Stakeholder Communication
Stakeholder Communication Plan for Major Staff Changes or Layoffs
This prompt helps leadership develop a thoughtful communication plan to address stakeholders during major staff changes or layoffs. It focuses on empathy, transparency, and clarity to maintain trust and support through a sensitive situation.
Responsible:
Leadership
Accountable, Informed or Consulted:
Leadership, HR, Operations, Communications
THE PREP
Creating effective prompts involves tailoring them with detailed, relevant information and uploading documents that provide the best context. Prompts act as a framework to guide the response, but specificity and customization ensure the most accurate and helpful results. Use these prep tips to get the most out of this prompt:
Define the scope and reasons for the staff changes or layoffs.
Collaborate with HR to outline support plans for affected employees.
Identify key stakeholders, including employees, investors, and customers, and assess their communication needs.
THE PROMPT
Help create a communication plan for managing stakeholder interactions during [specific staff changes or layoffs]. Focus on:
Purpose and Context: Clearly explaining the reasons behind the staff changes or layoffs, such as market conditions, restructuring, or cost management.
Empathetic Messaging: Crafting messages that express compassion and support for affected employees while reassuring remaining staff and external stakeholders.
Transparency: Providing stakeholders with factual, non-speculative information to avoid confusion or rumors.
Communication Channels: Recommending platforms for delivering sensitive communications, such as town halls, email updates, or one-on-one meetings.
Future Focus: Outlining steps the organization is taking to stabilize operations, support affected employees, and align with long-term goals.
Provide actionable recommendations for structuring the communication to ensure clarity and empathy. If additional details about the changes or stakeholder priorities are needed, ask clarifying questions to enhance the plan.
Bonus Add-On Prompts
Propose methods for supporting affected employees, such as severance packages, outplacement services, or references.
Suggest ways to reassure remaining employees and stakeholders about organizational stability.
Highlight techniques for mitigating reputational risks through clear and empathetic communication.
Use AI responsibly by verifying its outputs, as it may occasionally generate inaccurate or incomplete information. Treat AI as a tool to support your decision-making, ensuring human oversight and professional judgment for critical or sensitive use cases.
SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE
Focus the plan on specific staff change types, such as leadership transitions or department closures.
Include methods for gathering and addressing feedback from remaining employees.
Propose ways to align communication with the company’s values and culture.
Highlight tools for managing communications, such as email templates or secure messaging platforms.
Add recommendations for conducting follow-up communication to track stakeholder sentiment and concerns.
WHEN TO USE
During restructuring, layoffs, or other major organizational changes involving staff.
To maintain trust and clarity with stakeholders during sensitive transitions.
When aligning external messaging with internal actions to minimize disruption.
WHEN NOT TO USE
If the reasons for the staff changes are unclear or speculative.
When addressing routine or minor staff changes that do not require broad communication.