Delivering Business Results Through Improved Internal Communications Conference

Delivering Business Results Through
Improved Internal Communications Conference
sponsored by Advanced Learning Institute

By Angela Dixon
Member,
Federal Communicators Network
U.S. Army Industrial Operations Command
Rock Island, IL

Conference Summary

The conference included both case study presentations and hands-on interactive workshops on internal communication. The focus was to provide tools that will help participants:

Lead change through all levels of an organization
Communicate to a diverse, global, or virtual workforce
Develop a communications program that motivates employees to think about the bottom line
Employ new technologies to enhance strategies and drive organizational performance
Evolve the role of communicators into the role of strategic partners
Manage crisis communications and support change
Align internal communications with management strategy

The first session began Sunday afternoon with Lester Potter. The topic was Developing & Implementing A Strategic Communication Plan Aligned with Management Strategy. He went over steps for a normal strategic plan and then steps for the communications strategic plan. First he reviewed the International Association of Business Communicators Excellence Study.
It found that five things that characterized excellence is:

Managers make policy decisions
Managers contribute to planning
Managers solve problems
Managers facilitate two-way communication
Managers use research

What is Strategic Planning?

The design of a desired future
Making and evaluating decisions
Taking or not taking certain actions
Tactical and operational plans (How to get things done)
Strategic plans (What shall be done)

Strategic plan

Part One is the needs analysis. This section includes such things as the history, products/services, market segments, function, mission, competition analysis and role of the organization in its trade area.

Part Two of the plan is the assumptions the company must make. Include what impacts will governmental programs, technology, economic and financial forces and values have on the organization.

Part Three deals with the strategic summary. This is where the entire plan comes together because it determines what you will actually do. It includes the life cycle of the product, strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats (SWOTs), industry attractiveness, growth/share matrix, key success factors, goals and objectives, competitive advantages/disadvantages, the strategy, tactics and action plans and return on investment.

Part Four is the contingency plans. This section will deal with what happens if things do not go as planned.

Strategic Communications Plan

The plan itself should consist of ten-steps: the executive summary, the communication process, background on the organization, the situation analysis, the plans overall message, a list of the stakeholders and publics, a message to the key stakeholders, implementation, the budget and measurement and evaluation of the plan.

Day 1

Initiate Best Practices for Internal Communications during Mergers & Acquisitions. John Clemmons, Director, Internal Communications at Ameritech
This presentation dealt with his experience on both sides of the merger equation - from the acquired company perspective and the one that buys. He explained the process Ameritech and SBC communication did to announce their merger. Upon the decision to merge, the first communication was quick and thorough. When employees arrived at their desks, they were greeted with an email from the chairman. They set up a breaking news site on the bulletin board to keep employees informed. The company also provided a signed letter by both CEOs to the employees' home within 48 hours.

They developed a basic philosophy and message for the communications program.
They created a playbook for top managers and executives that outlined key messages and tactics.
They made sure their internal and external messages were consistent.
They used every vehicle to reach employees and keep them informed. Including establishing a newsletter and a 1-800 line.

Steps to take if you are the buying company. Use the above techniques as well as three additional.

The first step is to take the lead to establish close contact with your counterparts at the acquired company.
Formally welcome the employees of the company that are joining you.
Keep senior management on message and on task.

Tell the truth.
Communicate early and often.
Prepare the CEO and managers to carry the message.
Learn about your target audience.
Use all available tools at your disposal. (email, voice mail, face-to-face, town hall meetings, 800 numbers, newsletters)

Overcoming Communication Challenges during Radical Change. Frances Duren, Caterpillar
Mr. Duren explained Caterpillar's approach to tell the workforce that in order to lower health costs, the company decided to have employees to pay health care premiums. The company developed a human resources communication program. They identified their specific objectives to ensure the right messages would get out to the workforce. They developed a train the trainer program and mailed letters to employees. They addressed the benefits of the premium plan and set up a 1-800 number for employees to call with questions. Mr. Duren said in order to drive change you need an effective communication structure, communication vision and goals, effective research and measurements and effective tactics. Their transition to the premium program was a success because of the upfront information.

Strategic Communications: A Powerful Force to Drive Change. Fran Tracher, Venator Group & Robin Walden, Stromberg Consulting
This presentation examined how Stromberg helped Venator use their company's approach to communication. Stromberg has a three-step process.

Formulate a strategic direction. Include communication mission, desired outcomes, critical success factors and guiding principles.
Create a communications approach. Include three to five key messages. Analyze the audience by using surveys, focus groups, and anecdotal information.
Finalize a communications plan. Decide on delivery mechanisms i.e. newsletters, face-to-face, other print material.

The presenters discussed how they used strategic communications to introduce a new computer system the organization was adopting. They made sure to answer what was the new concept, why they were doing it and how it will affect the employees. They introduced pens, mouse pads, memo pads and so on with the new systems logo to employees. They also used the meeting in a box concept that included everything from a video, feedback forms and step-by-step instructions on how to explain this to the workforce. They created a document called the project news update to explain the progress of implementation and other developments. The company created a comic book called discovery days to explain the system in a fun and appealing way to employees. Other products used were a series of posters and a newsletter. The staff measured feedback according to the audience needs and effectiveness of the communication. The tactics they used to measure included focus groups, surveys, evaluations and informal mechanisms.

Communicate all the news, including bad news.
Keep the information simple and concise - minimize technical jargon.
Revisit strategy regularly and make corrections.
Make key stakeholders your partners.

Coping With Crisis for a Global Brand. Melanie Brandman, Bass Hotels & Resorts
The presenter works in the hotel business and works with a large conglomerate of locations. Crises happen very frequently for them so she gave a little information on lessons she has learned. In preparing for a crisis, communicators should:

prepare and evaluate their internal communications process and know exactly what they need to do.
rewrite the communications manual and make sure to examine how a crisis will impact employees.
know how to use the plan and make sure management does also.
put the theories into practice. People should go through simulated crisis situations. Consistency is key and messages must reflect that.

How to Use Publications to Build Employee Trust & Loyalty. Sharyn Bearse, Merck & Co.
The presenter discussed how Merck uses its employee communications to built employee trust. Merck has a highly educated workforce, about 65 percent hold college degrees. The average age is 33 and over 50 percent of the employees have five years of service or less. They also have high loyalty, a turnover rage of 6 percent.

The daily newsletter is the most powerful tool. It has a balance of local and headquarters news. There is a paper copy and Internet copy.
The monthly magazine, the Merck World is a four-color 16-page magazine. It is mailed to employees' home. Both publications cover a wide range of topics.
Face-to-face communication, email, brochures, videos, breakfast with the chairman, satellite address to employees.

Strive for appropriately open communications.
Acknowledge other viewpoints.
Are consistent with other organizational communications.
Report communication on a timely basis, preferably as soon as you know.
Communicate not only what is happening, but why and how. Employees need to know the rationale underlying management decisions.

Think like your CEO. Understand the business.
Communicate the CEO's vision in terms everyone understands.
Be Brave: Be willing to advocate on behalf of your audience to management.
Think Ahead: Anticipate what your audience needs and prepare for it.

Leadership Communications: Driving Change Up, Down and Around the Organization. Tracy Doyle, The Limited, Inc.
This presenter discussed leadership communications and how it affects an organization.

What is leadership communications?
Leadership communication is a managed process to identify, train, and motivate leaders to deliver high impact messages and deal with the results.

It enables you to do whatever you want them to do.
Gain understanding.
Hold leaders accountable.
Set priorities.
Allocate resources.
Improve delivery of products to the marketplace.

Resource commitment.
Single-voice communication strategy.
Tactical approach equals hands-on buy-in.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Accountability.

Conference calls
E-mail updates
1-800 hotline
Townhall meetings
Meetings in a box
Executive summaries
Scorecards

On-going, strategically managed relationships.
Variety of media.
Two-way
Relevant: real-time, real facts

Find a leader(s).
Understand the environment.
Define the audience. Think big. Start small.
Find out what's on their minds.
Define messages.
Corner the tough issues.
Establish a benchmark (use a survey, research, or focus groups)
Play golf or go shopping.
Set a timeframe.
Gain active participation at all levels.

How to Build & Initiate a Powerful Change Agent Program: Leading Change throughout Your Organization. Joe Wienand, U.S. Department of Energy

What is a change agent? A change agent is respected by peers; a good communicator; positive about the future; works hard but has fun; is a respected by management; likes to share praise and recognition with others.

Key message. Employees that positively and enthusiastically communicate with their peers are the most powerful allies of your communication program.

How to find change agents. Look for someone in senior management who walks the talk. Solicit volunteers or have a brown bag lunch. Get the people excited about something so outline what you expect to accomplish. Provide basic presentation skills to the group.

Change summit format. Have a workshop with lots of interaction. It links personal values to the organization. Focus on results with tools to overcome obstacles. Communication to enroll others of the key to getting results.

How to make the program grow. Change agents can become a force of their own. It is essential to have a least one senior level management attention. Reinvigorate the program periodically.

Change agents can help your communication efforts.
Change agents can save money.
The change summits format works.
It can help link personal and corporate values.
Change agent's equal enthusiastic ambassadors of change.

Day 2

Communications as a Catalyst for Change. Chris Anderson, Royal Bank of America

Traditional Communications involves a series of vehicles and mechanisms through which information is shared with stakeholders. Includes videos, newsletters, townhall meetings, magazines and etc. Eighty percent of traditional communications are ineffective when measured by the impact on people's decisions to change behaviors.
New communications involves a process to help people make decisions to change behaviors in support of business objectives.

Royal Bank used the SAY/DO concept to determine if what they were saying matched up with what they were doing. The company conducted a survey and found that most people understood what they were saying regarding sustaining quality concerns, putting customers first and treating the staff respect. However, they found out that the employees felt that were not doing what they said they wanted to do regarding the above issues. Royal Bank developed 3 steps to help them reinvent communication for the next century.
Step 1: Institutionalize process of explanation to communicate business logic of change. Acknowledge what is changing, get participation from management, endorse a credible plan for change, try new skills and actively cooperate in the process.
Step 2: Sequence, align, translate and measure business actions to reflect strategy, values and change readiness.
Step 3: Change the role of traditional communications from "what is" to "how does it fit" - use face-to-face as your most powerful medium.

Business strategy is everything.
Content is prettier, but process counts.
Process can't begin without buy-in.
Employees are sophisticated consumers of information.
Face-to-face communication is your most powerful medium.
Action is communication and you can't spin action.
Your implementation plan is your communication plan.
Measure the do before the say.
To communicate, you must help people navigate change.
Communicators can't navigate the world in a kayak.

Communicating Strategically and Creatively to Drive Culture Change. Chris Gay, Nationwide Insurance
The presenter discussed Nationwide's strategic focus and how they use strategy sessions to help the organization. Here are a few questions to begin with when deciding to do a session. What business results do you want to achieve? What behaviors do you need to change? How will you know if you've succeeded? The presenter stressed that PR professionals must get in on the ground floor with a seat at the table. Once you are at the table, it is important to research best practices, read, attend meetings and network. In conducting strategy sessions at Nationwide, the PR professionals make sure the rooms have the necessary materials they will need for brainstorming. They use creativity and brainstorming tools such as nerf balls, money, toys and candy. A variety of people are included such as the company's client, customers and technical experts. The session has a set agenda and is followed to ensure the group stays on track. After the session, there is a recap for the participants. This includes the next steps and a task list and implementation plan. Finally, the group continues to track and report the results of what was decided on in the session.

Managing by the Numbers: How to Establish and Use Metrics to Strengthen Your Communications Program. Don Wilt, AlliedSignal Aerospace
The basic concept presented in this discussion was that to make the greatest contribution to the business, employees need the right information, in the right form, from the right source at the right time. The presenter suggested PR professionals'

Identify communication deficiencies/opportunities before developing the strategy.
Determine value of existing internal media.
Test viability of new systems or approaches.
Measure progress against goals.
Establish foundation for new goal setting.
Act on facts.

It is important to establish a set of metrics for the communications program. Identify the metric, the amount of time it will occur, the method in which it will be done and the measure itself. Allied often uses a take away box, which is a box at the bottom of the page with a one-line phrase that sums up the subject.

Building a Context for Change: Turning Vision into Action. Sue Wright & Rick Bradley, Bank of America.
The presenters discussed how they used the learning map concept to teach their employees about the business and what to expect in the future.

What is a learning map? A learning map is a large visually rich mental map built around a journey metaphor. It presents complex information in a targeted, stimulating, challenging way. It is placed on a table and explored by a group of 8 - 10 people. Table facilitators guide discovery through structured dialogue. It requires involvement and discussion from participants. It also encourages participants to summarize and clarify key business issues in their own language.

By using the learning map, they learned that people will tolerate the conclusions of others, but will act on the conclusions they draw for themselves. This concept has created a pull for the bank. There has been an overwhelmingly positive response, associates are making the connection to the bank and dialogue is opening up.