Communication is the key to successful organizations. So, it is hardly surprising that companies use a variety of means to communicate with their employees. These include common mailers, intranet, soft boards, message dash boards, newsletters and of course, the town hall. While all modes of communication have their own impact on the employees, the town halls are said to be the most effective.

Meaning and types of Town hall

Town hall is an event organized by a company to address all their employees simultaneously. Depending on the nature of the information that is required to be shared, town halls are of two types, namely duration based and event based. Duration based town halls are meant for communicating results witnessed by the company over a fixed period of time, like quarterly meets. Event based town halls are those that are organized for informing employees about various changes that are being proposed in the company. Employers use such events to clarify doubts and note the fears and concerns expressed by employees.

Factors to consider while planning Town Halls

Planning is very essential for town halls. It is often seen that even the meticulously planned town hall sessions fail due to last minute problems. Therefore, it is best to have a full rehearsal before actually conducting one. Moreover, it is important to have a good speaker address the employees. In most cases, the CEO or the managing director is the one who addresses the employees but in cases where they are not good speakers, it could be done by asking any good orator from the managerial ranks to do the honor..

Content is the key to such occasions and therefore it is imperative that you create the content you want to share in advance. Communication gap is present due to multiple interpretations of any issue. Therefore, it is important that as a speaker, you are able to communicate freely and perfectly with your employees.

Employee Participation and Follow Up

If you truly want your town halls to succeed, it is important to ensure complete participation of the employees. Town halls are excellent ways to gather feedback about various issues concerning the organization, which is not possible without complete participation of the employees. Given that large numbers of employees participate in such events, it is often advisable to divide them into groups and then gather feedback.

Immediate follow up of town halls is absolutely essential to ensure its complete success. Follow up could be in the form of mails through the intranet, summarizing the discussions and the decisions made. Concerns raised during the town hall must be addressed along with the necessary steps that will be taken to deal with it.

Town halls are definitely the most impressive way to interact with your employees. The moment you ensure the success of one, it builds anticipation for the others to come.