Why Now Is the Time to Plan for Employee Ownership Month
October is Employee Ownership Month! This nationwide celebration shines a spotlight on the value of employee ownership and offers a prime opportunity to educate, engage, and inspire your team.
Though October may still feel far away, now is the perfect time to start planning. After decades of working with ESOPs, we’ve found the companies that get the most out of this month are those who plan a thoughtful engagement strategy, not the ones that throw something together at the last minute. Here are some advantages of getting started early.
The Advantages of Planning Ahead
Getting a head start on Employee Ownership Month can make a big difference. With time on your side, you can create a more strategic, engaging, and impactful experience for your team. Here’s what planning ahead makes possible:
- Stronger engagement. When you start early, you can recruit champions from across departments to help carry the message, build excitement, and spark ideas throughout the organization.
- More meaningful messaging. With space to think things through, you can focus on the most important themes—what every employee-owner really needs to understand about your ESOP. Early planning gives you time to craft engaging answers for tough questions through thoughtful content, activities, and conversations that build clarity and ownership culture. Even if you’ve had an ESOP for years, we find many employees still have questions like:
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- “Why can’t I get the money now?”
- “Why should I care if I’m years from retirement?”
- “Why does it take so long to get my statement?”
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- More time for creativity. Whether you’re planning contests, games, or off-site events, early preparation allows you to delegate responsibilities, secure venues, and fuel creative energy. Promoting activities like a poster contest or T-shirt slogan challenge in the summer gives people time to brainstorm and get excited.
- Momentum for new initiatives. Thinking about launching a newsletter? Starting a welcome series for new hires? Introducing an employee owner certification program? October is the perfect time to roll out something new—and the summer is the perfect time to lay the groundwork.
- More flexible scheduling. Our ESOP communication team’s calendar fills up quickly for October. If you’re interested in hosting a custom training—like The Great Game of Ownership, The ESOP Simulation Game, The Power of One Dollar, or our classic ESOP: What’s In It For Me? presentation—now is the best time to reserve your spot.
Let ESOP Blue Ribbon Help You Get There
In addition to providing custom training sessions, we’ve created a resource to support you with ideas, inspiration, and ready-made content to accelerate your engagement efforts.
Our on-demand communication platform, ESOP Blue Ribbon, offers access to a growing library of 37 downloadable resources, including:
- Editable newsletters to share with your team
- Short videos for meetings, internal message boards, or onboarding
- Content for breakroom monitors
- Infographics that explain key ESOP concepts in simple terms
- Activities for ownership-focused events
And just in time for your planning, our next member-exclusive webinar is all about “Games & Activities for Employee Ownership Month.”
Whether this is your first time planning an ESOP event or you just want fresh ideas and resources, ESOP Blue Ribbon is designed to help you achieve your communication goals.
Make This October Count
It’s tempting to wait until fall rolls around—but a little effort now can lead to a more strategic, comprehensive, and effective Employee Ownership Month.
Whether you want to tap into our expert-led custom training sessions or learn more about ESOP Blue Ribbon, you can get started by reaching out to our team at esopcommunication@oneblueridge.com. Let’s work together to make this year’s Employee Ownership Month your most successful yet!
