Comments on: Yahoo’s Wang buries lead http://www.valleyprblog.com/pr-best-practices/yahoos-wang-buries-lead/ A (dry heated) group blog from Phoenix, Arizona on public relations, marketing and social media Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:20:15 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dan Wool http://www.valleyprblog.com/pr-best-practices/yahoos-wang-buries-lead/comment-page-1/#comment-6788 Dan Wool Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:35:38 +0000 http://www.valleyprblog.com/?p=1448#comment-6788 Most companies believe the employees understand the financials and want to hear about them in the context of their earnings call. But as Len pointed out, most will jump right to how it affects them. EEK! Layoffs. That's the lead, that's what they care about - that's what hits them at the emotional level. As I always say: get to the f--ing point. So why dodge the issue? It's an employee communication, speak directly to the employees. Comfort them! The trouble with these things is some unethical knucklehead always sends the email to the press so internal communicators err on the side of caution - regurgitating messages from the earnings call ends up being the smart way to go. But wouldn't it be cool if he was direct? "i want you to hear this from me first: we will need to reduce headcount by about 10 percent. it's unpleasant but it's reality. we are doing everything we can to make sure this number is as close to zero as possible, including x,y,z. "the economy is in bad shape and we're not immune. our earnings took a beating this quarter (show stats)." The guy only takes $1 in salary so he has some ground to stand on here. Most companies believe the employees understand the financials and want to hear about them in the context of their earnings call. But as Len pointed out, most will jump right to how it affects them. EEK! Layoffs. That’s the lead, that’s what they care about – that’s what hits them at the emotional level.

As I always say: get to the f–ing point. So why dodge the issue? It’s an employee communication, speak directly to the employees. Comfort them!

The trouble with these things is some unethical knucklehead always sends the email to the press so internal communicators err on the side of caution – regurgitating messages from the earnings call ends up being the smart way to go.

But wouldn’t it be cool if he was direct? “i want you to hear this from me first: we will need to reduce headcount by about 10 percent. it’s unpleasant but it’s reality. we are doing everything we can to make sure this number is as close to zero as possible, including x,y,z.

“the economy is in bad shape and we’re not immune. our earnings took a beating this quarter (show stats).”

The guy only takes $1 in salary so he has some ground to stand on here.

]]> By: Pat Elliott http://www.valleyprblog.com/pr-best-practices/yahoos-wang-buries-lead/comment-page-1/#comment-6784 Pat Elliott Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:56:13 +0000 http://www.valleyprblog.com/?p=1448#comment-6784 Employees and investors knew it was coming...... Good Morning Silicon Valley Article Launched: 10/20/2008 03:34:32 PM PDT Hey, you with the scythe -- Halloween party's not till ... aghhh! By JOHN MURRELL The specter of massive layoffs has been looming over Yahoo since, well, since shortly after the company laid off 1,000 workers in January, so the only real suspense has been of the bad horror movie variety -- waiting to see who gets it and how. Now the creepy music is getting louder, setting up a scene Tuesday in which CEO Jerry Yang is expected to chop through a door during the third-quarter earnings announcement and begin the bloodletting. The body count, according to sources, is expected to be as high or higher this time, perhaps 10 percent of the company's 14,300 employees. Aside from layoffs, the Wall Street Journal's sources say, some managers are being asked to find 15 percent in operating budget savings. Beyond all that, the Journal says, management consultants are still looking at other "structural changes" (see "Fellow Yahoos, I'd like you to meet the Bain of your existence"). And if Yahoo isn't careful, says the Silicon Alley Insider, there are a couple of ways it could make a bad situation worse: by not cutting deeply enough and by not implementing the layoffs until just before Christmas, leaving an already demoralized workforce hanging. Grim times, and it's cold comfort that Yahoo has plenty of company in its misery. The layoff tracker at TechCrunch already runs from Adbrite to Zivity and is growing. Employees and investors knew it was coming……

Good Morning Silicon Valley
Article Launched: 10/20/2008 03:34:32 PM PDT

Hey, you with the scythe — Halloween party’s not till … aghhh!
By JOHN MURRELL

The specter of massive layoffs has been looming over Yahoo since, well, since shortly after the company laid off 1,000 workers in January, so the only real suspense has been of the bad horror movie variety — waiting to see who gets it and how. Now the creepy music is getting louder, setting up a scene Tuesday in which CEO Jerry Yang is expected to chop through a door during the third-quarter earnings announcement and begin the bloodletting. The body count, according to sources, is expected to be as high or higher this time, perhaps 10 percent of the company’s 14,300 employees. Aside from layoffs, the Wall Street Journal’s sources say, some managers are being asked to find 15 percent in operating budget savings. Beyond all that, the Journal says, management consultants are still looking at other “structural changes” (see “Fellow Yahoos, I’d like you to meet the Bain of your existence”). And if Yahoo isn’t careful, says the Silicon Alley Insider, there are a couple of ways it could make a bad situation worse: by not cutting deeply enough and by not implementing the layoffs until just before Christmas, leaving an already demoralized workforce hanging. Grim times, and it’s cold comfort that Yahoo has plenty of company in its misery. The layoff tracker at TechCrunch already runs from Adbrite to Zivity and is growing.

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