About this episode

Lewis Eisen discusses how to write engaging policies that foster cooperation and reflect organizational values.

In today's collaborative workplaces, outdated "command and control" policy language feels completely out of step. Instead of encouraging cooperation, it often creates resentment and disengagement. That's why Lewis Eisen, author of Rules: Powerful Policy Writing to Maximize Engagement, has been challenging the traditional way organizations write policies. Drawing on his background as a lawyer, IT professional, and senior government policy advisor, Lewis shows leaders how respectful, plain-language policies can inspire genuine cooperation, strengthen employee engagement, and reflect organizational values. On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, we're talking with Lewis Eisen, author of Rules: Powerful Policy Writing to Maximize Engagement, about how to move away from rigid, adversarial wording and instead create policies that employees want to follow. You'll learn how language choices shape culture, how to separate policies from procedures, and why policies are a key part of your organization's brand. Leadership tips you won't want to miss: 🎙️ Recognizing how "command and control" language sends messages of distrust 🎙️ Shifting from "you must" to "we" language…

People in this episode

Host: Lindsay Lapaquette

Guest: Lewis Eisen

Topics covered

• policy writing
• employee engagement
• organizational culture
• leadership
• communication

Keywords

• policy writing
• engagement
• communication
• organizational values
• leadership tips

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Rules: Powerful Policy Writing to Maximize Engagement

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