Internal Communications Plan

This communications plan will attempt to more fully define employee attitudes about
the City of Maricopa and outline communication measures to retain individuals who
provide quality services at an affordable price to the City’s constituents.

Audiences

• All employees
• Employees with up to five years of service to the City
• Full-time employees
• Non-union staff
• Areas experiencing high turnover
• Non-supervisory employees
• Supervisory staff
• Senior management
• Human Resources
• City Manager
• City Council
• Job applicants (internal and external)

Communication objectives
1. Explore whether employees of the City of Maricopa perceive there are
effective channels for upward communication.
2. Create a sense of belonging and teamwork among all employees, and
push for all workers to feel involved in the organization’s success.
3. Develop more opportunities for management and staff to share
information and to interact.
4. Promote an understanding of how employees fit into the City’s
organizational vision of “providing quality services at an affordable price”.
5. Increase efforts to recognize employees who go the extra mile to provide
quality customer service.
6. Provide opportunities for employees to learn and grow on the job in order
to achieve the City’s vision of a “learning organization.”

Key messages
1.Connected employees are committed employees.
2. Employees are the key ingredient to helping the City meet its mission.
3.The City values open communication and free flow of information.
4.Internal listening is a top priority.
5. High-tech communication can only supplement, not replace, human touch.
6.Supervisors will provide up-to-date information, immediate feedback and
coaching.
7.Accurate and timely information is important.
8.The City recognizes and appreciates the contributions of its employees.
9.The City strives to provide an environment that promotes positive self-esteem
and high performance.
 10. Communication will help employees understand the changing marketplace
and their role in achieving the City’s goals and objectives.

Strategies
1. Make internal communication a priority by establishing a communications
plan.
2. Use multiple communication channels to share information up and down the
organization.
3. Increase face-to-face interactions between all levels of management and
employees.
4. Establish internal listening as a priority.
5. Provide employees with opportunities to talk to management.
6. Supply up-to-date information to motivate employees and improve job
performance.
7. Provide training and ongoing education to help supervisors better
communicate with their employees and to help them understand their role in
employee retention.
8. Offer challenging and interesting work by encouraging employee feedback on
how to do their jobs better.
9. Take time to recognize employee accomplishments and to tell success stories
both internally and externally.
11. Disseminate information on a timely basis.
12. Educate employees about organizational goals, values and culture.
13. Regularly inform employees about the City’s progress toward meeting its
goals and objectives.
Communication tactics
Tactic Responsibility Audience Timeline
Share employee retention Communications Human Resources February 2009
communications plan with
Human Resources and solicit
buy-in to move forward.
Present communications Communications Senior managementFebruary 2009
plan to senior management
team and solicit feedback
and buy-in.
Organize a communications Communications Staff responsible for March 2009
team from city departments communications in
to advise on the City’s each department.
communication efforts.
Involve employees in the Communications Employees March 2009
development of the City’s
Intranet site
Have supervisors Management Supervisors/ April 2009
periodically visit work areas All employees
and cubicles, talking
informally with individual
employees.
Create an internal Communications All employees April 2009
newsletter “Maricopa
Insider” as a
communications tool
Include a number of Communications All employees/ April 2009
“success” and good news City Council
stories in each Insider.
Add “I wish I knew…” Q and Communications/ All employees May 2009
A section to Insider where Senior Management
senior managers address
employee questions and
concerns.
Launch a Citywide Intranet Communications/ Employees with May 2009
as a two-way Graphics computer access
communications
clearinghouse for current
news and events as well as
personnel information (i.e.,
benefits).
Set up an anonymous Communications/ All employees/ June 2009
employee suggestion box in Human Resources Management
the employee kitchen.
Look at how to better utilize Communications All employees July 2009
bulletin boards in key
gathering places
(e.g., lunchrooms) to
communicate key messages
and news.
Write quarterly updates of City All employees August 2009
how the City is performing in Manager/Assistant
the Insider. City Manager/
Financial Services
Director
Periodically write updates on Communications/ Full-time employeesSeptember
employee benefits through Human Resources 2009
the Insider and memos.
Implement a 15-minute Q City Manager/ Supervisors/ September
and A segment during the Communications City Manager 2009
City Manager’s bimonthly
meeting with supervisors;
allow employees to
anonymously submit
questions in advance on
paper or ask questions in
person.
Provide supervisors with Communications/ Department and September
education and training Human Resources division heads 2009
based on the identification
of skills needed to better
communicate with their
employees.
Promote employee service Communications All employees/ October 2009
through cable TV shows, Families/
public service Residents
announcements, and City
newsletters through a
program called “At Your
Service”.
Add communication as a Human Resources/ Supervisors November
component of supervisory Communications 2009
performance appraisals and
reward for effective
communication.
Recognize employees that Human Resources/ All employees/ February 2010
have made significant City Manager/ Employee families/
accomplishments on the Department heads City Council/
Mayor’s monthly interview General public via
show, “Mayor’s Message.” cable TV/
Local newspaper
Produce a video focusing on Communications Chamber of March 2010
the people responsible for Commerce/
City services to play at the City Council/
annual State of the City Residents
event and on cable TV.
Conduct an employee Communications/ Full-time, non-union June 2010
communcation satisfaction Human Resources employees
survey.
Communicate the results of Communications/ All employees July 2010
the employee attitude Human Resources
survey and follow-up plans
in Insider.
Launch a quarterly “Lunch Communications/ Full-time staff (may July 2010
with the City Manager” for a City Manager restrict to non-union
dozen randomly-selected depending on union
staff to ask questions and rules)
provide feedback.
Conduct a survey among Human Resources/ Full-time staff/staff July 2010
employees to assess general Communications working 20 hours+
workplace satisfaction.
 Convene employee focus Human Resources/ Employees August 2010
groups to discuss workplace Communications (particularly those
issues. from high turnover
areas)

Measurement and evaluation

Measurement tools will include:

• Average level of employees satisfied with communications and accuracy of

information in a communications audit and post-audit surveys
• Yearly employee turnover rates
• Focus groups
• Amount of response to articles soliciting some sort of action.
• Number and type of questions submitted to the employee newsletter’s Q
and A section
• Cost per newsletter per employee reached and staff hours
• Information from City “opinion leaders”
• Number of visits to the Intranet site