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6 MORGAN STANLE Y AT WORK Tip #1: Start with an outline. Just like in your first-year composition course, an outline will help you organize your thoughts, and be more efficient with your message. It can be helpful to start with a longer list, and consolidate as you clean up the message. The length will depend on what type of communication or training piece you're working on, so play around with it until you're happy with what it highlights. Remember to incorporate everything you identified in your employee journey mapping, and play around with the order and formatting. Tip #2: Detail your equity plan offerings and other available resources. This is all about increasing understanding of your equity plan, after all. A big part of your message should be devoted to the relevant details of your equity plan offering, like the type of equity you award, and how it functions (particularly in the context of the specific message you're crafting). The vital details will change depending on what type of message or training resource you're working on, but be sure to capture everything an employee would need to know. If you have other available resources that can help them learn more about their equity plan, include them! Supplemental resources can help them further their learning beyond your primary message. Tip #3: Tell them why they should care. This is one of the trickiest areas in any form of communication – driving home the value proposition to your employees. It's the easiest way to cut through the noise of other messages that might be competing for employee attention, but to do this, you need a compelling and meaningful message. Think about what equity represents to your employees: for many, they might not understand that it may result in a monetary benefit depending on the performance of your company stock. That in itself might not resonate with them, but if you focus on specific, potential outcomes (e.g., if your company stock price goes up and how that would impact the monetary benefit of their equity award transactions, leading to funds which could be used to start a college fund for their child), you might a get a more memorable message across. Examples can help here, so be sure to provide some that really drive the point home. Tip #4: Include key dates. Timing is critical with most equity programs, so be sure that any of your key messages highlight important dates. These should be both the immediate dates where action is required, and any future dates that may be dependent or related to any immediate action items. The formatting of your communication piece comes into play here, as you should focus on calling out the key dates in a way that draws visual attention to the content. This can be a good thing to test with a colleague or two before finalizing the layout, as a fresh set of eyes can provide surprising feedback. Tip #5: Call them to action. The final piece of your communication asset should be a clear and direct call to action, telling them exactly what they should do. Not only should the call to action include the activity, it should also include the location or resource where they can do the identified activity. For example, if you're sending an email about a new grant, you should direct them to where they can review and accept the terms of the grant. This should include a direct statement "Review and accept your grant today" as well as a link to the location where they can do just that. Don't overcomplicate things if possible – simple is always best. What to Consider When Building Your Content Whatever methods of outreach or training your plan entails, there are some general strategies that can help you streamline the message, and keep a laser focus on your intended outcomes. The tips below will keep you focused on what you want to convey, without muddying the waters with unnecessary data. SHARE WORKS

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