The Manager Comms Toolkit
Say less. Mean more. Reach everyone.
Simple tools to get your message through managers to every team – on every shift, at every site.
- A one-page manager brief and huddle card
- The 5S model for shorter, clearer messages
- Three AI prompts for a faster first draft
Get the toolkit
Free PDF · 12 pages
Why this matters
Managers are your most trusted channel. They're also your busiest.
For many frontline teams, the manager is the only channel that reaches everyone. No inbox. No desk. Just a few minutes at the start of a shift.
Yet managers are often handed a long email and left to work it out. The message changes as it travels – or never arrives.
The answer isn't more communication. It's clearer communication – and giving managers what they need to pass it on.
What's inside
Six simple tools. No fluff.
The 5S model
Five quick checks for every message. Short, Structured, Specific, Scannable, Supported.
Before and after
A 134-word email rewritten as a 59-word huddle card.
The cascade pack
Five things every manager needs. No more.
Two templates
A one-page manager brief and a team huddle card. Copy and reuse.
One-minute checklist
Eight checks before you send, plus a plain-words swap list.
Three AI prompts
Let AI draft. You do the judgement.
5S in action
Same message. Less than half the words.
A typical head-office update, rewritten so a manager can read it straight out at a shift huddle.
Subject: Update regarding changes to annual leave request procedures
Dear colleagues,
As part of our ongoing commitment to operational excellence and our wider digital transformation journey, we are pleased to announce that with effect from 1 November the existing paper-based annual leave process will be retired and replaced by new HRIS self-service functionality.
All employees will be required to submit leave requests via the ESS portal, accessible through the intranet or the mobile app. Line managers are requested to ensure their teams are made aware of this change and that any outstanding paper requests are submitted to HR Shared Services prior to the cut-over date.
Please note that requests submitted via the legacy process after this date cannot be processed. Further information is available in the attached FAQ document.
Kind regards,
HR Shared Services
Before · 134 words · Action buried
What's happening
From 1 November, you book leave in the MyHR app. Paper forms stop.
Why it matters
It's quicker, and you can check your leave balance any time.
What to do
- Hand in any paper forms by 31 October
- Ask me if you need help logging in
- No phone? I'll book it with you
Questions?
Ask me, or call HR on ext. 2040.
After · 59 words · Works out loud
Example for illustration.
The case for managers
Managers carry the message.
of the variance in team engagement comes down to the manager.
Gallup, State of the American Manager (2015)of comms professionals rate managers lacking skills and capacity as a moderate or significant risk.
Gallagher, Employee Communications Report 2026of comms professionals say they actively use manager toolkits.
Gallagher, Employee Communications Report 2026Give your managers the words.
Built for internal comms, HR and operations teams reaching frontline, shift-based and multi-site workforces. Short on time? Start with the huddle card.
Get the toolkitWhen you want it done for you
Doing this every month is a lot. You don't have to carry it alone.
CommsKit is a managed internal communications service for large, distributed workforces. We plan, create and manage the messages that reach your frontline teams.
Talk to us