Facts, Facts on Demand, Pony Express, The Gazette, The Quarterly. When the same mes-
sage comes at people from six different directions, it’s going to be heard.
Repeat key messages
For the message to be repeated as often as possible, plan ongoing communication opportu-
nities including developing your key messages. Key messages are the ideas that you want
your audiences (in your case, your employees) to take home with them. Key messages
should become a natural part of meetings, discussions, etc. When responding to a ques-
tion, answer the question honestly, but also use it as a chance to repeat a key message
if appropriate. One example of a key message is: “The employees of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police are committed to our communities.” This would probably never be said as
a single statement without example of how we demonstrate this commitment, but it is the
essence of what we want our listeners to take away and to repeat, or think about later on.
Lead by example
If you do the opposite of what you say, no one will listen to you. You have to “walk the
talk”.
● We are promoting a new, client-focused vision, so management should guarantee
to listen to employees concerns and respond to their own employees within a
specified period.
● If we are encouraging empowerment and trust on paper, we must put it into
action, and give employees the support to run with ideas, assuming those ideas
are well thought out.
● If we espouse community policing, leaders must demonstrate this to deliver
service to all their “communities” which could include employees, bosses,
government officials, federal partners, and so on.Explicity address inconsistencies
If there’s a legitimate reason for inconsistent behaviour, explain yourself. For example, in
times of belt-tightening, if spending some money up-front can save more in the long-run,
explain that openly and honestly to your employees, and listen with an open mind to their
suggestions. If there isn’t a legitimate reason for inconsistent behaviour, change the behav-
iour -- quickly. Some may believe that management shouldn’t have to explain itself to its em-
ployees. Those managers shouldn’t be surprised if their employees lose faith and interest.
Listen and be listened to
A final rule: communication should be two-way. Explain the vision, then listen to the feed-
back. If those responsible for promoting the vision of the Force are out of touch with front-line
employees, the RCMP could easily put something into place that is detrimental to effective
policing or administration. Don’t forget, a great many people at all levels of the organization