In the Fall term of 2020, I worked with three fellow colleagues to produce an in-depth internal communications plan for a fictional company under the name Madawaska, which specialized in the selling of outdoor activity gear. The main problem was the lack of internal infrastructure the company had and hired us to create a plan that would solve their inconsistency in communication between employees at the lower, middle and upper levels.

Written by: Ross Lopes, Michael Jenkins, Chloe Villeneuve, Braden Noxon

Produced: December 2020

NOTE: this plan has won The Canadian Public Relations Society’s ACE Award for Student Public Relations Communication Plan of the

Situation Analysis 

Madawaska Adventures is a Canadian-based, privately held company that sells outdoor and lifestyle gear. Madawaska currently has 12 retail stores in Canada and three related businesses: a camping site, a zip-line park and a white-water school. Tor Andersen founded the company in 1971 and has since retired from the business. His two children, Matts and Sofie, now operate the company and are the majority owners of Madawaska. 

Tor built Madawaska on the values of family, outdoor living and adventure. Since its inception, the company has focused on the product knowledge that comes from real-life experiences.

Madawaska is the trusted source for outdoor goods for high-profile clients like the military, park and forestry agencies, search and rescue organizations, various police departments — including the RCMP — in addition to the everyday consumer alike.

In 2019, the company began facing financial hardships that were only multiplied by the COVID-19 pandemic. Matts and Sofie also acknowledge that the company’s culture has suffered and employees appear to be unengaged, as evidenced by poor customer service, periodic store closures, unpredictable hours and what can be described as a “laid back” work environment at best. 

More specifically, the company is facing significant internal communication challenges as it relates to the informal work environment. Information isn’t always disseminated to staff; there isn’t a consistent medium that employees use to communicate with each other, and there is no uniform cultural connection across all Madawaska businesses. 

SWOT Analysis

Research shows that other outdoor goods businesses have focused on internal culture and communications and are being recognized as top employers for doing so. Secondary research — summarized below — reveals that the companies that are identified as top employers are the ones who consistently demonstrate best practices in internal communications, including a focused approach to culture-building within an organization and an emphasis on building trust with employees. This research will help shape Madawaska’s communications strategies to support Madawaska through its transitional phase(s) and future business. 

Research

MEC: A 2007 MEC survey found that 90% of employees cite coworkers as the reason for staying at MEC. MEC has run other surveys that focus on its workforce’s diversity to offer benefits that suit its unique employee population (flexible time off, matching RRSPs, maternity and paternity leave, etc.). MEC consistently surveys its employees to gauge what is important to them and monitors its progress in response to the surveys. MEC works to create opportunities for its employees, assists in funding employees’ education, encourages them to volunteer and provides them with the tools they need to succeed. The company builds its culture internally by having an Employee Referral Bonus Program that encourages staff to refer other people with outdoors experience to work at MEC. MEC also connects employees from various locations through its outdoor training sessions called Ski Symposium. Lastly, the company has been named one of British Columbia’s Top Employers for 2020.  

Madawaska will use these findings to shape its communications strategy and help build strong connections between employees. Madawaska is a company built on the values of trust and family, and several employees have been with the company for a long time. The aim is to maintain these long-standing relationships and create connections between other employees. In doing so, it will build community, culture and trust within the organization. 

SAIL: SAIL Outdoor provides a unique and effective onboarding process for prospective employees, which requires them to tell their best story instead of a traditional resume. SAIL Outdoor looks for personalities that align with the company regardless of experience. They encourage prospective employees to reach out to SAIL’s team via LinkedIn if they have questions, or to view their FAQ page. SAIL has created an entire website dedicated to careers and has both current employees’ stories highlighted, and head office team members profiled. It is clear that SAIL’s culture focuses on being one with the outdoors, making memories and maintaining individuality in the collective culture. The company emphasizes the importance of being an expert in one’s field (whether it be running, climbing, rowing), and the rest will be taught. 

This research will help shape Madawaska’s onboarding process and general culture building. While SAIL’s recruitment tactics fall under HR’s responsibilities (story instead of a resume), Madawaska will draw from the ideas of building individuality within the collective culture and reinforcing employees’ vision of being experts in their field. This approach will create employees who feel as if they’re more than just an employee at one of Madawaska’s locations. It will solidify the employees’ position in the company as resident product experts in their outdoor activity of choice.

IKEA: The Forbes 2018 list of Canada’s best employers listed IKEA as one of two winners in the retail and wholesale category. While not in the outdoor gear market like MEC, SAIL or Madawaska, it is essential to look at IKEA’s best practices as a major retailer. Best practices indicate that a robust employee engagement and communications infrastructure allows employees to feel valued and appreciated. IKEA has implemented numerous ways to achieve this, including four-week scheduling for employees to better plan their lives, guaranteed minimum hours scheduled, new RRSP programs, a focus on gender equality in the workforce, performance-driven bonuses, flexible employee benefits, as well as subsidized meals and employee discounts.

Looking at the IKEA example, Madawaska can evaluate how it creates trust with its employees and how to ensure the employees are feeling valued by the organization. IKEA has created strong employee benefit programs, and while that is something that is not necessarily a tactic within internal communications, it is beneficial to look at the ways IKEA is showing and measuring value and how they are listening to their employees. 

Starbucks: Among other companies awarded for best practices in internal communications is Starbucks. Starbucks has long been mentioned in this category due to its focus on employee satisfaction. Starbucks views employees as ambassadors for the brand and the driving force behind the business. Starbucks excels in internal communications by using an internal employee app, strong communication between managers and employees, and a well-established company culture. 

The findings from Starbucks’ best practices will help shape Madawaska’s communications plan as it focuses on Madawaska’s own employee satisfaction. Starbucks’ use of employees as ambassadors is something Madawaska will need to employ to create engagement with its employees and to foster engagement between staff and customers. The internal communications practices researched will be utilized in this plan as well to build the infrastructure that Madawaska is currently lacking.

Building Trust In An Organization

This research shows that Madawaska must follow through on its promises as an organization and actively listen to its employees and stakeholders to understand what they believe the right thing to do is. Trust is one of the core values Tor believed in when it came to business. Madawaska must work to reestablish trust and continue to build on a foundation of trust. This point is essential for the initial communication surrounding the hardships Madwaska is facing and the changes that may need to happen. 

Building Culture In An Organization

According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), having a successful organization is about creating a culture built on strongly held and widely held beliefs that are supported by strategy and structure. An organization’s culture defines how you behave within the organization. The shared beliefs and values are established by leaders and then communicated and reinforced through various methods.

This research shows us that Madawaska should build its culture on the core values that were introduced by Tor when the business began. The values Madawaska holds are quality, integrity, creativity and adventure. This communications plan will use these values for structure and support and integrate them into the business.

Analysis

The research done in the analysis phase will guide this communications plan towards the best practices in internal communications. This plan aims to create a strong Madawaska culture and build on having employees who are proud to work for the company. This research will influence the way Madawaska builds trust, builds engagement, recognizes achievements and introduces new employees to the business. 

This communications plan will follow a three-phase approach which is believed to be the most effective way to build the foundations of a strong culture within the company and work to keep that culture within Madawaska in the future. The first phase will see the introduction of change, the second will focus on building the communications infrastructure, and the third phase will be forward-facing and geared towards what the future of Madawaska will look like.

The findings from this research will shape how Madawaska management communicates to its employees within three phases. Additionally, Madawaska will use the findings centred around “how to build trust” by how it communicates the new changes to staff. Madawaska will use the findings on “best practices” to determine the tactics created to better this communication plan.

Audience

The main audience is Madawaska Adventures staff; however, there are specific segments within this broad audience.

Lead (Head Office) 

• Management – Matts Andersen (CEO), and Sofie Andersen (COO)
• Corporate & Group Sales store in Toronto; head office includes 73 staff members; HR department includes three employees 

Management (Retail Stores)

• Retail Stores (12 in total, 10 in Ontario (four of them are in the GTA, one of them is in Ottawa) while the other two are located in British Columbia) – All retail stores have a store manager.
• Madawaska Outdoor Facilities include an on-duty manager as well. 

Employees (All locations)

• Each retail store has approx. 22 full and part-time staff members including a manager
• The Madawaska White Water School 
• Camp Madawaska 
• Ganaraska Zip Lines 

White Water School, Campground, and Zipline park (referred to as Madawaska outdoor facilities) – include five full-time employees, a large number of seasonal employees (summer only) and recruited employees (must be onboarded) each year.

Phase One

Phase one aims to get Madawaska employees comfortable with a new communication structure and inform them of the changes that will be coming to the company in the future, without the disruption of business as usual. It is suggested that organizational changes within Madawaska be made during this phase, whether that includes the closure of some Madawaska businesses or restructuring. Matts and Sofie will finalize the decision, but this communication plan will set up the internal communications infrastructure regardless of the decision(s) made. This will allow the company to move forward in the direction of growth while using valuable resources in the most efficient manner possible.

Timeline: January 2021-March 2021

Key messages:

1. Madawaska is making changes that will improve the company long term and will allow the company to grow, but our dedication to having a work hard, play hard environment won’t change.
2. We are here for all of you every step of the way to make sure you are informed at all times.
3. Our people will be top of mind as Madawaska grows and evolves in the upcoming months. Madawaska values your input on the coming changes.

Objectives:

1. Ensure that 90% of all employees are aware of and prepared for the changes that are coming to Madawaska within three months. 
2. Increase retail management communications (including outdoors facilities managers) with corporate staff by 60% within three months.
3. To have employee satisfaction input to be 60% neutral within three-months/end of phase one.

Strategy 1:

Madawaska management will ensure employees are aware of Madawaska’s changes through digital messaging, a company statement and face-to-face communication at all levels, including retail, outdoor facilities and corporate. The company will be more likely to achieve its objectives of increasing awareness of the changes coming to Madawaska by using a multi-channel communications approach.  

Tactic 1: 

The multi-channel communications approach will use the following tactics to disseminate information and ensure employee awareness:

Company letter (see Appendix A)

The company letter will be the first piece of information announcing and acknowledging Madawaska’s financial situation and the possible changes that may come to the company. Head office will send a letter to managers and employees via email and store/location managers will make it available on the bulletin boards. CEO, Matts Andersen, and COO, Sofie Andersen will sign the letter.

Individual emails (see Appendix B)

Each employee will receive an email addressed to them outlining the key points of the company letter. It will be shorter than the letter but will address the same things. This customization will be done through the use of Mailchimp so that every Madawaska employee receives a targeted, personally addressed email. This approach underscores Madawaska’s commitment to ensure all employees know and understand the reasons for the changes and how they are affected. This email will also introduce the dedicated feedback email address that will be monitored by HR (read more in later tactic). Employees will be able to ask questions or voice concerns at the Town Hall meeting that will take place (read more in later tactic).

Emails to retail stores and outdoors facilities (see Appendix C)

Every manager at the retail stores and outdoor facilities will receive an email detailing more on Madawaska’s financial hardships and why changes may need to happen. This email will provide managers with talking points for employees and will encourage them to touch base with employees to ensure widespread awareness. It will also provide resources for employees with questions, which is access to the dedicated email address. 

Bulletin board posts in retail stores and outdoors facilities

Managers will post the company letter on all bulletin boards in all locations. The letter will encourage employees to speak with their managers if they have any specific questions. This tactic spreads awareness to employees who may not frequent their email boxes. This approach will ensure that there is not one single delivery method for the news of changes but multiple. By ensuring multiple contact points, the company will be able to maximize employee awareness of changes.

Dedicated email address (in Appendix B and C)

Part of communicating change to employees includes listening to feedback or concerns from employees. The purpose of creating a dedicated email inbox is to create an open line of communication where employees can send their questions and receive a response from Human Resources within 48 hours. Two-way communication is imperative to trust building within an organization and this is something Madawaska wants to establish and continue to build on. 

Town Hall meetings (see Appendix D)

The company will have a Town Hall meeting one week after the initial communiques — which acknowledge hardships and changes — and suggest how Madawaska will be moving forward. This initiative will allow employees to examine how this may affect them and what they want addressed. The Town Hall will be organized and facilitated by the HR team, Communications team and will feature Matts and Sofie as speakers. The Town Hall will be held virtually through Zoom. The Zoom call will be recorded and emailed to those who were not in attendance. This Town Hall meeting will allow all Madawaska staff to collect any frequently asked questions that arise which will form the basis for a Phase Two tactic. 

Strategy 2: 

Madawaska will increase retail/outdoor management communications with corporate staff through the introduction and use of Workplace, as well as by completing weekly reporting from managers, writing profiles of each staff member, etc. This strategy will begin building the communication between the corporate staff and the managers that was not there beforehand. This plan suggests Madawaska use a third-party platform in the interest of budget and efficiency. This platform requires no investment on the company’s technical team’s part, which will allow for communication to start as soon as the platform is introduced to the staff. Madawaska will not be creating its own intranet infrastructure at this moment to allow for changes to be implemented.

Tactic 2:

The following tactics will form the foundation of communications between corporate staff, retail management and outdoor facilities management. 

Platform (See Appendix E/F)

The introduction of the Workplace platform is intended to facilitate communication between employees. Madawaska will disseminate how-to videos to ensure a smooth transition for all upper-level and corporate staff. Head office will send an email with links to the videos. This email will also detail how this platform can be used to increase communication and the things the company intends to do with it.

This app will first be introduced to managers and corporate staff, and later to employees in Phase Two. Allowing managers early access to the platform will give them a good idea of what is possible on Workplace and how to navigate the app. This preview will allow managers to help their employees in the transition. 

Profile of Sofie (see Appendix G)

This tactic will increase Sofie’s awareness among employees so managers from the outdoor facilities and retail stores will get to know who she is. One of the company’s challenges is that Sofie works directly with corporate employees, but there isn’t widespread awareness of her. Madawaska wants managers from both retail stores and outdoor facilities to know who she is, what she does and have her express her excitement in working with them to move Madawaska forward. Head office will send the profile piece via email as well as on the Workplace app. 

In-Person Corporate Check-Ins 

This tactic will work to overcome the challenge of getting managers to complete their monthly reports (specifically from the outdoor facilities). This tactic will begin with informal research done by regional managers to gain a better understanding of why the reporting isn’t currently happening. This tactic will see regional managers visiting the stores (outdoor facilities) that haven’t been successfully completing their reports. The check-ins will create accountability and visibility of Head Office. Part of the issue is that employees at Madawaska’s Outdoor Facilities do not feel like they are part of the company. This observation may have something to do with why the reporting isn’t a top priority. Still, as mentioned before, informal research will be done (through conversations) by managers and head office leaders to get to the issue’s cause. This tactic will also set up a support system for managers who may be having trouble completing their reports on time. Madawaska’s head office will utilize other managers who have successfully reported and implement them in a mentorship-like role where other managers can contact them if they have questions or need assistance.  

Strategy 3:

In each phase, Madawaska will be implementing an overarching objective to ensure employee satisfaction maintains a neutral attitude without disrupting the flow of business. The company will be doing this by conducting monthly surveys, having a set FAQ document, and ensuring it 

has the resources available for staff if they need to talk to someone about changes/issues.

Tactic 3:  

Monthly Survey To Staff (see Appendix H)

The monthly survey to staff will be quick and have three to five questions that take place through Survey Monkey. The cover letter to the survey will emphasize its purpose as a brief way to make sure employee opinions are heard and understood. Employees will be asked to clock in for their shift and complete the survey. Madawaska will provide an office computer for employees who do not have a device. Managers will keep a list every month to ensure all employees are completing the survey. Madawaska will use the surveys as an evaluative and communicative channel. The survey will include two or three quantitative questions based on employee satisfaction and one or two open-ended questions that allow for responses. 

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) Document (see Appendix I)

As mentioned in tactic 1, Madawaska facilities will create a FAQ document that answers submitted questions that have been received constantly or that are anticipated to be received. The majority of the questions will be from the initial Town Hall meeting that took place after the first communication of change. This document will be posted on the bulletin board at retail stores/outdoor facilities and will be sent out via email for this phase of the plan. This document will be updated regularly by HR and Communications as the phases continue. It is a way to show employees that the company is listening to and addressing their concerns.

Manager Check-Ins

This tactic will allow communicators to gain knowledge from the front-line level staff. Every month, managers from retail and outdoor facilities will be asked to join a 30-minute phone call with someone from the communications team to outline anything they’ve noticed is working, is not working, things their employees may have brought up, and any anecdotal feedback they may have. The goal of this communications plan is to create strong two-way communication between employees and head office to allow for meaningful change to occur. These check-ins are especially crucial in the beginning stages as the company will need to create and/or adjust the plan if employees aren’t finding certain areas helpful. 

Evaluation:

Madawaska will know phase one has been successful if there is widespread awareness of the changes coming to Madawaska, if communications between retail/outdoor facility managers and corporate staff has increased, and if the employee feedback shows a neutral response to Madawaska’s changes. 

The company intends to measure this phase by monitoring attendance at the town hall meeting and monitoring responses in the dedicated email address meant for questions (askmadawaska@outlook.com). These outputs are not a definitive measure of how effective the messaging has been, so the company will also require managers to verbally confirm with all employees on shift that they are aware of the changes. It will be asked that these updates be included in their monthly reporting. Madawaska will also begin running monthly surveys to gauge satisfaction to further evaluate the communications strategy’s progress.

Madawaska intends to measure how effective the communications between retail/outdoor facility managers and corporate employees have been through their use of Workplace. The company will monitor how many employees use the service and how they are engaging on the platform. 

Phase Two

Phase two aims to implement a communication infrastructure for Madawaska employees and to create the foundation for the Madawaska culture and community. At this point in the timeline, the company-wide changes outlined in phase one are complete or largely complete, which will allow the business to focus on building the foundation that was established in this initial period. Phase two will allow the company to move forward and focus on future growth and potential for existing stores and employees. In this phase, employee and management communication and internal research will be the primary focus. A secondary goal will be to increase awareness of Matts’ role within the company and bring visibility to him. 

Timeline: April 2021-September 2021

Key Messages:

1. Staying connected to one another here at Madawaska just got 10 times easier.
2. Let’s make dialogue easy between all staff members; reach out if you have any questions, comments or concerns about the new policies coming to Madawaska.
3. We encourage all staff to connect with one another here at Madawaska to build lifelong friendships and connections.

Objectives:

1. To have 90% of retail employees and outdoor facility employees create an account on the Workplace app within one month after phase one implementation. 
2. Have communication between retail stores, Madawaska outdoor facility employees and top-line management increase by 70% after six months (or before phase three is implemented) through the use of the Workplace app.
3. Get 65-75% of all Madawaska employees to be aware of who Matts is before implementing phase three.
4. To have employee satisfaction input to be 75% neutral within six months/end of phase two.

Strategy 1: 

Madawaska will aim to achieve 90% usage of the Workplace app through the use of face-to-face communications with managers, email correspondence and how-to instructional videos on software usage. 

Shifting to the use of the Workplace app will create a permanent place for information to be accessed and to make employees and management work become more efficient and effective. Workplace can closely be described as Facebook for business. Through research, the company has determined that this app is the best option due to efficiency and budget reasons. Workplace offers $0 plans that will fulfill the needs it currently needs to be met (a common platform, interactive capabilities, workplace chat features). Workplace can also be accessed by any smartphone which allows for ease of use. 

Tactic 1:

Madawaska will aim for 90% usage of the Workplace app through the following tactics:

How-To Videos  (See Appendix E/F)

Before the staff can utilize Workplace’s full potential, they must first understand how to use the platform. Sofie will send an email to employees (similar to how she sent the one to upper management, wording will be changed to appeal to employees). The email will outline the reasons for using it, how it will help the company and how it will improve day-to-day communications. The email will contain videos showing how to use the app.

Pre-Shift Meetings

Managers will speak with employees at the beginning of their shift and introduce them to the app. Managers will be there to answer any questions the employees have, and they will also take this opportunity to let the staff know that moving forward, schedules will be posted on the app. There will be a one-month transitional period where scheduling will be done in the current form as well as on the app. This is done to help with easing into the transition of the app. The Workplace app will also serve as a place where employees can post their own adventures and activities. This will unite different Madawaska stores and help bring the company together. 

In-Person Visit to Outdoor Facilities by Sofie

The relationship with technology is different in every Madawaska business. Computers always surround corporate employees, retail employees less so, and outdoors employees are hardly ever close to a computer. There is less of a focus on technology at Madawaska’s Outdoor Facilities. The company will still encourage the use of the Workplace app as a means to build community, but this tactic must be different to reach the goal. As a result, corporate office will send Sofie to the outdoor facilities to have in-person visits. Sofie will introduce the app, talk about the reasons why they’re using it and how it will improve the employee experience. This tactic is two-fold as it also brings awareness to Sofie as top-line management. 

Transition Documents to Workplace

This tactic will see all previously sent documents migrated to the Workplace app. This includes letters, profiles, FAQ documents, surveys, any relevant HR material, etc. This will set up future content creation by showing employees what has already been done. The company will continue to send content via email and the Workplace app to continue using a multi-channel approach. 

Strategy 2: 

In this strategy, Madawaska will build off of phase one’s objective to increase manager and corporate staff communication by continuing to monitor and provide the necessary tools to the employees to make sure they are in contact with one another. These lines of communication will inform corporate staff on how retail stores and outdoor facilities are performing and continue to improve communication flow between parties.

With this objective, the company plans to make sure all Madawaska facilities are in complete contact with one another to help build that connection and culture throughout the year. The goal is to ensure that all employees in all facilities are informed with the most up to date information about Madawaska changes. This will be achieved by using various digital and physical platforms. 

Tactic 2

Focus Group (see Appendix J)

Three to four months after the transition to the Workplace app, Madawaska will hold a focus group that includes retail managers, outdoor facilities managers and corporate staff to discuss what is happening within all outlets. Managers from retail stores and outdoor facilities will ask their employees about any concerns/comments made about Workplace and bring that to the focus group. The topics that will be discussed relate to the platform. They will be asked questions regarding how they like the app, what they think may need to be changed, and if it’s working for them and their team. This focus group will take place virtually to allow for zero travel costs. 

COO Breakfast

Corporate staff, retail managers and outdoor business managers will gather halfway through phase two at a COO Breakfast with Sofie in order to swap ideas, get feedback and interact with the other members of the business. A member of the communications team and human resources will be present at this breakfast to evaluate what was discussed and what may need to be changed. This tactic will be monitored to reflect the changing regulations amid the ongoing global pandemic. We will follow all guidelines that public health outlines, meaning this tactic may have to go virtual. 

Continuation of In-Person Check-Ins

This tactic is dependent on the outcome of phase one’s tactic of in-person check-ins to ensure monthly reporting is getting done. This tactic is dependent on the research the company gathers in phase one and whether or not the company thinks it is beneficial to continue this practice. If phase one proves to be successful and managers are completing their reporting on time, this tactic can be slowly phased out. If the research shows managers are still having issues getting reports done on time, check-ins will continue. Madawaska will continue to have the dedicated regional managers in charge of this project doing the check-ins. 

Strategy 3

Madawaska will begin giving Matts exposure to employees and managers so they will become aware of who he is and what his role is, before implementing his in-store visits (which will be introduced in phase three). This is important going forward as it relates to phase three when Matts becomes more of a present figure within the company. This will be achieved by having Matts conduct videos, newsletters, etc. on the Workplace app and other means. 

Tactic 3

Matts’ Profile Piece on Workplace (see Appendix K)

This profile piece will show employees (from all operations) who Matts is and what his role is within the company. This profile will be posted on the Workplace app for all to see and interact with. It will have a positive and energetic tone which will set the right attitude going forward. Madawaska believes that fully introducing him in this phase will be beneficial, when a lot of positive change will occur. 

Video of Matts (see Appendix L)

Along with the profile piece, there will also be an accompanying video of Matts. It will view like a highlight reel of his adventures with a voice-over telling tales about his father and the idea of keeping the spirit of his father alive in what he does. Madawaska wants to bring a human aspect to everything that is happening within this plan. Tor started this company because it was something he loved doing, and Madawaska wants to remind people of that. This tactic will showcase emotion and storytelling ability. 

The Adventurer (newsletter) (see Appendix M/N)

This tactic will introduce Madawaska’s monthly publication: The Adventurer (see Appendix M). Head office will send The Adventurer on Matts’ behalf to all retail stores, corporate stores and outdoor facilities via Workplace. The Adventurer will also be posted on the company’s bulletin board at each store. This will give employees a chance to hear from Matts directly on updates that have happened and any changes that may happen in the future. 

The Adventurer will also have an online video option available (see Appendix N). In this format, content will include a product of the week where employees can gain valuable product knowledge and learn about updates that are happening in the company. These videos will be bi-weekly and posted on Workplace. 

Strategy 4

Similar to phase one, this objective will see Madawaska continuing to measure employee satisfaction and business operations. The company will introduce the annual satisfaction survey and update the FAQ document that is posted in the Workplace app, this will also increase the engagement on the app as they no longer appear on the bulletin boards. Discussion boards and other means will be implemented to make sure communication is flowing through employees and management. This will help bridge that gap between departments. 

Tactic 4

Annual Satisfaction Survey (see Appendix O)

The annual satisfaction survey will be sent out to all Madawaska employees. It will be used as a benchmark tool to evaluate any improvements as the years go on and a tool for Madawaska to receive feedback from its employees. The annual survey will be longer than previous surveys. It will have 10-15 questions regarding whether employees enjoy working at Madawaska, whether they feel valued and what their experience is like with direct managers, to name a few. The survey will contain questions that are on a rating scale, but it will also contain a few open-ended questions that allow employees to provide feedback like last time. 

The survey will be conducted via Survey Monkey and the same rules from the shorter surveys will apply: each employee will get time at the beginning of their scheduled shift to fill out the survey on their device. If no device is available, they will be given access to a computer. The survey will be sent out via Workplace, email and directly to managers. 

Updated FAQ Board

The company will continue to update the FAQ document on Workplace as new questions arise, especially as Madawaska transitions into a new phase. The company wants to ensure that it’s not just collecting the feedback but are also showing employees that they are being heard and the company is putting effort into doing something with the information they give. 

Evaluation:

The Company will know phase two is successful if:

• the majority of Madawaska employees create an account on Workplace
• communication between retail, outdoor facilities and corporate staff increases
• there is widespread awareness of Matts as the face of Madawaska
• and whether or not employees are still satisfied with the changes that are happening. 

Madawaska will measure the first objective by monitoring the Workplace app and counting how many employees create an account. The company will monitor attendance rates at focus groups and other management-initiated communications to measure the communication progress of corporate, retail and outdoor facilities management. Madawaska will review the feedback given during the focus groups, COO breakfasts and in-person check-ins to evaluate attitudes and suggestions. 

The company will measure awareness of Matts through the use of verbal communications with managers. This will see managers asking employees if they’re aware of who Matts is. They will be directed to the profiles, newsletters, videos and emails from Matts if they are not. 

Madawaska will evaluate the results of the annual survey to gauge employees’ attitudes and feelings regarding the changes happening at Madawaska.

Phase Three

The goal for phase three is to respond to employee feedback and create the culture and workplace that employees have expressed they want from Madawaska. This phase will also enact long-term employee engagement and encouragement initiatives to solidify Madawaskan culture for existing and new employees. This phase of the plan will focus on the future of Madawaska. This phase provides employees and management with the tools to continue communication in the future and builds on the prior two phases.

Timeline: October 2021 and onwards

Key Messages:

1. Teamwork and dedication are what makes Madawaska stand out from the competition and it’s all thanks to our hard-working staff.
2. Our staff are more than just employees. We are adventures, and we are here to help our customers find what they need. 
3. Madawaska’s staff members are more than just employees; they are family members.
4. Here at Madawaska, our employees are energetic, friendly, and hard-working and know when to get the work done and know when to have fun.
5. We’re adventurers here at Madawaska, and we wear that on our sleeves with pride.
6. We believe in living life to the fullest, with a spirit of adventure, a desire to overcome challenges and a commitment to celebrating the outdoors.

Objectives:

1. Increase Madawaska front-line employees’ & managers’ awareness of top-line management (Matts) by 85% within 6-months.
2. Incorporate an “Adventure Wall” in larger retail stores (online version for outdoor facilities workers) and have a 50% participation rate from employees after 6-months of implementing it.
3. Ensure 80% engagement and communication activity between front-line employees, managers, outdoor facility managers and corporate management through workplace intranet annually. 
4. Implement employee recognition programs at Madawaska facilities with an employee satisfaction rate of 60% (evaluated after the program/event) after completing events.
5. To have employee satisfaction input to be 85% neutral in six months.
6. Ensure 90% of existing Madawaska employees are given a copy of the new onboarding handbook within a month of starting Phase Three and ensure 95% of new Madawaska employees also receive their copy within their first day of beginning their job.

Strategy 1:

To achieve this objective, Madawaska is advised to implement visits from Matts once a month at all facilities to build awareness of who Matts is. This is important because the only exposure they have of Matts thus far is through virtual outlets and having him visit will help establish Matts as the face of Madawaska and make him more recognizable to employees.

Tactic 1: 

In-Store Visits From Matts (see Appendix P)

Matts will visit Ontario retail stores once a month; the stores will be grouped by region and the ones that are closest together will be visited on the same day. The retail stores can be visited regardless of the season because they are all indoors. Matts will visit the British Columbia stores when he is in B.C. for other business purposes. Again, the retail stores can be visited regardless of seasons. Matts will visit the Madawaska Outdoor Facilities during the summer months when it’s in operation. 

When Matts attends these in-store visits, it’s advised that he takes a photo with the team that is working and then create a post on Workplace. This is a quick way to show employees where Matts is and create engagement between Matts and the stores he is visiting. 

This tactic allows for face-to-face meetings with Matts and will reinforce his role as the company’s face and as the leader. 

One-on-one Coffee Chats with Matts

During Matts’ visit, day-to-day operations will continue as normal, and one extra employee will be put on shift that day. This will allow each employee to meet with Matts face-to-face and have a conversation to receive direct feedback/comments from them. Matts will make his own notes about day-to-day operations and put together a report that will be shared through the Workplace app. This will highlight what he thinks is working and what he thinks can be changed to make things better (as well as highlight what employees are saying too). The reports’ tone will be positive in nature and will show that Matts is listening to what employees are saying and what they think can or should be changed. 

Reporting Through Workplace (see Appendix Q)

As mentioned in the previous tactics, after Matts visits the locations, he will post a report on Workplace about it, indicating what went well, where he can see improvements need to be made, what employees have told him about operations, etc. This will also give staff who were not there that day a chance to see and read what happened. 

Strategy 2:

Madawaska aims to enhance retail and outdoor facility employee’s engagement by introducing the Adventure Wall. The Adventure Wall in a physical form is specific to the retail stores. A page/forum on Workplace will be dedicated to all employees (including Madawaska Outdoor Facilities) to be able to post their latest adventure. This will create a unified Madawaskan culture where employees can engage with people from other stores and departments. This will reinforce the “work hard, play hard” ideology. 

Tactic 2:

Adventure Wall (see Appendix R)

Space will be created on the store’s main floor where employees can post stories, photos, and any other material that expresses how they engage in outdoor activities when they’re not at work. Managers will be encouraged to support the activity and are advised to highlight any achievements made by employees. This will be visible for all of the stores to see (customers and all). Photos and stories can also be posted to the Workplace app (which will be further encouraged for the outdoor facility teams). Having the photos from the physical Adventure Wall(s) be transferred over to the Workplace app will help the outdoor facilities and B.C. facilities see what all other Madawaska employees are getting up to, and hopefully be inspired to share their own pictures/stories. 

The introduction of the Adventure Wall will happen through team huddles and an announcement on Workplace. The team huddles will give managers a chance to tell employees what the Adventure Wall is all about and why they’re doing it. The Workplace post will reinforce these reasons and give examples of what people can post. 

Employee Recognition (see Appendix S)

Employees who are using Madawaska equipment in their photos will be highlighted throughout the store. It will add credibility to the employees and to the equipment. Madawaska retail stores will implement the use of movable signage in the store that has a call to action. The call to action will let customers know that if they have questions about the product, they can ask the employee on shift who is familiar with it. The signage will say something like, “Have questions about this tent? Ask Ross, who just used it on his seven-day trip through Algonquin!”

Strategy 3

Similar to both phase one and two, this objective continues to monitor the engagement and activity levels of communication between retail/outdoor facility managers and corporate staff. This will be done through the use of Workplace with the implementation of new ways to communicate through the platform, by doing monthly reports and attending various conferences/meetings. At this stage, it is under the assumption that the outdoor facilities management should be in the habit of reporting their monthly reports on time with no more delays, so the check-ins from corporate are no longer needed. However, Madawaska will implement it again if the monthly reports start to decline again. 

Tactic 3

Reinforcement Emails (see appendix T)

The reinforcement emails will let managers know that corporate office has listened and has made any changes that have been requested. This shows that management and head office constantly work together constantly to improve communication and output in the stores.

Conference Calls: 

Quarterly calls by Sofie will begin to ensure all business is running smoothly through all facilities. This will be a virtual meeting (through Zoom) that will allow managers to communicate directly with top-line management. 

Strategy 4:

Madawaska will create a template that managers can use to evaluate and gain awareness of employees’ contributions. These programs will vary; there will be incentives created for retail employees based on their sales of the month, an award-based event to showcase/acknowledge good work ethic, award those individuals, and work retreats at the White Water School/Camp Madawaska to build teamwork and culture. These employee recognition programs will help with team building and culture development and continue to reinforce the “work hard, play hard” ideology.

Matts will be present at employee recognition galas and other employee engagement events.  

Creating a recognition program for every retail location is important in highlighting employees of that month that have gone above and beyond. Incentives may be used to encourage quality workplace effort.

Madawaska also will implement a yearly recognition event to show appreciation for all employees and to recognize yearly performance. This will help to bring different departments together and build a stronger overall company pride.

Tactic 4: 

Retail Store Incentive

This program will be introduced in all 12 retail stores and will happen monthly. This program will be based on competition and reward the employee who has the highest sales at the end of the month. Their average sales per shift will calculate this number to ensure that full-time employees don’t have an unfair advantage over those who may work less. The winning employee will then get to hand-pick their schedule for one week of their choosing. While this is a sales-based incentive, it is a small and cost-effective way to boost employee morale and engagement. Allowing employees to choose their schedule will have its limits. If they’re a part-time employee, they can’t suddenly schedule themselves for every single day. The limits will fall within their usual requests regarding the number of shifts and any time restrictions but will allow them to choose their days. If the plan runs on the suggested timeline, this will begin October 2021.

Awards Gala

This event will be held annually, and all Madawaska employees are invited to attend. The atmosphere will be a cocktail ‘party-esque’ setting, mostly containing drinks and appetizers. All guests will also get the chance to partake in a raffle draw. The awards will be based on employee nominations (each department is allowed to nominate one employee from that department based on qualities such as longest adventure, most positive, highest engagement with Adventure Wall posts, etc.). This would be where employees can mingle and interact with each other from other stores and facilities. During COVID times, this will be held online; however, once restrictions are lifted, the event will occur in person and located in Toronto. 

Work Retreats

Work retreats will be held on a seasonal rotation bi-annually at the end of summer (August) and winter (February). They will be held at White Water School (for the summer) and Camp Madawaska (for the winter). These retreats will focus on team building and building connections between employees from all retail, outdoor facilities and corporate offices. These retreats will include activities based around outdoor adventures and incorporate Madawaska clothing/equipment. All new employees will be encouraged to participate in these work retreats as part of their onboarding process. 

The work retreats will also showcase any new equipment that may be coming up for the season and employees will hear about new trends or products that are emerging (this will come from Matts himself, similar to what he covers in his videos for The Adventurer). This will give the employees working knowledge of Madawaska equipment and give them practical knowledge of the industry. 

All events held will include an evaluation survey on Workplace to be completed by staff who attended the event(s) and a link to an email address for those who want to provide additional comments or concern about the events, or share their feedback. Once again, the email used will be the one that is run by HR (askmadawaska@outlook.com).

Strategy 5 

As previously indicated in phase one and two, the goal would be to continue seeing the overall satisfaction of employees increase to have 85% neutrality. This will be achieved by monitoring the discussion board activity on Workplace, schedule changes, and continuing the monthly surveys.

Tactic 5

Continual Update of FAQ Board

The company will continue listening to what employees have been saying and update the FAQ document accordingly. The purpose is to have this document exist no matter what changes happen in Madawaska, so employees know that their feedback and questions are being taken seriously. As the FAQ document is updated, managers will be asked to post a new one on the bulletin board. It is also instructed that corporate staff (specifically the IT department) make sure all Madawaska facilities are working with the most updated version of Workplace as well as monitoring the software for bugs/glitches.

Annual Survey (See Appendix O)

Phase three is all about the future of Madawaska and where the company is hoping to push the culture towards. During the second year of this transitional phase, Madawaska will continue to do the annual survey, and compare the results from the previous year. The company will create a report on Workplace that will show employees what the results were in order to create transparency for the employees and will show that the company is listening. 

Strategy 6

Madawaska is implementing new workplace handbooks and will ensure that the distribution of them is done by management to all currently employed staff members and given to all new employees. It will set Madawaska’s new foundation and include the new features Madawaska has implemented throughout the year.

Tactic 6

Handbook (Madawaska Adventure Guide) (see Appendix U)

Madawaska’s new handbook, Madawaska Adventure Guide, will be distributed to employees as part of the onboarding process. It will contain information regarding the history of Madawaska, notes on the Madawaska culture, and relevant HR material and communications material.

Pre-Shift Meetings

Managers (both from retail and outdoor facilities) will be responsible for distributing copies of the new onboarding handbook to all employees during a pre-shift meeting. Employees will receive their copies and be asked to review them. 

Evaluation

Madawaska will know phase three is successful if: 

• Madawaska employees are aware of top-line management,
• Staff is participating in the adventure wall,
• Communications between Madawaska employees has increased,
• Employees have continued to feel neutral about the changes at Madawaska, and
• The employee recognition programs (and other events) have a positive outcome. 

The company will measure awareness of top-line management awareness by monitoring the feedback from both the one-on-one visits from Matts and from his store-wide visits. All feedback will be considered. 

Madawaska will measure engagement on the Adventure Wall by looking at it visually as well as monitoring the engagement/post activity on the Workplace app. If photos have been posted, it will show that engagement happening. If comments/likes are being made on the Workplace app, it will show that other facilities are connecting and building bonds with each other. 

The company will measure the levels of communication in tactic three by reviewing the conference calls with Sofie. All conference calls will be recorded to look back at them and see any common issues that are arising. Madawaska will also measure attendance at the conference calls to gauge if it is reaching enough managers. 

The company will monitor the response to the employee recognition program (and any other event that takes place during the process of the plan) through the post-event surveys. Madawaska will continue to monitor satisfaction with the Company and company changes through the use of surveys. 

Lastly, Madawaska will monitor the distribution of the employee handbooks through manager reporting. Managers will note when they give the handbooks out and to which employees they’ve been distributed to. 

Tactic Timeline

Phase one

Phase two

Phase three

Budget 

A small budget to work with is required as the company lost $300,000 last year and projected losses of $2 million this year due to COVID-19. However, since this plan is projected to span one and a half years (and onwards afterwards), the business won’t be shelling out a ton of money up front. Instead, the company will be spending little by little with each new phase implementation. To help with the communication plan for Madawaska, here is a list of potential things to account for that could cost money, which correlates with the tactics used to help improve Madawaska’s internal communication: 

OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES:

1. Workplace ($0 or $4 a month per person): Corporate, front-line managers, store employees, and outdoor facility workers will all be using the Workplace app to communicate, see schedules, send monthly reports, etc., to make sure communication is constantly flowing between all departments. The service is free to use with the most basic option (which covers all needed tools in the beginning). However, if the company does excel and needs the additional program, there is an option to pay for a higher subscription service on Workplace — which would be a cost of $4 a month per person. 
2. Work retreats: Going on the bi-annual work retreats would help the staff bond and create that culture within the business. However, this is mentioned in the budget because there could be external costs that need to be covered. While the retreats will be at the Madawaska Outdoor Facilities — meaning there won’t be a venue cost— and the equipment would be free of charge, the cost of travel for employees, food, and other unexpected costs would not and need to be important factors. 
3. Matts’ in-person visits to retail stores: discussed abying to get the CEO to be more of an important face for the company. One tactic discussed was in-person meetings with Matts to help build better internal communication. However, since there are retail stores in B.C. and Ottawa, Madawaska Adventures must consider how much it would cost the company to fly/drive Matts to these destinations. 
4. COO Breakfast with Sofie: The breakfast for the managers and Sofie will be covered using the company card. This way, managers don’t have to pay out of their pockets to attend a breakfast to discuss work. Madawaska will cover it.
5. Mailchimp ($0 or $10 a month): Using this platform to send out the mass emails in the beginning two phases to ensure all employees are getting the news/information easily. This service will also make it easier for corporate/retail and outdoor facility’s management team(s) to promptly send out the information. The service is free for 2,000 employees. However, if need be, there is always the option to upgrade the service at a cost. (Madawaska is advised to keep it free as long as possible).
6. Zoom ($200 annually): Since this plan will be taking place during COVID-19, most of the town halls, focus groups, etc., will have to be held virtually. The Company will have to look into getting a Zoom subscription to make sure these meetings are being held without interruptions. In addition, any other video related meetings — such as conference calls, corporate check-ins, etc. — will continue to use the Zoom platform even after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. 
7. Award Gala: Happening once a year (and once restrictions are lifted), this ideally in person event will require the biggest amount of spending. This would include the costs of the venue, food catering, alcohol licensing, and hiring a bartending staff for the event. In addition, airplane travel costs will need to be covered for B.C. employees as well as hotel accommodations. If COVID-19 restrictions are not lifted by the time this event rolls around, it will be conducted through Zoom (which will save the company a lot of money). However, Madawaska should be prepared for both situations.

STAFF TIME EXPENSES:

8. In-person focus groups/one-on-one meetings with Matt: Doing these focus groups and one-on-one meetings with Matts and the employees will help build a culture and connection within Madawaska. However, since these meetings would be happening during work hours, it needs to be considered that it will cost the company money to hold these. In addition, the hourly wage that will be needed for the extra staff member will also be part of the cost for the days Matts visits. 
9. In-person visits to the outdoor facilities by Sofie: having her take the time out of her schedule (once a month) to travel to the campground/water school could cost the company money in travel and/or staff overtime. 
10. Town Hall Meeting: This meeting will be happening during the morning of a weekday and since employees who are not scheduled to work that day (from the retail stores or outdoor facilities) are in attendance, they will be compensated for 3-hours pay. To make sure the staff are paid on time, Madawaska will have a communications employee from corporate office keep a list of all the attendees from the Zoom call.