Communication ROI

Why Are We Afraid of Employees and Customers?

2008-11-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

Ahhh... the myth of message control. When I speak to clients about effective communication I often hear three reasons for limiting feedback and especially the use of social media.

1. Legal / management does not want to open us up to risk

2. We can't afford the tools

3. It's just a waste of time and/or a forum for whiners

While there are nuggets for concern in each of these they are mostly convenient excuses. Excuses not to change or educate oneself and excuses not to learn.

There are a few easy ways to get started . First you have to make friends with your legal team - make sure that the proper protocols are in place. Working with legal upgrade your Internet usage policies so employees understand the “rules of engagement” in using social media.

Encourage your hiring managers to engage with new hires before their first day. You can dip your toe in the social media waters easily by creating a site for new hires. Let them explore your company on a secure site - introduce them to one another. Let them sign up for benefits before they arrive (what a hideous way to spend a first day slogging through benefits).

Or start by creating a "Facebook" type of application to create your on-line employee directory. People can find one another through mutual interests or experiences. This type of application can actually increase productivity by helping people find the information or skills needed.

Set up a wiki to help create a new policy or process development.

None of this is hard... it's not as scary as jumping into Twitter or Yammer. None of it is particularly expensive either.

No need to be afraid. Just take a few small steps and you'll soon be blogging, twittering and yammering with the rest of us.

Kathryn

(And if you want to read what the "whiners" and others are already saying about your company head out to glassdoor.com)

What About My Pay?

2008-11-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

A recent flash survey by Watson Wyatt showed that over one third of the respondents planned to increase employee communication regarding compensation in the next 12 months.

Why? Several reasons - the most important being impact of the current economy on merit or incentive pay. Others having to do with performance differentiation and options.

No matter the economic conditions companies want to keep and motivate their top performers. And those top performers are asking about pay. Clarifying performance expectations and career opportunity is critical to retention and motivation. Effective management communication makes the difference.

How many of your employees don’t really know what to expect from managerial communications? Their questions may seem clear-cut: Where do I fit into the organization? What is expected of me? How can I grow my career and financial opportunities? Are there still opportunities in this economic environment? But the answers are not always easy or clear for managers and employees. Watson Wyatt research shows that getting these conversations right is pivotal to an organization’s success.
Research has also found that helping managers communicate effectively — in essence, have better conversations with their employees — is a fundamental “secret of success.”
So where do you start?

Encouraging managers to communicate better immediately brings training to mind. The Watson Wyatt 2007/2008 Communication ROI Study™ shows that high-performing companies are much more likely than their peers to provide managers formal training in interpersonal communication skills and internal communication strategy and process so they can help employees understand expectations and deal with change.
However, to make communication flow between managers and employees, a clear understanding of jobs, career paths and the links to reward opportunities is crucial for both managers and employees.
One way to create the openness needed for increased dialogue is to transition to a global career framework. One that clarifies relative positions (allowing much smoother mobility across divisions and geographies) and also streamlines job titles.

One company had a rule in the '80's that you could not use the executive dining room unless "Managing Director" was part of your title. Twenty years later they had hundreds of these (now irrelevant) titles. Many of the title holders weren't managing anything (and that dining room no longer existed). But those titles continued to hold an emotional value. Doing the hard work of creating a transparent framework helps eliminate the mystery surrounding positions and career growth.

Once a better structure is in place, how does manager communication improve? Pretty simple really, it enhances understanding so managers can have more effective career conversations. It also allows managers to set realistic expectations for where jobs fit in an organization and managers move from interpreting individual career opportunities to advising employees how to understand and navigate the framework information.

It's easy to say you'll cut back on "discretionary" programs in these uncertain times. But if you want to keep your top performers engaged you'll increase managerial effectiveness and pull back the curtain on career opportunity.

Research shows that companies who do this will have a clear advantage - even now.

Finding the Right Voice

2008-11-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

I am sick and tired of the endless stiffness and frequent irrelevance of corporate communication. I loathe it. I've written it. Sometimes it's the only way to get something through an approval juggernaut. Think employees read it, embrace the message and change their behavior as hoped?

We know better.

When you're measuring outputs instead of outcomes poundage makes you feel you've done your job. It gives you an excuse to keep cranking out the same old boring and not-so-credible stuff. You point to activity as if it counted for something. It reminds me of those whiney people who natter on about how hard they are working or how hard they tried. I don't really care. If you've put in an 80-hour week and long hours are all you can show for it you'd be much better off (and healthier) by putting in half the time and getting somewhere.

I'm not much for wittiness for its own sake either it can be wildly inappropriate or mildly off-putting. Good speech-writers know to use the right tone or voice at the right time for the right audience. They understand that the speech isn't about a speaker sharing all they know. A good speech understands what the audience will likely "hear" and uses tone and story to reinforce key messages.

How do you find the right voice? Start with the end in mind. Ask yourself why. Why are you writing something? Why is a change program being put in place? If the world were perfect what would happen because of this (your project here)? Who are the critical people to reach? What's their demographic? Who is speaking? (And if you are tempted to answer "corporate" please re-read the first sentence.)

Kathryn

The Upside of the Downturn

2008-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

Gird your loins people it's time to be a leader. And what might that mean in this environment?

If you advise or are a senior executive keep these basic communication tenets in mind:

Be a leader. Leaders don’t have to have all the answers. Tell employees what you know and what you don’t. Explain the steps the organization is taking to identify issues and resolve problems. Knowing senior executives are there to lead through uncertain economic times is crucial to your people.
Show your strengths. Reinforce the core competencies and values that make your organization successful. Talk about how they will help the organization thrive in the future.
Be visible. Credibility, conviction and passion are important messages that only actual presence can convey. Employees can benefit from seeing engaged and informed senior leaders through Webcasts or other interactive vehicles.
Use your team. Make sure the management team knows how and what to communicate, and that no one is a bystander. Limit potential damage from leaders’ informal conversations that are overheard and ripple through every organization.
Coordinate. Coordinate your internal and external messages. Employees should hear company news from the company first - whenever possible.
Share responsibility. Be clear about what you want your managers and your workforce to do. People want to help — tell them how. It’s never a bad time to reinforce customer focus.
Give up the myth of message control. Find ways to listen to what is on employees’ minds. Monitor the press and social media for what is being said about your company and your industry. Have a process for quickly developing and distributing answers to rumors and for clarifying inaccurate statements.
Be humane. Some employees are experiencing personal trauma from falling 401(k) account balances and home prices. Acknowledge their pain and make them aware of the resources at their disposal, such as the company’s Employee Assistance Plan.
Be authentic. This is the time to use a personal voice vs. the formal "corporate speak" many dis-trust. If you are an awkward public speaker set up small sessions. If you're stiff on video pick someone to interview you that puts you at ease.
Realize the job is never done. One town hall meeting or newsletter won't do it. Use multiple ways to reach people and keep reaching out.

This is the time to show your true leadership. It's a lot easier when it's all light and happy - it's now when leaders at all levels can show their stuff.

Kathryn

Communication to Lead Employees Through Financial Crisis

2008-11-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

My team at Watson Wyatt and I have been hearing from clients a lot recently. "What are other companies doing?" "How do I convince the senior leaders to speak up / be more visible?" As a former operations executive and the current global head of this communication practice… I have a few things to say.

If you are an organizational communication professional (or play one on TV) you already know you've got to focus on maintaining employee morale and productivity during times of financial crisis. Some senior management may want to bar the doors and stay in small, comfortable teams running financial scenarios. But no deal -they need to step out of the meeting room now and address employee fears. You need to convince them to be actively visible and to communicate clearly on topics concerning employees: things like the economic impact on the industry and company, the safety of the pension plan, 401(k) investments and job security. Employees want to help. They want to know where to focus their energy and how best to spend their time. It's time to step up.

I can hear the howling now. "We can't say anything about 401K investments. We can't give employees special company performance information - it's illegal." The current turmoil in financial markets is obviously a distraction to workers, so while companies can't advise their employees about their investments, they can reassure them about the security of government-backed defined benefit pensions. Employers can also help their workers understand the implications of their 401(k) investment strategy, including the importance of saving, diversifying portfolios and taking a long-term perspective. And you can talk about industry impacts and the strategy your company has to manage through the crisis. Your employees are adults. Treat them like adults and unleash the power they can bring by enlisting their support. Ask them for help and ideas.

Sure there's compliance communication to manage. Yes there's pay-related fears to calm or address. But the real magic comes from engaging employees in helping your company weather the storm. They'll step up if your leadership team does.

Kathryn