Have you written a letter home to your employees?

In our world of information overload it’s easy to forget about the value of simple written communication.  A letter home from an owner, president, CEO or boss can be a powerful communications tool that reaches employees and their families.

Letters home can be written to sum up business goals, report on results or reinforce forecasts. A good letter does not have to be more than a page and a half long.  It should include a welcome greeting, content and basic message and thanks to employees.

The beginning of the year is a great time to write a letter home.  It’s not too late to write a thank you for the results of 2007 and an overview of 2008.  If the forecast looks murky or negative you can encourage employees to take steps to save money, increase profits, improve customer service or boost sales.

Sending the message by email or only in the workplace does not have the same potential impact.  A letter home is often read by a spouse, parent or even a child. This can stimulate discussion about work that gives the employee a chance to report on successes and plans for the future.  Even when the forecast is not rosy family members may have ideas or input to encourage the employee to support company efforts.

Corny as it sounds letters home reinforce the feeling of being on a team. After the letter is written have someone outside of the executive office read it to make certain that the message is clearly conveyed. If you are small enough personalized, handwritten notes on the letter will add to the impact.

For the cost of postage you can spread a consistent message.  Whether you send letters once a year, twice or quarterly it’s a low cost way to keep employees informed.