To a laboratory outreach leader, everything that happens in the laboratory is vitally important and deeply interesting. However, not everyone shares that level of interest — or needs to know every detail. Effective communication begins with understanding what matters most to your stakeholders. Knowing what to say and how to say it can be the difference between clarity and confusion, engagement and indifference.

A simple framework can help guide your communication decisions:

Example 1: Monthly or quarterly data trends

Data such as outreach test volumes, revenue, client metrics, or performance KPIs, provide valuable insights into progress and support strategic decision-making.

Using the communication framework:

• What: You're sharing analytical content — often visual, such as charts, graphs, and summaries — that highlight trends over time.
• Who: The audience typically includes laboratory department managers or hospital executives. They need to digest the key insights without being overwhelmed by detail. Since they may not be data experts, clarity and simplicity are essential.
• Urgency: There is generally low to medium urgency. Trends don't demand immediate action but should be reviewed promptly to inform quarterly planning.

Based on this framework, email updates or shared dashboards work best. Emails can include attachments with detailed reports and executive summaries for quick scanning. Quarterly meetings also offer a valuable opportunity to provide context and engage stakeholders in discussion

Example 2: Handling personnel changes and updates

Personnel updates, such as hires, promotions, or staff changes, are important to communicate as they directly affect team dynamics and outreach customer relationships.

Using the communication framework:

• What: Clearly convey who is changing roles, what the change entails, and when it will take effect. In some cases, sharing the rationale behind the change can help maintain transparency and trust.
• Who: Your audience may range from hospital-wide recipients for major leadership announcements to specific departments for team-level updates. If changes affect outreach customers, tone becomes especially important. Aim to be empathetic and positive.
• Urgency: The urgency can vary. Routine hires typically carry medium urgency, while sudden departures may require immediate attention.

For lower-urgency updates, an all-hands email or intranet post allows self-paced reading. In high-urgency scenarios that impact an outreach client, a phone call or in-person visit may be more appropriate to address concerns immediately and maintain strong relationships.

Example 3: Addressing outreach procedural changes

Procedural changes like test updates, system workflows, or compliance policies aim to streamline operations, and effective communication is essential to ensuring smooth implementation.

Using the communication framework:

• What: You need to share instructional content, such as step-by-step guides; the rationale behind the change; and the expected outcomes to minimize confusion and disruption.
• Who: The audience is usually operational staff and occasionally ordering physicians. Identify the specific roles that need practical details to implement the change quickly and accurately.
• Urgency: These changes often have medium urgency. Changes are often adopted promptly to avoid errors, but not emergently unless they affect safety.

Detailed memos or emails with attached PDFs are often effective. For more complex changes, an in-person visit or live demonstration can help ensure understanding and successful adoption. This is especially true for outreach clients.

A framework for successful communication

Effective communication in laboratory outreach hinges on understanding what to share, who needs to hear it, and how urgently it must be conveyed. Applying a simple framework — what, who, and urgency — helps leaders tailor messages that ensure clarity, foster engagement, and support smooth operations