Most people want to do good work.
If you do not tell them what you expect, they will do what they believe is best, which may not be what is actually best.
For example: A gateman who followed his instructions to the letter and did not allow anyone on to the site once the fire alarm had sounded did not allow the fire brigade onto the site either. The outcome could have been serious, had the problem not been detected during an exercise.
Staff can be the greatest threat to any project, and the greatest help to its success. Without employees on your side, the EMS will fail. With employees, it will run almost itself.
Most of our communication skills are learnt in social rather than organisational situations. Communicating with peers and family, much is left out in terms of spoken communications, and the recipient of the discourse fills gaps. If we get it wrong, the outcome is not usually that serious. In the EMS, it may mean the difference between following a procedure and causing an unwanted environmental impact. A systematic approach to communication is therefore essential.
All staff within your organisation and many stakeholders outside it will need to be engaged in your communication process so that the EMS can function effectively.
