1. Be sensitive to concerns about budget and staff cuts

"Model managers let employees know when bad news is coming and when it isn't," writes Prosek. When prospects look bleak, giving employees an advance warning makes it easier for them to process the realities of a likely cutback. Conversely, why would you want them to worry that something might be wrong if your business has never been healthier?

2. Market your message to your team

You won't achieve employee buy-in with a single memo or email. "The goal is not just to express the information," Prosek argues, "but to act in such a way that staffers understand it." So sell them on your ideas and initiatives using multiple touch points and open communication channels.

3. Talk about money

Financial rewards motivate all of us, and that's why it's important to emphasize the direct relationship between what an employee does and how she is compensated. "[Managers] must continually promote the ways staffers can be in charge of their own financial destinies," says Prosek.

4. Show appreciation and acknowledge anger

Marketing teams feel intense pressure to achieve miraculous results with limited resources. Be sure to express appreciation when they hit those goals. And give them the space to air their frustrations—constructively—when they feel overwhelmed.