Talk Internal Comms & Social Media

2012 Edelman Trust Barometer, what does it mean for internal comms?

2012-02-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of year. Edelman have just published their 2012 Trust Barometer. Unsurprisingly, trust in government has massively dropped. But what’s the score for businesses and the implications for internal communication? There are a few significant findings:

1. There has been a dramatic increase in trust in social media – it is now at almost the same level as corporate information sources. This is a important consideration for internal communications as employees now have ready access to information about the company from external social media sources.

2. There has also been a massive drop in trust in CEOs, the most trusted resource within an organization is the average employee (60 percent). This highlights the importance of face-to-face communication as well as employee "communication champions".

3. The average person needs to hear a story three to five times from different sources before they believe it. This reinforces the fact that our internal messages have to be presented through a variety of channels.

If you are interested in learning more, my good friend Steve Seager, has already helpfully posted an analysis of it. Why not check out his post here.

2012 Edelman Trust Barometer: Global Deck

View more presentations from Edelman Insights

Highly effective communicators are making greater use of social media than their less- effective peers

2012-01-27T04:30:00.000-08:00

On average, however, usage is fast outpacing effectiveness. While the use of social media has expanded over the last 12 months for all, highly effective communicators are more than twice as likely as the least-effective group of companies to have expanded their use of social media. This online article highlights results from Watson Wyatt on the use of social media in organisational communication.

They are not really social media 'experts'

2011-11-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

There are many self proclaimed social media ‘experts’ in the market place at the moment. The following are a number of warning signs that your ‘expert’ doesn’t really know what they are talking about.

1. There are social media icons in their email signature, but when you click on the links you they haven’t updated the page in weeks or months.

2. The social media icons on their website, lead to social streams that haven’t been updated.

3. They don’t appear to have actually used the tools they are advising you to use.

4. They don’t talk about engagement with customers when they talk about social media tools.

5. Their heir Klout scores is very poor.

6. They have no suggestions about how to measure success.

7. They guarantee immediate results.

These tips and more can be found on Andrew Worob’s blog at PR at Sunrise. Andrew has worked in PR for ten years.

Making speeches memorable – some tips!

2011-10-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

In an article, "Why concrete language communicates truth," the author states that when you speak and write using unambiguous language, people will believe you.

Choosing words that reinforce the concrete nature of your statement make it more credible . Here are some examples:

1. Be specific with nouns.. Instead of "cars," say "Thunderbird" and instead of "breakfast," say "steak and eggs." Use more action verbs. Use fewer adjectives and adverbs, and stick to concrete nouns and verbs. You won't sound as if you're exaggerating and your credibility will shine through.

2. Avoid ambiguity. Read your lines aloud to a friend this will help you will hear the words that may confuse confusion for your audience. Aim to use simple, universal terms.

3. Use concrete verbs: Use solid, concrete and unambiguous verbs for example verbs like 'count' and 'write'. Avoid verbs that are less clear such as 'help' and 'insult' as they are open to interpretation.

3. Paint a picture. Describe an event of picture that your audience can imagine in their head. That kind of specific, easy-to-understand description does more than any slide to make your talk memorable—and credible.

Steve Jobs died at age 56

2011-10-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

The man who started Apple computer in a garage died just two months after resigning as CEO.

Not surprisingly, #RIPSteveJobs became an immediate trending topic on Twitter.
Many tweeted quotes from Jobs, such as “Stay hungry. Stay foolish" and "Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life." Both are taken from Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford.

For those who haven't heard Jobs' Stanford address you can check it out on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=D1R-jKKp3NA#!

Poor training!

2011-09-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Has an employee ever come to you with a problem to which you helpfully answer, , “If I were you, I would…”

You may feel satisfied that you have helped but you may well be storing up trouble for yourself.

The reality is that when this employee came to you they had a problem. You helpfully took ownership of that problem and relieved your employee of responsibility for solving the problem themselves. As a manager this type of action trains your staff to come to you with their problems instead of trying to resolve the issues themselves. This can lead to you becoming embroiled in office politics taking you away from your role as a leader. Beware!

The key is to actively listen and allow staff to think through, analyse and arrive at solutions themselves.

What motivates employees?

2011-09-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Employee’s emotions and motivation change on a daily basis but according to recent Harvard research there is one tool that motivates employees more than anything else. Can you guess what it is? It’s not clear goals, it’s not incentives, it’s not even recognition for good work. According to lead researcher, Teresa Amible the biggest improvement in motivation will be seen if you focus first on helping your employees make progress.

The researchers have named this phenomenon the progress principle and the implications of it for managers are laid out in the book The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work. The research, which took over ten years to complete, explains that while recognition and providing financial incentives for a job well done are still important, there are two questions above all else that help managers motivate their employees. The questions are: “What can I do to help my team make progress in their work today?” “What is getting in the way of my team’s progress?” When the answers are identified and remedial action is taken employees are likely to me highly engaged.

Book recommendations

2011-09-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

You can view all my recommendations for communication books on http://www.delicious.com/laoise.omurchu.

Role of CSR in organisations - does it impact on organisational culture?

2011-09-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

Discussions about ‘values’ are now jostling with ‘risk’ in board rooms. ‘Authenticity’, ‘engagement’, ‘culture’ and ‘passion’ are starting to define the ‘corporate soul’ and ‘true north’ of organisations.

Echo Research and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) have partnered to produce a report that aims to provide a better understanding of the drivers of success in the field of corporate sustainability and responsibility.

The report is entitled A World in Trust - International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF)
www.iblf.org/~/media/Files/.../World-in-trust-IBLF-Echo_Research.ashx

Euprera 2011

2011-09-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from presenting at the Euprera (European Public Relations Education and Research Association) and I heard and had the chance to meet some really interesting speakers.

Prof Tom Watson presented on the role of ROI (Return on Investment) in public relations. Interestingly, he argued that the use of the term may actually be damaging the reputation of public relations instead of enhancing it. He argues that while measurement and evaluation of our work is essential referring to an accountancy term (ROI) may detract from our credibility instead of adding to it! Interesting, food for thought.

2011-09-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

Arthur Page was the Head of Communication in AT&T over 70 years ago. The guidelines by which he worked became known as the Page Principles. They are still relevant today.

Tell the truth. Let the public know what’s happening and provide an accurate picture of the company’s character, ideals and practices.
Prove it with action. Public perception of an organization is determined 90 percent by what it does and 10 percent by what it says.
Listen to the customer. To serve the company well, understand what the public wants and needs. Keep top decision makers and other employees informed about public reaction to company products, policies and practices.
Manage for tomorrow. Anticipate public reaction and eliminate practices that create difficulties. Generate goodwill.
Conduct public relations as if the whole company depends on it. Corporate relations is a management function. No corporate strategy should be implemented without considering its impact on the public. The public relations professional is a policymaker capable of handling a wide range of corporate communications activities.
Realize a company’s true character is expressed by its people. The strongest opinions — good or bad — about a company are shaped by the words and deeds of its employees. As a result, every employee — active or retired — is involved with public relations. It is the responsibility of corporate communications to support each employee’s capability and desire to be an honest, knowledgeable ambassador to customers, friends, shareowners and public officials.
Remain calm, patient and good-humored. Lay the groundwork for public relations miracles with consistent and reasoned attention to information and contacts. This may be difficult with today’s contentious 24-hour news cycles and endless number of watchdog organizations. But when a crisis arises, remember, cool heads communicate best.

Editing tool now available on YouTube

2011-09-14T14:23:00.001-07:00

You can now edit your videos onsite on You Tube with a new editing tool they have introduced. All you have to do is click “Edit Video” on your video’s page or on the My Videos page. While the editing tool won’t replace other advanced editing software packages it will enable users to make simple changes in an easier and less time consuming manner.

Bathroom talk - the new employee communication tool

2011-08-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

I read recently that many leading companies are printing employee communications on the office toilet paper! Thankfully that was a joke. However, it is a fact that more and more organisations are using the company restroom as an opportunity to communicate with employees.

In an article entitled ‘It's okay to 'stall' employees’ Employee Benefit News outlines how you can boost communication by capturing employees attention while they are taking a break. They rationalise that in most American homes, the bathroom is the library so it is logical that companies should use their restroom facilities to provide company reading material

Among their suggestions to effectively use the restrooms for communication are:

1. Post communications at eye level for those seated in the stall.

2. Keep the in-stall info sheets to a single page.

3. Include images, since people are more likely to pay attention to messages with pictures.

4. Change the materials every two weeks.

5. Use differently coloured paper for each update to signal the arrival of new reading material.

6. Get an intercom system installed to enable personal CEO messages to be delivered during the high-volume morning hours.

OK, I made that last one up! But it may be worthwhile considering the other suggestions.

Riots in the UK - interesting case study.

2011-08-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt the riots in the UK will be a very interesting case study from a pr perspective. Interest in London had increased due to the royal wedding and the upcoming Olympics and it will be interesting to see the reputational damage the riots may have. Given that the riots appear to now be under control PR may be able to sell it as “a moment of madness”. Interestingly, social media sites have come under fire as the PM suggested that Facebook, Twitter and Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry, should take more responsibility for content posted on their networks. This will be another interesting angle to watch.

Customers can boost employee engagement

2011-08-12T09:04:00.001-07:00

Motivated and engaged employees lead to improved results and higher levels of performance. However, many organisations struggle with engagement and many managers feel pressure to be the motivators of their teams. Many organisations would like some assistance in this area.

This is why the Harvard Business Review article “How Customers Can Rally Your Troops” caught my attention. The article describes how a five-minute meeting motivated university fundraisers to increase their weekly productivity by 400% and how a photograph drove radiologists to improve the accuracy of their diagnostic findings by 46%.

The interesting element in the article is that it wasn’t managers who motivated employees but customers. The article outlines the growing body of research which shows that end users—customers, clients, patients, and others who benefit from a company’s products and services—are surprisingly effective in motivating people to work harder, smarter, and more productively.

The article provides some interesting case study examples on this technique. Definitely worth a read.

Hear what your employees are really saying

2011-08-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Most of us now know of the Gallup poll that says the number one reason people leave their job is because of a poor relationship with the boss. “People leave managers not companies…in the end, turnover is mostly a management issue.” Gallup adds that poorly managed work groups are on average 50 percent less productive and 44 percent less profitable than well-managed groups. There is a long list of “bad boss” behaviours that contribute to poor but, the most common complaint is, “My boss doesn’t listen to me.”

The way to become a better listener is to practice "active listening". This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent.

In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully and take the following steps:

L: Look – make eye contact.

I: Inquire – Use who, what, where, when and why questions but do not make any personal comments or provide advice, just listen.

S: Summarise - Summarise what the employee has said in your own words. So what you are saying is…. This shows you are listening and allows the employee to clarify the situation if you have misunderstood.

T: Take notes

E: Encourage - Encourage them to explain the problem fully by using head nodding etc.

N: Neutralise – Neutralise your feelings towards the employee. Listen to the content of what they are saying and seek understanding of what they are trying to say.

Employee Focus Groups: Five Tips

2011-08-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

No-frills employee focus groups can sometimes be the best way to get employee feedback. Below are five tips to help ensure you get the most out of your focus groups.

1. Keep it intimate. Invite only 10 to 12 participants to the session. The more people you have in a room, the easier it is for some of the more reserved participants to
withdraw and keep quiet. If you have a smaller group, they will feel more a part of the discussion.

2. Mix it up. Work to have as departmentally diverse a representation as possible, depending on the topic. You want to get input from different workgroups in the organisation.

3. Set ground rules. The purpose of the roundtable is to gather input on a chosen topic. At the outset, let participants know that what they say is confidential, that you are there to listen, capture feedback and report on general comments.

4. Stay on track. Try to keep the session to one topic if you can.
5. Keep it short. Keep your focus groups to about 45-minutes. In my experience, this can work to your advantage. When participants know they have a small window of opportunity to provide their opinions on the topic, they're more likely to speak up.

Which change model is best?

2011-08-05T08:26:00.001-07:00

A number of change models have served me well. I used all or a version of all the five models listed below. They are useful to have in your change toolbox and they are all must reads if you are going to be working alongside those involved in organisational development.

1. Kotter’s 8 step model.

This was the first change model I used and it appears to be the most widely cited. It is probably the oldest of the change models but that doesn’t mean it is not still useful today. It was developed by Harvard Professor John Kotter and he spent a career perfecting it. It is very intuitive and clearly presented. I have found the 8 step model a very useful guide.

2. Bridge’s Change model.

First outlined by William Bridges in his book Managing Transitions, Making the Most of Change. This model provides step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. The primary model is “Endings, Transitions, and Beginnings”, but the book also has other useful tools, checklists, and models, including the “Marathon Effect”.

3. Beckhard’s Change Equation.

This simple model can be a of benefit when management begin to talk about change. Developed by Richard Beckhard and David Gleicher the simple formula provides plenty of food for thought. The model is

D x V x F › R.

D V and F must be present if change is to succeed.

D = Dissatisfaction with the status quo;
V = Vision of what is possible;
F = First, concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision.
R = If any of these factors are missing or weak, then you’re going to get resistance.

4. Kurt Lewin Change Model.

This three stage theory of change has sometimes been dismissed as being too simple but I believe it has some interesting insights. The model can be summarised as Unfreeze, Change, Freeze (or Refreeze). The force-field analysis he outlines as part of the unfreeze stage can be useful when organisations begin examining change. It is a useful model to have in the toolkit.

5. Kubler-Ross.

Kubler-Ross outlined the 5 stages of grief in her book “On Death and Dying”. The model is equally applicable to any significant change process. It is useful to use it along side other change models and it helps explain the emotional impact that change can have on those affected.

In summary, I have found elements in each of these models which are useful. If you are undertaking a change initiative reading the above texts will definitely be of benefit.

Speaking the language of leaders.

2011-07-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

I was lucky to present at Bledcom in Slovenia, an International Public Relations Symposium that has been organized over the past 17 years to provide a venue for public relations scholars and practitioners from around the world to exchange ideas and perspectives about public relations in all its forms. This year the focus is on Internal Communication. It was a great conference and the debt of knowledge presented at the event shows how seriously internal communicaiton is now being taken.

My paper, “Internal communicators who fail to talk the facts and figures of the corporate suite" was the first time I presented the main findings of my PhD research.

Here is the abstract to my paper:

Abstract

Business leaders and internal communication managers inherently understand that effective internal communication is a business imperative. It builds staff morale, motivation and engagement. It also builds a healthy organisational culture and helps facilitate change, all of which deliver bottom line results for the organisation.

However, if you ask for proof of the value of internal communication you may be provided with an anecdote or two, presented with a good article in a major publication or shown the results of an employee satisfaction survey, but most organisations still fail to consistently prove the positive causal relationship between internal communication efforts and business success. The failure to prove the benefits of internal communication is due in part to a failure to measure communications activity. However, a lack of measurement is not the sole reason. There are a number of contributing factors such as a lack of a clear communications strategy and a lack of clear and measurable objectives for communication activities, poor leadership support and a weak guiding coalition supporting communication within the organisation. All these elements contribute to making evaluation of the value added by internal communication problematic.

This paper aims to establish whether the case study organisations directly tie internal communication results to strategic management and tangible bottom line results. It also aims to establish if internal communication is seen as a strategic management function or is it a technical function to be managed by others. It also aims to identify the criteria necessary for excellence in internal communication. The study uses the generic benchmark of the critical success factors and best practice in communication management, as outlined in Grunig et al’s Excellence Study, as a framework for investigating the internal communication practices in public and private sector organisations in Ireland.

The findings presented are the result of a three stage process involving: (i) international review of best practice in communication and internal communication, and research into effective communication practices in individual organisations; (ii) in-depth interviews with CEOs (or their representatives), internal communication managers and individual staff members in public and private sector organisations in the profit and non-profit sector in Ireland (iii) analysing results finalising and publishing conclusions.

The findings reveal that the hard work of the internal communicators is not leading to demonstrable success. This is because the implementation of the communication tools often takes priority over other important communication activities such as strategy development, clear objective setting, building a guiding coalition and measurement. The findings suggest that internal communication remains mainly focussed on the technical journalistic-type activities. In this paper, and the researcher discusses the findings and suggests the use of the ‘O’Murchú Internal Communication Matrix’ to ensure that internal communicators organise and execute their work in a manner that will lead to success and the development of tangible bottom line results.

Isn’t Honesty the Only Policy?

2011-07-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting article on insidedge recently and I really liked the analogy of employee communication being similar to selling a used car to a family member. If you don’t tell the truth, he or she will find out sooner or later that the roof leaks or the brakes stick; whatever might be wrong, or right, will always come out. So, you have to tell the whole truth before you ask them to buy, because they won’t be going anywhere. They’ll be around for holidays, and they definitely know where you live. Full article here.

Obama now tweets live

2011-07-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

For PR practitioners who are sometimes told our stories aren't newsworthy enough its amazing that Barack Obama's tweeting makes news across the world ! Just in case you haven't heard the story is that President Barack Obama recently referred to himself as “the first president to live tweet.” His tweet read : “in order to reduce the deficit, what costs would you cut and what investments would you keep?”.

Obama's live tweeting is only the latest example of the President’s interest in social media. In May, the president named Twitter CEO Dick Costolo to his National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.

Build Excitement and Engagement about Town Halls meetings

2011-06-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Your next Town Hall meeting is marked in your CEO’s calendar – that in itself may be an accomplishment – but how to you make the town hall exciting. How to you get employees to leave their desks, come to the venue and engage in the session?

Getting employees to actually want to attend is the role of manager’s throughout the organisation but you as communicator can help. Here’s are some tips:

Plan ahead. Start planning about 4-5 weeks before a quarterly meeting. Identify front-line and middle managers who are opinion leaders and can act as communication champions. These managers are key to encouraging employees attendance.

Outline the purpose of the meeting. Define the purpose for the upcoming meeting and set a participation goal – no less than 90 percent. Write a personalised email from the CEO to the identified managers about the purpose of the meeting.

Canvas staff opinion. Canvas staff for key topics that staff would like covered at the town hall meeting. This ensures that employees needs are also met during the meeting.

Build momentum. Senior leaders should use every opportunity to promote the meetings while speaking with staff by outlining the importance and relevance of the content.

Cultivate topics for Q&A. One week before the meeting, ask staff for their questions via a feedback collection tool that has been established for the meeting.

Finally, involve front-line and middle managers in the actual meeting. Have a group of managers from different departments ask a number of questions at the beginning of the Q&A session. Apply this shared ownership model to your next Town Hall and watch the value of the meeting soar.

The Power of Storytelling in Organisational Communication

2011-06-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

The Book “Tell to Win” by Peter Guber, Chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group, details how storytelling can be used as a power tool to move employees to action. Gruber explains that his background in the movie business, ‘the emotional transportation business’, taught him how to find words that demonstrate the power and passion he had for this work. He believes that if you can’t tell it, you can’t sell it, and you will fail. His book is a very interesting read for all involved in communication. Here’s a short interview with Guber conducted by Forbes. http://video.forbes.com/fvn/business/tell-to-win

Why Leaders Lose Their Way - Ethical Issues

2011-06-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

In recent months several high-level leaders have mysteriously lost their way. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the International Monetary Fund and a leading French politician, was arraigned on charges of sexual assault. Before that David Sokol, rumored to be Warren Buffett's successor, was forced to resign for trading in Lubrizol stock prior to recommending that Berkshire Hathaway purchase the company. This article in the Harvard Business reviews "Why Leaders Fail". http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6741.html

Jonah Lehrer - Speaker at IABC World Conference

2011-06-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

Excerpts from Jonah Lehrer's speech, "How We Decide: The New Science of Decision Making," at the IABC World Conference on June 12, 2011, in San Diego, California. Jonah Lehrer is the author of two books, Proust Was a Neuroscientist and How We Decide.
http://www.youtube.com/user/BillSpaniel?feature=mhum

IABC World Conference

2011-06-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

In San Diego at IABC World conference. Lots of interesting information. Will have newsletter with the key learnings from the conference. Let me know if you'd like to receive it.

From here to America - more elections.

2011-04-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Now that our own elections are over the build up to the American election is getting interesting. Donald Trump debuts in a first-place tie in Gallup's latest update of Republicans' preferences for the party's 2012 presidential nomination among potential contenders.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/147233/Huckabee-Trump-Romney-Pace-GOP-Field-2012.aspx?utm_source=tagrss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_term=Politics

The Flip has flopped

2011-04-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Flip Camera, my trusted toy has seen its last days. I'm upset but I'm sure there will be other products to take its place.

In 2009 Cisco bought Flip. Last week it announced that it plans to discontinue the range. With Cisco experiencing the same financial challenges as many companies it has decided to focus on its core offerings. It believes it has been spreading its offerings too widely. Flip looses out in this decision - even though the product is still making a profit. Cisco announced this week it will no longer make Flip cameras and is pulling back on its consumer product strategy.

It is believed that the Kodak will pick up most of the Flip market but iPhone or Android are also sure to provide an equally good service very shortly. I'm still sad though:(

EuroComm 2011 - Fantastic learning

2011-04-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

Just back from EuroComm 2011. Learnt a lot and met some really interesting people. Also presented own research on internal communication practices in Ireland. You can read my article on http://www.simply-communicate.com/news/understanding-language-c-suite.

Working for you, isn't working for me.

2011-04-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

Many of my friends have been asking recently how to deal with difficult bosses. Previously, during the "celtic tiger" years they may just have got a new job. Now, with employment in a more precarious situation they feel more trapped than before. So I went exploring and found a little gem of a book called "Working for you, isn't working for me".

An easy read it identifies the difficult boss characteristics. It also provides a "boss baggage profile" - i.e. what baggage the reader brings to the table and how this can impact on their work relationship. It then outlines coping mechanisms for dealing with each boss depending on the readers baggage profile.

The first few chapters are very interesting -especially when detailing how people react when a boss relationship begins to deteriorate; replaying the events of the day, trying even harder and becoming nervous etc.

Definitely worth a read on Google Books.

Harvard Business School has proven the effectiveness of storytelling - but how do we use this tool?

2011-04-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Harvard Business School has proven the effectiveness of storytelling to communicate even the most complex issues. But how do we create an effective story. This interview with McKinsey provides some valuable insights.

Good stories have three components: a strong beginning, a strong end, and a point of tension. Most people confuse stories with situations. They’ll tell about a situation: Xhappened, Y happened, Z happened. But a good story takes Y, the middle part of the story, and creates tension or conflict where the reader or the audience is drawn into the story, what’s going to happen next.

Treating stories as assets is an underrealized idea right now. Stories serve as glue to unify communities. Stories spread from employee to employee, from consumer to consumer, and, in some cases, from employee to consumer or consumer to employee. Stories are much more memorable than statistics or simple anecdotes and are a mechanism that allows communities to grow. Strong stories can be told and retold. They become infectious.

There are at least four important stories that all companies should have in their portfolio. The first is the “who am I?” story—you know, how did we get started? The second is the “vision” story, the “where are we going in the future?” This may or may not be connected to the “who are we?” story. A third is the “apology and recovery” story. In any long-term relationship, there is inevitably going to be transgression. But it is remarkable to see how few companies have thought through what a transgression is for them and how they might respond to it. The final type of story that becomes really important for corporations to have in their bank is the “personal” story: what are the personal stories that are being incubated and cultivated within the organization? This is a very different type of story. This shines a light on people rather than the organization.

Front line supervisors are employees preferred source of communication, right?

2011-03-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Research by Angela D. Sinickas, demonstrates that front line supervisors are not always the preferred source of communication within an organisation. The preferred source for receiving communication changes depending on the information to be communicated.

Sinickas outlines that a soundly designed communication audit should ask:

Which source of communication is currently your primary source of company information on X?
Which source of communication is your preferred primary source of information on Y?

The X and Y should include but is not limited to company objectives? Department goals? Quality improvement? Benefits? Safety? Company financial situation? Reasons behind decisions? New products or services? What the competition is doing? News from other locations and departments? People changes and recognition? Other subjects that are important only at your own company?

When the questions are asked individually by subject the choices of preferred methods of communication vary depending on the topic being discussed. In general front-line supervisors are the preferred source of "my job" level issues while top management are the preferred source on issues they don’t believe their managers will have the full insights into.

Twenty Best Companies for Leadership

2011-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article if you want to learn what the best companies do to help build effective leaders. Corporate officers for each of the top twenty companies listed discuss their employers' approach to developing strong leaders. Short and to the point - it makes an interesting read.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/02/0216_best_places_for_leadership/index.htm?chan=careers_special+report+--+best+places+for+interns+2010

Three steps to building a better top team

2011-02-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

When a top team fails to function, it can paralyze a whole company. the stakes get higher with senior-executive teams: dysfunctional ones can slow down, derail, or even paralyze a whole company. This article by McKinsey outlines what CEOs need to watch out for. http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Three_steps_to_building_a_better_top_team_2743

Leaders and Self-deception

2011-02-22T14:28:00.001-08:00

Recent crises have led me to wonder what some leaders see when they look at themselves in the mirror. As if in the “Hall of Mirrors” in a carnival, what they see appears to be different to what a majority of those looking directly at them see.

This distorted reflection can be the result of leaders isolating themselves, choosing to be surrounded by people who gain the most by taking viewpoints the leaders most want to hear. It is understandable that leaders may not want to face the anger of their people or employees but if they don’t they have no way of knowing what is truly happening. Shutting off contact and communication enables a self-deception. It enables the leader to disengage and disconnect from the actual reality. It enables them to disconnect from the impact their decisions are having on others. This can do untold damage to those affected and it creates a trust gap. This inevitably leads to loss of motivation, morale and productivity.

It is our job as communicators to ensure the lines of communication remain open and functioning, especially after a crisis. Whatever the reflection, if it is seen and understood it can be dealt with. If self-deception reigns the consequences will be serious.

Useful Google App for creating professional diagrams

2011-02-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

Drawing diagrams can be a hassle. Representing your ideas in a professional manner can take considerable time. Not any more. If you use Google Chrome you can download one of its apps ‘Lovely Charts’ to make creating charts child’s play. Its very simple drag ‘n drop mechanism allows you to create professional looking diagrams including flowcharts, site maps and organisational charts in a simple easy manner.

The software is free to use as long as you are only using one diagram at a time. If you need to store multiple diagrams which you may wish to edit to can subscribe for a monthly fee of approx €3. You can check it out- like I said its free and may save you a lot of time.

Companies using social media are making more money, says McKinsey

2011-02-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

Interesting research from McKinsey suggests that companies using social media or “collaborative Web 2.0 technologies” are achieving higher profits.

This makes the case for a return on investment, a question that is often asked by senior management as well as public relations professionals trying to get to grips with social media as part of PR 2.0. It seems to show that companies that are starting to do it well are being rewarded for their efforts. More than that, it says those that fail to implement social media could be making a “critical mistake”.

McKinsey says these “networked enterprise” are gaining significantly improved performance and are not “only more likely to be market leaders or to be gaining market share”, but also use management practices that lead to margins higher than those of companies using the web in more limited ways.

“I’m eating my cookie” – a new way to say no comment? I don’t think so!

2011-02-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

In the era of social media every comment is on the record. Some spokespersons are learning this the hard way.

In Canada Alberta’s hospitals ran out of beds. The public was upset about the long emergency room wait times and the press came looking for answers. Dr. Stephen Duckett, CEO of the Alberta government agency with responsibility for the health of more than 3.5 million Canadians, was targeted by the press to answer their questions. Unfortunately, he was not in the mood to answer any questions and was in fact more interested in eating his cookie. Instead of expressing his full commitment to improving the situation he gave this interview. This interview got him fired!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DxeCK5Ne_Q&playnext=1&list=PL0FDD15D77ADFC1E2

Consultation Guidelines

2011-02-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

Was involved in a public consultation recently and I found a very useful document online on http://www.betterregulation.ie/eng/Publications/Reaching_Out_-_Guidelines_on_Consultation_for_Public_Sector_Bodies.html . The guidelines are designed for public sector organisations but I think they would be useful for any organisation involved in public consultation. In easy to read language and with useful checklists it may be a good document to have in your communications toolkit.

A rare comparison of the major social media monitoring services available.

2011-01-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

Do you feel you need some help listening to everything that is being said in the social media space about your company or clients? Do you feel a little at sea? This article might be exactly what you are looking for it details many the major monitoring companies, the services they provide and how much they cost. I very good read if you are thinking of moving into this space. http://www.socialmedia.biz/2011/01/12/top-20-social-media-monitoring-vendors-for-business/

A fairytale with no happy ending. Social media can only do so much!

2011-01-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

Recently, Ted Williams demonstrated the power of social media when a Youtube video of him, a homeless man with a golden voice went viral, generating over 12 million hits in its first days. The job offers came flying in and it looked as if the fairytale was coming true. However, reports that he has been arrested after an altercation with his daughter suggests that this fairytale may not have a happy ending. You can see the video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaGLDKBE8Ho

Keeping up to date on the best gadgets – they might aid your internal communication – or not!

2011-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Top ten gadgets from the Consumer Electronics Show 2011

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has wrapped up for another year, leaving scores of profoundly hungover tech journalists to make their weary way home. But which devices were getting the most buzz this year? We round up ten of the best, most exciting gadgets from CES 2011.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/852261-top-ten-gadgets-from-ces-2011#ixzz1Alb6cvuJ

How do you know if your staff understand the organisation's strategy?

2011-01-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

I found a very interesting book which struck a cord with me as it outlines the basic information that must be effectively communicated to staff in order for them to understand the organisation’s strategy. Often strategy and big picture concepts are obvious to management but not obvious employees. The consequences of this lack of understanding are extremely costly as employees can’t commit to achieving a strategy they don’t understand. It is an important job of every senior managers’ role to ensure that employees understand the big picture.

The book The Executive Guide to High-Impact Talent Management, published by McGraw-Hill outlines how senior managers can assess their staffs’ understand of the big picture. It suggests that the CEO and all senior managers ask their employees the following questions:

1. Who are the customers or customer segments we serve, listed in priority order?

2. What are the services we provide now and which ones, if any, need to change as we implement the current strategy?

3. What is our value proposition and how does it set us apart in the marketplace?

4. Which environmental trends/issues (such as market, economic, societal, political or environmental) are important to our strategy?

5. What are three things your department is doing (and/or doing differently) to support the strategy?

These questions get at the intent behind the strategy. The book argues that if staff know the answers to these questions they will be in a good position to execute the strategy. The book is certainly an interesting read to start the new year.

The train has left the station – are your prepared. What companies need to know about social media.

2011-01-05T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Nestle media storm is a good example of how companies no longer own their own brand. The reality is the customers now own the brand along with the marketers. When customers on facebook posted negative comments about Nestle using Palm oil in many of its products the brand reacted in the old fashioned manner as if they still controlled their brand and it backfired spectacularly.

The messages for those of us advising management about embarking into the realm of social media are simple.

The train has already left the station when it comes to social media. Even if your organisation or client is not participating in social media their customers are and they will find ways to express their satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Not having a presence on social media will not stop the revolution or the rants about an organisation.
Customers have never liked being treated poorly, treated as fools, or being short-changed. But instead of just telling one or two people, they can tell hundreds even thousands through social media. Word of mouth has become world of mouth.
Make sure that those in the c-suite are aware of the rules of engagement when it comes to social media. Social media has completely different rules to conventional marketing and branding. Social media is not a press release or an advertisement.
Social media is not a one-way street. It is a two-way conversation with very many partners. Some of these partners may never be your organisations fans. Social media is all about building relationships and building trust.
As we’ve learned from Nestle, people don’t want to be scammed, ignored or mistreated. So if your exec or client wants social media to become a positive tool, the brand must be a concerned good listener prepared to take action to correct situations that aren’t right.

Women in the C-suite

2010-12-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

Women in the C-suite

Some interesting facts:

Women hold about 15 percent of Fortune 500 board seats;

Of the top 300 European companies, women make up about 12 percent of boards;

In Asia, 1.8 percent of board slots are taken by women; and

In Australia, women directors fill about 9 percent of corporate board seats.

Corporate Social Responsibility Index

2010-11-11T13:35:00.001-08:00

The 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility Index, developed by theBoston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and the Reputation Institute shows the following companies in the top 25 positions:

Johnson & Johnson
The Walt Disney Company
Kraft Foods Inc.
Microsoft
PepsiCo
Apple
Hershey Company
SC Johnson
Kellogg
Google
Caterpillar
Intel
Publix Super Markets Inc.
JC Penney
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Campbell Soup Company
Marriott International
Anheuser-Busch InBev
UPS
Adobe
AmerisourceBergen
General Mills
Clorox
Eastman Kodak
Fidelity Investments

Bush on YouTube - How not to use video.

2010-10-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Having just finished a webinar with the Public Relations Institute of Ireland on how to effectively use video in PR I was interested to find out that George W Bush had also recently embraced the idea. The results however were not what we had spoken about during our webinar. The Bush video produced to promote his upcoming memoirs is painfully dull. It is three minutes long and I would challenge you to get through half of it. If you'd like to take up the challenge you can do so by clicking on this link .

4 elements that will ensure your pitch gets ignored

2010-10-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

According to the Wall Street Journal there are 4 elements that can ensure your pitch goes straight to the delete/ trashcan if you include them. These elements are as follows:

Introducing your mail with “Dear Morning Ireland” or ”Dear Morning Ireland presenter”- that tells the person receiving the mail that you have not taken time to research their show. This doesn't bode well for the amount of effort put into the rest of the pitch if this basic element is incorrect or sloppy.
“Greetings!” "Hello All" -Automatic delete. Just a general e-mail.
“Using the phrase ‘Breaking News’ -According to the Wall Street Journal this is one of the most over used and mis-used statements and is incredibly frustrating as most of what is termed 'breaking news' is anything but.
Listing the other media that have already expressed an interest in the topic or the guest. Everyone in media wants to feel like we’re getting somebody unique not getting the left overs from the party. They all want to know how your story is relevant to them and their listeners, viewers or readers. You need to do your research in advance and sell the angle most suitable for the person/show you are pitching to.

Poorly crafted pitches or lazy pitches do you no good in the short term and may also do you long term damage. The liklihood of the same reporter opening one of your future e-mails diminishes if they have a bad encounter with you at the start.

If you'd like more tips on how to create a winning pitch read this interview with the Gordon Deal a reporter with the Wall Street Journal.

Inviting criticism in order to engage employees

2010-10-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

Even if you have a brilliant new business strategy or communications strategy it is not likely to succeed unless your senior management and your organisation's employees buy into the idea. But with so much information coming at people in the workplace, how do you engage employees with a new proposal? In the information overloaded society in which we operate this is a very valid question.

Leadership guru John P Kotter certainly has a novel approach to getting employees attention. Kotter's new book, Buy-In (Harvard Business Press), promotes encouraging employees to criticise your plans. This certainly seems a strange way to get buy in but Kotter argues that it can be a valuable way to get employees to engage with you. In his book he also explains how to deal with this criticism when it comes and how this can build engagement lead to successful implementation.

criticism

Turbo-boost your Facebook

2010-09-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Do you want to know how to use apps to promote your business on Facebook? This site Social Media Examiner has a great article on apps you can download to really enhance your Facebook.

Looking for a great book on how to be a speechwriter?

2010-09-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

If you are in the market for a book that gives you great advice on how to be a great speechwriter then, ‘The Political Speechwriter’s Companion: A guide for writers and speakers’ may well be the book you are looking for. You could put it as the first item on your Christmas list!

Written by Al Gore's former speechwriter, Robert Lehrman, the book is a comprehensive guide to speechwriting. It covers:

The best way to structure a political speech
The importance of researching stories to illuminate a speech
Techniques to make a speech memorable
Numerous checklists for many aspects of a speech

Happy reading and writing!

The all-round leader: from east to west

2010-09-19T04:41:00.000-07:00

Harvard Business School is embracing the idea of "mindful leadership”, a process that develops self-awareness and self-compassion in leaders.

A tradition that comes from the East, namely Tibet, is thought to be a tradition from which western leaders could benefit. The Harvard Business School Professor, Bill George, who is pioneering work in this area believes that leaders who don't develop self-awareness are subject to becoming seduced by external rewards, such as power, money, and recognition.

Leaders with low emotional intelligence (EQ) often lack self-awareness and self-compassion, which can lead to a lack of self-regulation. This also makes it very difficult for them to feel compassion and empathy for others. Thus, they struggle to establish sustainable, authentic relationships.

Leaders who have low emotional intelligence (EQ) can also often feel a pressure to be so perfect that they cannot admit vulnerabilities and acknowledge mistakes. This difficulty acknowledging mistakes is an Achilles' heel that has crippled a number of CEOs who have appeared in the news recently. Some of the difficulties of Hewlett-Packard, British Petroleum, CEOs of failed Wall Street firms, and dozens of leaders who failed in the post-Enron era are examples of this.

If you’d like to learn more about “mindful leadership” the following books are recommended. Jon Kabat-Zinn's book Wherever You Go, There You Are, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche's books The Joy of Living and Joyful Wisdom and Bill George’s book True North .

Implications of social media for your organisation

2010-07-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

This artice I wrote for Health Manager examines the implications of social media for the health service. The implications are equally relevant to all types of organisations. Ensuring you and your employees are living your brand is more important than ever. Building two-way communication with your employees is essential. You can read the article here.

Lack of employee trust – a cause for concern.

2010-07-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Many employee focus groups and interviews I have undertaken demonstrate that many organisations suffer from a lack of trust. Employees don’t trust their leaders to follow through on what they say or to give them the facts in a clear and simple manner.

If you are looking to rebuild trust within your organisation, start by opening up two-way conversation channels with your employees, to find out what is really on their minds.

These simple steps are the first along to the path to building an effective internal communication strategy and building employee morale and motivation.

-M.B.W.A (Manage By Walking About) Leaders need be frequently visible to employees.

- Employees should have opportunities to ask questions and offer input. An electronic question and answer forum is very useful for this.

- Communications needs to address the major questions on employees’ minds. Employees also need to know that their leaders will share the good, the bad and the ugly news without spinning.

- Consistent messages will be identified and communicated frequently and persistently. These should be linked to your organisation’s strategy and what the organisation wishes to achieve, and most importantly, how employees can play an important role in achieving these changes.

- Train your managers and middle managers how to communicate effectively with their staff. I run training workshops with organizations on this issue and the results are very fulfilling for both managers and staff.

- Ask staff for the feedback about the new communication channels. This measurement will be the key to you winning more management support.

You can also use the feedback from staff to build a communication strategy that reflects the reality of your own organisation.

Money is not your employees main motivator

2010-07-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

I discovered this great 11 minute video, with fantastic illustrations, that argues that money is not the main motivator for employees. It argues that the carrot and stick approach only works in certain circumstances but fails a majority of the time when cognitive skills come into play. The case is very well made and is worth noting if your organisation is considering introducing a financial recognition and reward scheme.

Check is out on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&feature=player_embedded#!

What are your views?

Organisational culture

2010-07-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

“The way we do things around here” often defines culture. So, how do you instil culture in an organisation. Edgar Schein in his book “Organizational Culture and Leadership” provides some clues.

He outlines the Primary Embedding Mechanisms for establishing culture as:

· What leaders pay attention to, measure, and control on a regular basis

· How leaders react to critical incidents and organizational crises

· How leaders allocate resources

· Deliberate role modeling, teaching, and coaching

· How leaders allocate rewards and status

· How leaders recruit, select, promote and excommunicate

Going too far: Utah Attorney General Tweets Execution

2010-07-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff gave twitter a real morbid twist when he tweeted about Utah inmate Ronnie Lee Gardner’s execution by firing squad.
Shurtleff actually posted not one, not two, but three tweets.
Do you want to read them? Click on the link below.

Number One
A solemn day. Barring a stay by Sup Ct, & with my final nod, Utah will use most extreme power & execute a killer. Mourn his victims. Justice

Number Two:
I just gave the go ahead to Corrections Director to proceed with Gardner’s execution. May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims.

And finally, number three:
We will be streaming live my press conference as soon as I’m told Gardner is dead. Watch it at www.attorneygeneral.Utah.gov/live.html

I think we can conclude that Shurtleff is certainly a master of self-promotion (his tweets got coverage around the globe) but is this right?

Fostering Start-ups at University

2010-07-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

You can see why universities want to get foster potentially breakthrough research projects when you see could be on offer. The ultimate example of a university that has truly benefited from fostering a start-up was Stanford University. One of Google’s main assets, the Page Rank patient, is owned by Stanford University. When the initial public offering took place for Google on August 18, 2004, one of the big winners was Stanford University. When the IPO was complete, their shares were worth approximately $179.5 million. Stanford cashed in some of its assets immediately raising a cool $15.6million overnight. Nice work!

Employee newsletter -- print or online?

2010-07-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

E.newsletters or e-zines are fast becoming the favoured method of producing newsletters. So is it the solution all newsletter producers have been looking for?

The e-zine certainly has many advantages. It’s easy to create and can be done as the news comes in rather than waiting til the end of the month and gathering all the information together for layout. They can be great for both internal and external audiences and e-zines are sometimes favoured by employees who are desk based and who use computers regularly. The other great advantage is that with most e-zine applications you can track results and see how many people have opened the newsletter and which articles they have read. This can be very useful information in shaping your communication message in the future.

The big drawback however is obvious – your newsletter is no longer printed in hard copy. If staff members are acknowledged they like to take home a hard copy. Printing the online version just isn’t the same. The other disadvantage is that it is less portable. Staff can no longer pick up the newsletter on the way into the canteen and flick through it over coffee, it is no longer left in staff areas where someone with a few spare moments can pick it up and read. Also sometimes staff may share access to a computer and therefore do not have time to sit down and spend 15minutes reading the newsletter.

In the end, it really depends on your audience. If a majority of your audience have access to a computer it can be very beneficial. If this is not the case, there is little point moving online.

Corporate events; scrap or save.

2010-07-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of debate, given the current economic climate, surrounding whether large corporate events should be scraped in order to cut costs. Some marketing and communication experts urge the scrapping of the big ‘set piece’ events. However, others argue that these events are much more than the sum of their parts – they are part of the organisation’s culture and can contribute to building and maintaining employee engagement.

I think Leandro Herrero, a management thinker I read, expresses it well when we says, "[Events] serve the extra-functionality of any ritual: they create a glue, a link, a sense of belonging (even if temporary), a ‘reason d’être’, a door to get through, a point in the calendar that provides some sort of meaning, a punctuation in time, ‘something to go to’, or to ‘get through’”.

I agree, I vote to save.

A new way of saying 'no comment'

2010-06-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

To storm out of an interview with a print reporter or editorial board is one thing, but to walk out on a taped television interview—that is not good PR! This is however, exactly what New York State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. did. Following questions regarding his place of residence and that amount he claimed in expenses - Yes, other countries have these debates too - Senator Espada left the station. It is certainly a novel way of saying "no comment." Check out Espada in action and see what you think.

Leadership post recession - CEO's views

2010-06-25T17:09:00.001-07:00

The “2010 Global IBM CEO Study” was recently published, it’s one of the largest one-on-one CEO interview studies, surveying 1,541 CEOs, general managers and senior public sector leaders from 60 countries and across 33 industries. The four primary findings of this year’s survey are as follows:

More than half of CEOs doubt their ability to manage the new complexities of the marketplace as the economy moves from recession to recovery.
CEO’s ranked creativity as the most important leadership quality. They believe that creative leaders will take more risks, find more innovative ways of leading change in their organisations and encourage experimentation and innovation.
CEO’s say they are identifying new ways to keep in touch with their customers and using more research and data analysis. Improving communication is key to this.

Videos in PR and Internal Communications

2010-06-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Video is coming the newest tool in the professional communicators arsenal. So how do you decide if you should use video to promote you client or organisation? If you consider that You Tube is the second most used search engine, you can see why it is worth while putting your videos on this media.

A video release can really add to a press release if you have something visual to display.
Before and after, videos are also very effective to demonstrate the benefits of your product or service.
If your video is entertaining it may even go viral and the rewards can be huge.
Piece to camera interviews with employees living the company brand or strategy can transform a boring document into a real life example.

Just creating video is not the only step necessary. You must craft a video that responds to the wants and needs of your audience. Your audience is looking for solutions to problems and questions. It’s your job to ensure your videos provides solutions, answer questions and lead your audience where you want them to go.

Leaving Cert supervisor's tweets lead to sacking

2010-06-25T16:21:00.001-07:00

A Leaving Certificate supervisor was fired from his post early in the exams for twitting during the exams. Since the event the twitter account of the supervisor who was sacked has been deleted.

That Stinks: Hospital employee fired after writing about toilets on Facebook

2010-06-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

John Beaurain, an electrician at a Cape Town hospital, was fired for posting photos of blocked toilets on Facebook. Management warned him to stop publishing his stories. He claimed the c=blocked toilets were a health hazard writing, "the air conditioning system is totally rotten as a result of the blocked toilets". His dismissal is being appealed.

BP - Putting the spin into the spill

2010-06-17T13:33:00.001-07:00

BP is a company name that is fast becoming synonymous with corporate incompetence. While BP insist they are doing all they can to keep the public informed of the situation without putting any spin on the spill, public opinion is fast turning against them.

BP’s disagreements with scientists about the amount of oil gushing from the deep-water well, supposedly underestimating the amount by several hundred percent, does not show them in a positive light.

Trying to turn off the live video feed of the oil gusher was also seen by critics as yet another example of BP putting the spin on the story.

Add to this the fact that BP recently referred to Gulf Coast residents as 'small people' (a translation error apparently- the executive is Swedish!) and BP are in serious difficulty on the PR front.

Interestingly, the PR battle is also ragging in social networking forums. A fake BP Twitter page has shown the up hill battle organisations face in a crisis. One of the tweets @BPGlobalPR read: "We are dedicated to helping the wildlife in the gulf. Any birds that need cleaning must report to 287 Quartemain St, Baton Rouge, LA 70801".

Getting C-Suite buy-in

2010-06-15T13:31:00.001-07:00

Without buy-in from the your organisations top management, corporate communication managers are likely to have less success in promoting effective communication within the organisation.

For this reason it is imperative to have a strategic communications plan with SMART (strategic, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed) objectives. When the C-suite is presented with tangible results; solid and accurate measurement that objectively portrays the degree to which communication is effective in the organisation, their perceptions of communication as a 'soft skill' change.

Too often communication’s potential power is lost because the critical strategic planning phase is not followed. And the reality is that to get the attention of top management communicators must speak in the facts and figures language of other successful business disciplines.

5 Reasons to use social media

2010-06-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Monitor what's being said on Twitter using RSS
Set-up an RSS reader to stay on top of what's being said about your company or organisation, industry news and opportunities in the marketplace
Generate and read a Google Analytics report
Search blogs for comments. You can use the converation prisim for this.
Then subscribe to the RSa for that search so you only have to do it once

Measurement in internal communication: Tell the uncomfortable truth without getting fired.

2010-06-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

You may know that your organisation’s employee staff briefings are not up to scratch. The content is weak and the attendance is poor.

You know this fact, the employees know it and the managers in the organisation know it. Maybe the boss also knows it but as no-one addresses the issue it continues as is. No-one seems prepared to take a stand.

This is where you come in. As internal communications manager it is up to you to ensure that communication with staff is effective. However, it is understandable that you do not want to be a lone voice telling it as it is. So, before you stand up and wave your arms …measure.

Measurement of staff briefings can be very simple. Distribute a simple feedback form to every member of staff as they enter the briefing and collect them as they leave. They can be anonymous or staff can give their names, that doesn’t matter. The important element is that you have their feedback. You’ll be amazed at the information they provide.

Armed with this information you can address the issues surrounding the briefings with the boss and not get fired. You are not just waltzing into the boss’s office and giving your opinion. You have collected staff views and are bringing powerful feedback and communication from the grassroots upwards.

You can now say with confidence that 80% of staff who attended the briefing reported that they didn’t receive the information they wanted in relation to the business plan. 30% of staff reported dissatisfaction with the topics up for discussion. Topics staff wanted addressed included: how to address absenteeism and the timelines and targets staff have to meet in order to meet the organisation’s objectives.

This puts you in a strategic position as the person with their finger on the pulse of the organisation. This puts you in a powerful position as a change agent in the organisation.

The other great thing about this type of measurement is that when improvements are made you can clearly demonstrate the improvements in an equally reliable manner. And that is a nice place to be!

TUNA is no use to your organisation

2010-06-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Could your internal communication with staff could be categorised as TUNA: Totally, Uninteresting, News and Admin. If this summarises your internal communication it is very likely that staff will simply ignore the messages. Worse if the messages are sent via email staff will just simply delete them without even looking at them.

Try using storytelling to get your message across. This entails using real life stories to illustrate your message. It is even better if you can use staff examples. It is also worth considering using your staff's screen savers as a way to convey key strategic messages. This means that when the computer is inactive for a period your key messages appear. It can be a very effective manner to unobtrusively get your message to staff. Like the continuous drops of water on a stone, the effect will be noticeable over time.

Social Media may have saved lives in Cumbria

2010-06-06T07:11:00.001-07:00

Last week on 2nd June 2010 a series of shootings took place in Cumbria. Lucky for many the police used their twitter account to alert people to the danger. Their first message was "Urgent public message - Shots fired in Whitehaven". Traditional methods of communication would have been more time consuming and would have been slower to reach a large audience. The police therefore decided to use twitter, a channel that can be used by anyone at anytime. Their Twitter account is available on http://twitter.com/cumbriapolice.

This crisis demonstrates the importance and benefits of being social media savvy in a crisis. Organisations would be well advised to develop their social media accounts and to incorporate their use in their crisis plans and crisis management planning.

Why we may get tired of social media: 5 reasons

2010-01-19T15:47:00.000-08:00

Warning: these may make you laugh!
1. Too many passwords. We thought we already had enough passwords to remember with online banking.
2. Being ‘Facebooked’ by old college flames under the guise of ‘networking’ or ‘business’.
3. Self esteem and morale plummet as we realise we only have a handful of followers on twitter.
4. Everybody seems to be talking about how great LinkedIn is for networking. The only people we know on LinkedIn are our colleagues.
5. Our social workload is fast becoming another 40-hour-per-week occupation. However, it’s not paid.

Employee engagement

2009-11-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

Effective communication and employee engagement go hand in hand. This is encouraging news for those involved in internal communication as the Towers Perrin's 2003 study of over 35,000 employees said that only 17 percent of the respondents to their survey were "actively engaged" in their jobs, while 19 percent were "actively disengaged." That left 64 percent who were "moderately engaged." These findings reflect similary findings by the Gallup Organization which showed that that 16 percent of employees were engaged, 69 percent not engaged and 15 percent actively disengaged.

CEO leadership in communication

2009-11-25T13:33:00.001-08:00

The support of your CEO is essential to the communication process.
What leaders pay attention to tends to get the attention of the entire organisation.
In supporting communication the CEO must agree that everything he/she does and says both formally and informally will reinforce the importance of communication. If not everything he/she does demonstrates commitment to communication staff and managers in particular will become sceptical about the importance of communication. For example, if the CEO turns up late to staff briefings, is unprepared, or lets their phone ring during the meeting, the message this conveys is that communication is not really important, it is quite important but when more pressing issues arise it takes a back seat.

Are you a strategic manager?

2009-11-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

Strategic and high performing internal communicators are consulted on:
∎High level strategy long- term
∎Strategic advocacy globally
∎Growth planned, acquisitions
∎New products, services; ROI
∎Sales & marketing strategy
∎Current affairs: now, future
∎Business reputation, branding
∎Stakeholder relations (all)
∎Employee engagement, culture.

Talk Internal Comms & Social Media

2012 Edelman Trust Barometer, what does it mean for internal comms?

Highly effective communicators are making greater use of social media than their less- effective peers

They are not really social media 'experts'

Top five powerpoint presentation annoyances

Making speeches memorable – some tips!

Steve Jobs died at age 56

Poor training!

What motivates employees?

Book recommendations

Role of CSR in organisations - does it impact on organisational culture?

Euprera 2011

Editing tool now available on YouTube

Bathroom talk - the new employee communication tool

Riots in the UK - interesting case study.

Customers can boost employee engagement

Hear what your employees are really saying

Employee Focus Groups: Five Tips

Which change model is best?

Speaking the language of leaders.

Isn’t Honesty the Only Policy?

Obama now tweets live

Build Excitement and Engagement about Town Halls meetings

The Power of Storytelling in Organisational Communication

Why Leaders Lose Their Way - Ethical Issues

Jonah Lehrer - Speaker at IABC World Conference

IABC World Conference

From here to America - more elections.

The Flip has flopped

EuroComm 2011 - Fantastic learning

Working for you, isn't working for me.

Harvard Business School has proven the effectiveness of storytelling - but how do we use this tool?

Front line supervisors are employees preferred source of communication, right?

Twenty Best Companies for Leadership

Three steps to building a better top team

Leaders and Self-deception

Useful Google App for creating professional diagrams

Companies using social media are making more money, says McKinsey

Interesting research from McKinsey suggests that companies using social media or “collaborative Web 2.0 technologies” are achieving higher profits.

“I’m eating my cookie” – a new way to say no comment? I don’t think so!

Consultation Guidelines

A rare comparison of the major social media monitoring services available.

A fairytale with no happy ending. Social media can only do so much!

Keeping up to date on the best gadgets – they might aid your internal communication – or not!

How do you know if your staff understand the organisation's strategy?

The train has left the station – are your prepared. What companies need to know about social media.

Women in the C-suite

Corporate Social Responsibility Index

Bush on YouTube - How not to use video.

4 elements that will ensure your pitch gets ignored

Inviting criticism in order to engage employees

Turbo-boost your Facebook

Looking for a great book on how to be a speechwriter?

The all-round leader: from east to west

Implications of social media for your organisation

Lack of employee trust – a cause for concern.

Money is not your employees main motivator

Organisational culture

Going too far: Utah Attorney General Tweets Execution

Fostering Start-ups at University

Employee newsletter -- print or online?

Corporate events; scrap or save.

A new way of saying 'no comment'

Leadership post recession - CEO's views

Videos in PR and Internal Communications

Leaving Cert supervisor's tweets lead to sacking

That Stinks: Hospital employee fired after writing about toilets on Facebook

BP - Putting the spin into the spill

Getting C-Suite buy-in

5 Reasons to use social media

Measurement in internal communication: Tell the uncomfortable truth without getting fired.

TUNA is no use to your organisation

Social Media may have saved lives in Cumbria

Why we may get tired of social media: 5 reasons

Employee engagement

CEO leadership in communication

Are you a strategic manager?