A view from the Communication Directors’ Forum
You have spent weeks (or even months) preparing a communications programme following huge change in your organisation. Hundreds of extra hours pouring over every concept, word and image and now you have a smart, high impact programme… The problem is you’ve lost your audience already.
Your employees are like the proverbial horse without the rider. Fast and furious, in a complete sweat and galloping into the unknown! And where are you? Sitting, mud up to your ears, feeling a bit wounded!
So, where has it all gone wrong?
This was my seventh time on the Communications Directors’ Forum so I can tell you with some certainty the same issues are giving communicators saddle sores!
As communication practitioners, we all know that the main drivers of employee engagement are the attitude and actions of the leaders in the organisation, particularly during times of change. Additionally, the most preferred method for employees to receive information is via their line manager yet often the trust in leaders as a true source of relevant, timely information can be low. And so it’s interesting to see these two areas are a continuous challenge in each of your top five concerns.
Here are the Top 5 hurdles communicators need to overcome:
1. More effective line manager communications
Employees are increasingly frustrated with the communication process when information does not reach them because middle and junior management are unable to communicate effectively and hence blocking the cascade process. This frustration also applies to Communicators who are often blamed for misinforming (or not informing) frontline employees when line and departmental managers have been provided with the information but simply do not communicate it down line.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The challenge for communicators is to find practical, adaptable, accessible ways to help leaders focus on communications as an integral part of their management skills set, thereby boosting the overall competency of the organisation’s leaders; for example through training sessions focusing on fundamental topics such as team briefing, establishing dialogue, listening skills and difficult information.
The impact of communications should also be put in the context of the business as a whole i.e. aligning communication to competencies and appraisals is an excellent way for managers to see the value in linking communications to business objectives.
2. Leadership challenges in communicating change
Communicators’ feel that many leaders are insufficiently equipped to manage the challenges “change” presents in ensuring their teams are fully engaged and that too many change programmes fail at the individual level because too much effort goes into process and not enough on the emotional experience. But change management IS about people; the organisation can’t change, it’s only people’s attitudes and behaviours that can change and help the organisation reach its goals.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Change can be unsettling and so logically leaders of the business need to be a settling influence. Infact change can provide a golden opportunity to engage with employees but this will only work if those who have to implement it have been consulted, feel informed and involved with the future direction of the business. So check that people affected by the change agree with, or at least understand the need for change, have a chance to decide how the change will be managed, and be involved in the planning and implementation process. Email and written notices are extremely weak at conveying and developing understanding whereas face-to-face is essential to win true understanding.
3. Communicating with remote and disengaged employees
Whether your employees are in other company offices, working from home or are frontline workers on site with limited access to the internet, most of you find communicating with these distant employees extremely challenging – this can quickly result in disengagement and a feeling of isolation with these groups.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Good remote communication does require that extra effort but thanks to technology and web-based collaboration tools we now have more effective ways to communicate with virtual teams. For those without PC access the most important element is too create a clear communication routine and review this process regularly to make sure its working effectively for all concerned. Visit employees on their ‘patch’; this is a really good way of helping to build trust and respect and try going the extra mile to address issues that are more difficult to address than if you all worked in one place.
4. Making ever decreasing budgets work harder
Employees are a vital external communication channel but what happens when internal budgets shrink during an economic downturn? What is the impact on employees when you lose the budget for an internal newsletter or regular forum? How do employees fill the gap in the absence of any formal communication?
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Getting the balance right is crucial – remember employees who have seen their colleagues being made redundant do not want to see the company spending money on glossy internal magazines. The most powerful alternative is effective face-to-face communication delivered via line managers – this costs nothing but time and continuity. Another option is to develop a strategy whereby every part of the business is engaged in communication, and where every available channel is a two-way process.
The benefit of this strategy is that inter¬nal communications can really start to add more strategic value to the business and drive from engagement within - moving away from the production of content to directing traffic by moderating and encouraging dialogues across the business. That said a message from the board or top management does give direc¬tion and so both of these elements will be important.
5. Making social media work for your organisation
Social media and social networking are having an increasingly large impact on how your brand is thought of both internally and externally but the social media noise is deafening! How do we know what effect it is having and how do we measure its influence? How do we avoid a scattergun approach to harness the best options for our businesses and effectively monitor and evaluate it for the future?
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Social media and social networks offer valuable insight into your customers, their views and behaviours. Understanding how to monitor this ever growing aspect of communication is critical; for example you can start by listening for your mentions of your brand or organisation using free tools such as Google Alerts or SocialMention or paid tools such as Brandwatch or Radian 6. This information can help you build stronger relationships with your customers, track PR effectiveness, manage your reputation online or offer improved customer service. You can quickly identify where your audience are active in social networks and who are your advocates.
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Andréa is a board director of Midas responsible for engagement and change. She has wide experience in strategic branding and people engagement and has worked for some of the world’s largest organisations to help them improve performance and achieve objectives. To contact Andréa email andrea@midas.uk.com or phone +44 (0)1494 787200.