6 Golden Tips for Your Office Relocation Communication Plan
Moving your business into a new office is always a complicated endeavor. Between informing employees, preparing everything, and actually moving the office, there are a lot of moving parts. However, properly communicating and involving your employees can reduce the risk of complications quite a bit. As such, putting together a communication plan is vital to carrying out the move successfully. As long as you go about it the right way, you can keep everyone well informed and involved. But this, in and of itself, can be difficult if you don’t know how to do it. So, in order to help you out, we’ve put together a list of 6 golden tips for your office relocation communication plan.
1. Make sure you fully understand the benefits of barriers of relocation
Before you start anything, make sure that you yourself fully understand the benefits of the move and the barriers for your employees. Benefits such as a better location for the business, a bigger office, and so on. Then, try to understand why your employees wouldn’t want the office location to change. Are they reluctant to travel, or is the location inconvenient for them to get to? All of this is very important so you can properly word everything in your office relocation communication plan. Make the new office sound as enticing as possible while tackling potential problems. However, chances are, not all of your employees will stay with you for the move, and you should be ready for that. Training and developing new employees is going to be key after the move.
2. Start communications as early as possible
Realistically speaking, you should inform all of your employees of the move as soon as possible. This is important because it allows people to prepare, mentally and physically, for the relocation. It’s a good idea to tell everyone about the business moving when you start making the moving plan. It doesn’t have to be complete yet, but from the moment you inform people, you should have it ready in a day or two at most. This is especially important if you need to move very quickly, for example, in a week. Efficiency is vital when time is of the essence, so you’ll need everyone’s help if you really want to pack and move your office in a week. Of course, if it’s an option, we recommend taking your time, but a quick office move is definitely possible.
3. Put together a clear plan and distribute it
A good office relocation communication plan should include timelines, photos of the new office, floorplans, roles on the relocation team, and FAQs. Everything about the new office, and about the move itself, should be very clearly laid out. Once you have everything prepared, distribute it across all available channels. E-mails, a company app if you have one, hand out physical copies, just make sure everyone in the office is properly informed. Also, it’s a good idea to do the same thing with updates about the process. Remember, proper communication is key, so keeping everyone up to date and well informed is key. And while moving the office, consider if it might be a good idea to rebrand your business. It’s a difficult choice, but, arguably, the best time to do it is during a relocation.
4. Bring team leaders in early
Before going through with the move, make sure you bring the team leaders in your business to the new office at least once. Have them familiarize themselves with the new office space, and give them any resources they need to do so. By doing this, the team leaders can easily answer any questions other employees might have about the new office. This is a great way to keep communication flowing, outside of the usual communication channels. Additionally, if you’ve assigned someone as the leader of logistics for the relocation, you should bring them to the new office as soon as possible. All of this is important to allow for a smooth transition into the new office and maintain workplace standards. So, if there’s anyone you should keep well-informed, it’s the team leaders in your company.
5. Be empathetic when communicating
Change is difficult for most people, and this will become very apparent during an office relocation. As such, you need to be relatable and authentic in your communications, as well as clear and concise. This will show your employees that you care, and they will be much more motivated throughout the process. Additionally, always be upfront and try to set expectations and be supportive of your employees. It’s important to let everyone know you care, and if anyone comes to you with questions throughout the process, make sure you’re patient and understanding.
6. Keep communication two-way
We already mentioned that you should be patient and understanding if anyone comes to you with questions. However, you should open ways for people to ask questions in the first place. Make time for Q&As, make an e-mail dedicated to the project, and include feedback channels wherever possible. Not only does this show your employees that you care, but it also allows them to come with you with questions and ideas which could help. After all, teamwork is a vital part of any business, and if you allow your employees to get involved, then they will. Of course, you should still maintain a professional attitude as well, but there’s no harm in listening to what people have to say and providing them with answers when you can.
6 golden tips for your office relocation communication plan – closing thoughts
A lot goes into moving an office, both in the planning and execution phases of the process. But, with proper communication with your employees, you can get everyone involved and make it a lot easier. So, before doing anything else, make sure you have a good communication plan in place and be prepared to help your employees throughout the process as well. We hope that this list of 6 golden tips for your office relocation communication plan helps you out, and we wish you a good rest of your day.