Effective communication supports organizational growth, survival, and future success - especially in a rapidly changing marketplace. "Employees need to make the connection between what they do every day and how that supports the (business) goal and contributes to an organization's success," says Laurie Barnes, principal with Mercer Human Resource Consulting in Chicago. "The messages you send employees, whether written or verbal, should also express the same clarity and consistency as your marketing messages," says Marcia Hoeck, Hoeck Associates' president and CEO. "These two simple rules - clarity and consistency - can get your message into the minds of your audience more effectively than almost anything else." "You can't not communicate," according to Jim Shaffer, in his book, The Leadership Solution. "It's going to happen whether you want it to or think it should. It's like the wind when you're sailing. You have the choice of ignoring it or managing it. Sailboats tend to sail better when you don't ignore the wind. Businesses tend to run better when you don't ignore communication." Organizational communications is a specialty at Hoeck Associates. We've been working closely with HR departments, internal communicators, and HR consultants for most of our 22 years, communicating with current, future, and past employees.