BESTPRACTICESINEMPLOYEECOMMUNICATIONSANDENGAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION
Letsfaceitwhenitcametocommunicationsteams,theemployeecommunicationsfunctionused tobeatthelowendofthetotempole.Toworkinemployeecommunicationswastobeinajunior role,awayfromtheimportantstuffanddisconnectedfromwheretherealactiontookplace. Today,employeecommunicationsandengagementisrecognizedasacriticalfunction.Itisnotonly centraltoanysuccessfulcommunicationsormarketingcampaign,itisalsofundamentalto organizationalperformance. Quitesimply,alackofefficientemployeecommunicationscostsorganizationsitrepresentsanet drainontime,moneyandeffectiveness.Worse,gapsininternalcommunicationsexposecompanies torisksinmissedopportunityordisconnectedmessagestostakeholdersandaudiences. Thebusinesscaseforemployeecommunicationsandengagementisnowclear.Thequestionremains whatsthemoststrategicapproachtothefunction?

PRINCIPLES
Thefollowingprincipleswillhelpshapeanorganizationsapproachtocraftinganemployee communicationsandengagementprogramthatisfitforpurpose. Integrateemployeecommunicationsinallexternalcommunications.Itsimportanttobuildinternal communicationsintoallexternalcampaignsinanintegrated,coherentfashion.Employee communicationsisnotaghettoizedfunctionseparatedfromtheorganizationitshouldbeatthe heartofallexternalorstakeholdercommunications.Thisisthecriticalfirststepindrivingalignment, andcommunicatinginaconsistentandauthenticfashion. Walkthetalk.Highperformanceinternalcommunicationscanonlytakerootinanorganizationthat trulyembracestheimportanceofthework,andfunctionsinawaythatdemonstratesthat commitment.Opencommunicationandacommitmenttosharinginformationshouldbeimplicitand explicitindaytodayoperationsandexpectationsforteambehaviours. Considerculture.Thepivotpointfortransformativeemployeecommunicationsisculture.Aninternal cultureshouldbedeliberatelydefinedandcultivatedinordertocreateconditionsinwhichemployee communicationcanflourish.Theinternalculturewillbebuiltfromtheconstellationofseverallarge andsmalldimensions,suchasthewayinwhichmeetingstakeplace,habitsintermsofinterpersonal relations,patternsforemailwritinganddistribution,theformandfunctionofstrategicplanning sessionsandthewayinwhichtheorganizationrespondstochallengesandopportunities.Building cultureshouldbeathoughtful,carefulandcollaborativeexercisethatisnurturedovertime. Payattentiontomanagers.Whenplanninginternalcommunicationsactivities,payparticular attentiontothemanagementcommunity.Considerthatmanagershavetwokeyrolesinany employeecommunicationsinitiativetheyareatoncereceiversofinformationandvehiclesto communicatemessagestotheirteams.Thisstructuralrealityshouldbeaddressedinthedesignand executionofinternalcommunications.

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Designinternalcommunicationsaroundtheemployees,nottheorganization.Toooften,employee communicationisdrivenexclusivelybyorganizationalimperativeswhatthecompanywantsto communicateandhowtheCEOwantstobepositioned.Theseareimportant,butsecondary considerations.Toberelevant,employeecommunicationshastomaptightlytoemployeesneeds andinterests.ThinklessabouttheCEOsmessageinthenewsletterandmoreaboutdaytoday considerationslikeparkingpoliciesandsuggestionstoimprovethecafeteria. Focusonauthenticity.Fundamentallytobecredibleanduseful,internalcommunicationsmustbe authentic.Authenticitycanbeachievedbyhavingleadersspeakintheirownvoice,beingtransparent evenwhenthenewsisdifficult,andmostimportantly,indemonstratingthattheorganization empowersemployeestospeaktruthtopower.

BESTPRACTICES
#1:Developastrategy. Employeecommunicationsistooimportanttoleavetochance.Itscriticaltodevelopastrategyto focusinternalcommunicationsactivitiesbysettingclearobjectivesthattracktomeasurable, observableoutcomes.Inparticular,considerhowinternalcommunicationwillintegratewithexternal communicationsandbranding. #2:Demonstrateexecutiveleadership. Visiblebuyinandengagementatthetopisessential.Ensurethattheheadofyourorganizationis fullybriefedoninternalcommunications,hasanopportunitytoshapethestrategyandisfrontand centreinoutreachactivities.ThisisimportantnotonlyastheCEOisakeycommunicationschannel, butalsobecausehisorherbehaviourwillhelpsetexpectationsfortransparencyandauthenticity. Consideropportunitiestodemonstratearealcommitmenttoinformationsharing,inorderto illustratethatinformationhoardingisnotacceptablewithinyourorganizationsperformanceor culture. #3:Avoidthevacuumeffect. Dontbefooledintothinkingthatifyoudontcommunicate,nothingwillbesaid.Quitethecontrary internalcommunicationabhorsavacuum.Ifthereischangeafootorachallengecoming,the grapevinewillbeabuzz.Thelongeryouleavetheinformalchannelstobetheonlyviablesourceof information,theharderitwillbetoestablishrelevanceandtrust. #4:Resourceappropriately. Externalcommunicationsalwaystrumpsinternalwhenitcomestobudgetingoffinancialandstaff resources.Considerthatthereisarealcosttothispatternwhatdoesitcostyoueverydayinlost productivitythatyourteamisnotclearonitsdirection?Thatdirectoratesdontshareinformation? Whataretherisksinhavingyourfrontlinestaffconveyincorrectorofftargetmessagestoclientsand customerseveryday?Theonlywaytoexcelattheemployeecommunicationfunctionistoresource itappropriately.MakeacommitmenttoavoidtherobbingPetertopayPaulsyndromethatisall toocommonintheperennialstruggletobalanceinternalandexternalcommunicationinvestments.

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#5:Focusonfacetoface. Whereverpossibleandpractical,employeecommunicationshouldtakeplacefacetoface.Inperson exchangesarethemosteffectiveandtrustedformsofinternalcommunication.Whatsmore,that directconversationcanalsounravelotherwiseeffectivecommunicationsactivitiessuchas newslettersandintranetcontentifthespokespersonfailstoestablishtrustorauthenticity.Design communicationstrategiesandtacticsaroundmeaningfulopportunitiesforfacetofaceexchange.If distanceisachallenge,exploretheuseofwebconferencesasameansofbridgingthatgeographical gapratherthanrelyingonthepassiveandcoldmediumofemail. #6:Thinkaboutsystems. Considerthatthesphereofinternalcommunicationispervasiveacrossanorganization.Itisnotjust aboutspecifictacticsormeetingsthewayinwhichtheorganizationcommunicatesinternallyis manifestacrossseveraltouchpoints,suchasprocesses,approvalchannels,culturalpatterns,social normsandbusinesssystems.Whatmessagesarebeingconveyedthroughthesystemsofyour organization?Isthatmessagedeliberatelyengineered,orisitbeinglefttochance? #7:YourIntranetwontsaveyou. ThereisanalmostuniversalbeliefthatfixingtheIntranetwillfixinternalcommunications.Thatisa falseanddangerousassumptioneffectiveemployeecommunicationcannotbebasedonanysingle tactic.AnIntranetcanandshouldbeapowerfultoolinconsolidatingbusinessresourcesand information,functioningasanelectronicconvenorfortheemployeecommunity.However,the Intranetmustbeintegratedwithinabroadertacticalmix,whichincludeschannelssuchasfaceto faceopportunities,communicationviamanagersaswellasinformalavenuesforinformationand exchange. #8:Measure,learn,refine. Measurementisalwaysimportantinstrategiccommunications,butitmaybeespeciallyrelevantin thecaseofemployeecommunication.Settingupclearindicatorsofperformancewillbevitalin calibratingthestrategyandtacticswithappropriateprecision.Internalcommunicationmaybe deployedtotrackagainstoutcomessuchasmorale,retention,recruitment,productivity,job satisfactionand/oremployeesafety.Beingclearaboutwhatsuccesslookslike,andestablishing internalalignmentaroundthatendstateisinstrumentaltohavinghighimpactemployee communicationprogramsthatdeliverresults. Formoreinformationonhowthesebestpracticescanbeleveragedtomeetyourorganizations communicationsobjectives,pleasecontactIngeniumCommunicationsat info@ingeniumcommunications.comor613.729.1721. IngeniumCommunicationsproducesasuiteofproducts,includingacollectionofbestpractices,awhite paperseriesandusefultoolsthathelpenhanceyourorganizationscommunicationsactivities.To accessthissuiteofproductsvisitwww.ingeniumcommunications.com.

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TM&2009,IngeniumCommunications.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybe producedinanyform,orbyanymeanswhatsoever,withoutwrittenpermissionfromtheauthor.