Peace
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The most valuable internal communications tool a company has available is its front-line managers. Their ability to share the company's mission, strategy and
action plans with employees can directly benefit corporate performance and improve bottom-line results.
But using that tool effectively requires a commitment from top management, establishing meaningful measurements of communications effectiveness, holding managers accountable
for their communications results, and providing both support and recognition within the organization.
This was the charge speaker Linda Dulye, of L.M. Dulye & Co., issued to a roomful of more than 100 business communicators at last week's 2000 IABC International Conference.
Front-line managers - whom Dulye defined as those who "connect with the rank-and-file employees" - are powerful information conduits, given their pre-established credibility
inside the organization. Surveys have shown that immediate supervisors are always among the top three credible sources of information for workers. "That's where the brand essence
and personality of your company come alive," Dulye said. Front-line managers are considered credible because they are visible on a daily basis and they speak the language of their
employees. "They talk more like the workforce - but frequently they don't know what to talk about," Dulye said.
Not surprisingly, the first step toward strengthening managers as communicators has to occur at the high end of the corporate food chain. Mark Baron, VP of material acquisition
for Lockheed Martin, has been guiding his 140-person department through such a process ever since his manager brought Dulye in to survey a newly formed division's 20-member
management team on communications issues. "I didn't really need approval to do it," Baron said in an interview. "But I knew my boss supported it because he brought us together [to
discuss our problems]."
Striving for internal information flow nirvana requires first knowing where your communication gaps are and creating measurable targets. Establishing a baseline will help set
priorities, and reinforce the corporation's commitment to the communications program - and to employees, Dulye said.
An initial analysis can be done using surveys, focus groups, roundtable discussions, interviews and audits. The aim is to establish both formal and informal measurement tools
by determining:
- What do employees know about the company's direction, performance, business plans, competition and customers? Are they confident of the company's prospects for success?
- Where do they get their information? What sources do they trust, and find most helpful?
- How is information shared among different levels of the organization?
- Do they believe their supervisors are held accountable for communicating regularly, and are they equipped to discuss business performance?Is senior management credible?
In the case of Baron's department, all staff were invited to attend a half-day "all-hands" meeting, during which the division's initial survey results were presented. For the
rest of the day, employees broke into smaller groups, each tackling one problem that had been raised to try and identify the root cause(s) and how it could be fixed. When the
groups reassembled to prioritize their two top issues, Baron and his management team left the room.
"I knew we had to do that, because part of what was coming out was that we, as managers, weren't communicating effectively, and they hadn't been able to tell us," Baron said.
Employee candor can be easily stifled by the fear factor, he added. Especially when staffers have been conditioned to expect a one-way flow of information.
We Faced Our Faults. Now What?
Of course, committing to better internal communication is only the first step. Next comes the challenge of implementing the new process. To avoid confusing employees, Dulye
stressed sticking with three to five internal messages regarding company direction, practices and philosophy. Simplicity and consistency are the operative words, she said. And
key messages regarding planned changes should explain the context for the change. Most importantly, messages should connect the employees to the company, not confuse them.
Employees' primary concerns usually tend to center around their own well-being, and the role they play in the company. And answering their questions is not a one-time
procedure. Corporations such as GM (and now Lockheed Martin) use internal scorecards that require managers to tally measurements, such as how many times they initiated face time
with employees and how many times they held staff meetings (PRN, April 17). "Every time we have a meeting we have a feedback form - some numerical, some written comment,"
Baron says. All feedback is anonymous - again, to encourage honesty and reinforce that this process is an improvement tool, not a noose.
(Dulye, 845/988-5855; Baron, 856/866-6014)
Seven Tips to Improving Front-line Communication
1. Get the top leader's buy-in up front. Implement the plan as a business priority
and hold managers accountable.
2. Transfer ownership to business units and departments in order to build self-sufficiency.
3. Have the managers showcase their results. Integrate metrics and reports into
ongoing business reviews with senior management.
4. Allow localization - provide a common strategy and tools that can be customized
for each location.
5. Get the employees involved.
6. Communicate progress by using internal channels to share the measurements
and results.
7. Start with a pilot program - a champion that will build success and grow
it.
Source: L.M. Dulye & Co.
Human Nature Intervenes
Re-engineering an internal communications program is not an easy process, nor is it a panacea, says internal communications consultant Linda Dulye. Managers sometimes push
back, claiming that they communicate fine (it's the other managers who have the problem).
At Lockheed Martin, the pushback was, "It's not our problem, it's [the employees]."
"There's a little bit of a fear issue [among managers]. The sense that 'more people are looking at my job performance,'" observes VP Mark Baron.