once a month to update members on new benefits might suffice. 

For higher engagement organizations with regular events, like sports clubs or music venues, you might choose weekly or bi-weekly emails to let members know about upcoming events, so they have time to buy tickets or rearrange their schedules. 

Corporate settings can differ, as well! A weekly email about large projects and product updates can cover all your bases in a small team. However, with a large group, you may need weekly team meetings, daily scrums, and monthly one-on-one discussions with each team member. 

Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask your organization members what they’d prefer! They’ll likely have opinions on how much is too much.

Feedback

In an attempt to be open to feedback, including what is and is not currently working regarding communications, leaders should regularly ask everyone for input on communication channels. 

If there’s hesitation in providing feedback or critique, consider creating an anonymous forum or survey so respondents can feel more comfortable being honest. 

Consistency 

Messages should be clear and consistent. If employees or members see that they aren’t receiving consistent communications, the leaders’ reliability will start to falter. This will not only affect the relationship between leaders and members or employees, but it also has the potential to negatively influence any future communication. 

Motivation and Morale

Leaders need to understand that communication impacts motivation. 

Whether in a professional setting or not, people who are left in the dark from a lack of leadership communications may start to lose any motivation towards their work or investment in extracurriculars. 

In contrast, employees and members who remain updated regularly may demonstrate greater buy-in and are more likely to stay involved and engaged. This creates a win-win scenario for both parties! 

The Benefits of a Predictable Communication Cadence  

When correctly integrated into a routine, the role of a reliable communication cadence is to drive collaboration and conversation amongst team members. The by-product of this effort reveals itself through four primary benefits:  

1. Raises Red Flags: Consistent communication can help bring awareness to any potential problems and help facilitate change. It also provides a forum for recognizing issues, identifying barriers, developing solutions, and allowing employees or members to feel empowered to achieve success.
2. Performance Discussion: Providing reinforcement for positive performance and addressing sectors of needs is fundamental to building productive, satisfied team members. 
3. Improves Morale for Remote Teams: There are many benefits to working as a remote employee, though many virtual employees develop the feeling of being isolated from their organization and out of touch with the rest of the team. Providing routine engagement with the team is ideal for eliminating many causes of decreasing morale among remote employees. 
4. Break Down Silos: Social collaboration encouraged by predictable cadences can help to break down silos by improving communications across organizations of all sizes and enhance cross-organizational participation, employee onboarding, talent retention, and knowledge sharing.

Get your communication cadence established early as possible to embed it into your team’s culture. 

Conclusion

The topic of communication has become so vital that textbooks have been written about it, and courses in communication are offered to management programs and conferences. 

Leaders are the ones who are helping guide the organization towards its destination. In this spirit, the capability to communicate is essential. Leaders who can effectively communicate with employees or team members are likely to find themselves better able to connect with their employees. The ability to connect will lead to increased teamwork, highly motivated staff, and increased job satisfaction. Ineffective communication, however, can lead to the opposite effect.