The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Office Moving
And how to avoid them
Deadly Mistake Number 3 - Poor Communication
Most businesses are guilty of this when they move and the larger the business the larger the problem this causes.
Tell your own staff as early as possibly that the move is taking place - many of them might have to look at their travelling arrangements, some may have huge problems getting to the new premises, so you need to give them as much opportunity as possible to make their arrangements.
Your staff will also know that something is happening before you have formally told them. And as a business move could mean that the business is in financial trouble and needs to move to save money or to allow them to downsize - these types of conversations soon get around the largest of businesses and become fact, so tell you staff as soon as you know something.
Even if you are just thinking about moving your business - inform your staff and maybe ask for suggestions or help. Your own people can be a huge help with office moves so use them. It is always a good idea to set up an internal team to work with the project manager to spread the word about the move and do much of the communications, but also to help with many of the tasks that will need to be completed.
Select your internal team early, and put them to work on specific tasks with firm dates for completion. You will have to set up a standing weekly meeting where everyone reports on his or her progress. Pick a time for the meeting when interruptions by phone or meetings are less likely. Set an agenda, and stick to it. Set milestones for completion of each task. Have someone keep minutes of each meeting so there is no confusion about what was agreed, or about who said what.
Never end the meeting until everyone is clear about his or her responsibilities for the next week. Begin each meeting with a review of what was agreed last week.