HUGHO DEOGRATIUS

The digital age, also called the information age, is defined as the time period starting in the 1970s with the introduction of the personal computer with subsequent technology introduced providing the ability to transfer information freely and quickly

Digitalization is imposing many challenges on cultural transformation of organizational, practice related to individuals, institutions users and producers

When we think of marketing and social media in organizations it’s often with the focus being on the external environment and our external customers. This is not wrong by any means, but I think we can too often take for granted another key stakeholder we are communicating to, our internal customers, our employees.

Our employees make up who we are as an organization and they have a great impact on our culture. The questions we have to constantly ask as leaders are “What experience am I creating for them?” And, “Is it aligned with the culture I want in the organization?” Social Media and how we use it as an organization can have a great impact in creating experiences that impact the culture. Social Media creates experiences, period. The experiences employees are having, both by external and internal communication, in organizations greatly impact how they think and act at work and if they are truly engaged or not.  Leaders need to recognize that all experiences create culture, and their culture is either working for them or against them that is Change the Culture, Change the Game. Social Media provides a very powerful, viral experience that can help accelerate the needed cultural changes internally. The platforms will come and go, but how organizations leverage people as the media in a smart way 

The web has become the place where young people most find their opportunity to explore and express their identities and their social relations,. The greatest transformation with the web compared with television, radio and print is that the technology puts the kids in the centre as culture creators rather than culture consumers. Not only does this upset traditional top-down marketing models but it also means that a single youth culture is now almost impossible to pin down But now, with so many technological touch points and interest-driven groups, there's no single social change that catalyses them. We are at a period in which our societies are coming to grips with the new technology. Part of the process is watching how people who have never experienced anything else push the boundaries. The Internet has been hailed as an unprecedented democratizing force, a place where everyone can be heard and all can participate equally. But how true is this claim? It is argues that for all that we tweet  and like  and share in the Internet  in fact reflects and amplifies real-world inequities at least as much as it ameliorates them. Online, just as off-line.

Eight Ways to Communicate Your Strategy More Effectively. By Basil Mbuna

Eight Ways to Communicate Your Strategy More Effectively.      By   Basil   Mbuna

A frustrated CEO recently shared with me that her employees had lost their edge. They were internally focused, their speed-to-market was down, and they couldn’t find a good balance between serving customers well while making healthy margins. The result was slow progress against the company strategy and an inability to profitably deliver on the value proposition. She had attempted to motivate employees and be clear about the strategy, but she was falling short and was looking for answers on what to do next. The solution in many cases is to overhaul internal communications strategies in order to convince employees of the authenticity, importance, and relevance of their company’s purpose and strategic goals. Here are just a few communications approaches that will help you effectively reach your employees and encourage behaviors that advance your strategy and improve your results.

1. Keep the message simple, but deep in meaning.
Most organizations have a deeper meaning as to why they exist. This tends to influence strategy, decision-making and behaviors at executive levels, but often isn’t well articulated for employees. What you call it doesn’t matter, your purpose, your why, your core belief, your center. What does matter is that you establish its relevance with employees in a way that makes them care more about the company and about the job they do. It should be at the core of all of your communications, a simple and inspiring message that is easy to relate to and understand. Strategy-specific messages linked to your purpose become tools to help employees connect their day-to-day efforts with the aspiration of the company.

2. Build behavior based on market and customer insights
For employees to fully understand how your strategy is different and better than the competition they need to be in touch with market realities. The challenge is in how to effectively convey those realities so that your people can act on them. By building internal campaigns based on market and customer insights, you bring your strategy to life for your employees through this important lens. Package your content so that it can be shared broadly with all departments in your organization, but in a hands-on way. Expose managers first then provide them with easy-to-implement formats for bringing their teams together, with toolkits that include all the materials they’ll need. The purpose is to encourage their teams to develop department-specific responses, and to generate new ideas and new behaviors based on what they’ve learned.

3. Use the discipline of a framework.
Not all messages are created equal. They need to be prioritized and sequenced based on their purpose. I suggest using an Inspire/Educate/Reinforce framework to map and deliver messages on an annual basis.

• Inspire. Messages that inspire are particularly important when you are sharing a significant accomplishment or introducing a new initiative that relates to your strategy. The content should demonstrate progress against goals, showcase benefits to customers, and be presented in a way that gets attention and signals importance. The medium is less important than the impression that you want to leave with employees about the company. Whether you’re looking to build optimism, change focus, instill curiosity, or prepare them for future decisions, you’ll have more impact if you stir some emotion and create a lasting memory.

• Educate. Once you’ve energized your team with inspiring messages, your explanations of the company’s strategic decisions and your plans for implementing them should carry more weight. To educate your teams most effectively on the validity of your strategy and their role in successful execution, make sure you provide job-specific tools with detailed data that they can customize and apply in their day-to-day responsibilities. It is most important for these messages to be delivered through dialogues rather than monologues, in smaller group sessions where employees can build to their own conclusions and feel ownership in how to implement.

• Reinforce. It isn’t enough to explain the connection between your company’s purpose and its strategy — and between that strategy and its execution — once. You’ll need to repeat the message in order to increase understanding, instill belief and lead to true change overtime. These reinforcing messages need to come in a variety of tactics, channels, and experiences and I’ve highlighted some approaches below. Ultimately, they serve to immerse employees in important content and give them the knowledge to confidently connect to the strategy. You’ll also want to integrate these messages with your training and your human resource initiatives to connect them with employee development & performance metrics. Recognize and reward individuals and teams who come up with smart solutions and positive change.

4. Think broader than the typical CEO-delivered message. And don’t disappear.
Often corporate communications has a strictly top-down approach. I’ve found that dialogue at the grassroots is just as important, if not more so. Employees are more likely to believe what leaders say when they hear similar arguments from their peers, and conversations can be more persuasive and engaging than one-way presentations. Designate a team of employees to serve as ambassadors responsible for delivering important messages at all levels. Rotate this group annually to get more people involved in being able to represent the strategy inside the company. And when the message comes from leadership, make sure it’s from your most visible, well-regarded leaders. Another mistake is the “big launch event and disappear” approach. Instead, integrate regular communications into employee’s daily routines through detailed planning against the messages mapped in your Inspire/Educate/Reinforce framework.

5. Put on your “real person” hat.
And take off your “corporate person/executive” hat. The fact is, not many people are deeply inspired by the pieces of communication that their companies put out. Much of it ignores one of the most important truths of communication — and especially communication in the early 21st century: be real. “Corporate speak” comes off hollow and lacking in meaning. Authentic messages from you will help employees see the challenges and opportunities as you see them and understand and care about the direction in which you’re trying to take the company.

6. Tell a story.
Facts and figures won’t be remembered. Stories and experiences will. Use storytelling as much as possible to bring humanity to the company and to help employees understand the relevance of your strategy and real-life examples of progress and shortfalls against it. Ask employees to share stories as well, and use these as the foundation for dialogues that foster greater understanding of the behaviors that you want to encourage and enhance versus those that pose risks. Collectively these stories and conversations will be a strong influence on positive culture-building behavior that relates to your core purpose and strategic goals.

7. Use 21st-century media and be unexpected.
The delivery mechanism is as important and makes as much of a statement as the content itself. Most corporate communications have not been seriously dusted off in a while, and the fact is, the way people communicate has changed tremendously in the past five years. Consider the roles of social media, networking, blogs, and games to get the word out in ways that your employees are used to engaging in. Where your message shows up also says a lot. Aim to catch people somewhere that they would least expect it. Is it in the restroom? The stairwell? On their mobile phone?

8. Make the necessary investment.
Most executives recognize how important their employee audience is. They are the largest expense to the company. They often communicate directly with your customers. They single-handedly control most perceptions that consumers have about the brand. So if this is a given, why are we so reluctant to fund internal communication campaigns? I suggest asking this question: What am I willing to invest per employee to help them internalize our strategy and based on that understanding, determine what they need to do to create a differentiated market experience for our customers? Do the math and set your hoped-for ROI high whether it is financial performance or positive shifts in behavior and culture. If you choose not to invest be certain of the risk. If you don’t win over employees first, you certainly won’t succeed in winning with customers, as they ultimately hold that relationship in their hands.

By

                Basil   Mbuna

Cutting through the clutter of corporate communications. By Basil Mbuna

Cutting through the clutter of corporate communications.     By   Basil   Mbuna

The explosion of digital and offline touchpoints has meant that crafting corporate communications is more complex than ever.

These days, delivering corporate messages that stick can be a serious challenge. In the last few years, the explosion of digital and offline touchpoints has meant that crafting targeted, relevant communications that connect with your audience is more complex than ever.

Here’s our compilation of the most powerful takeaways from Comms Lab 2016.

Make it simple

It’s important to remember that communication that’s easy to understand shouldn’t be patronising and that the rate at which your message will be adopted is based on how simple it is. This goes double for the digital world – one in which users’ growing sophistication and short attention spans mean that the ability to distil complex communications into a pithy, relevant message is your most powerful asset.

It’s equally critical to experiment with formats that engage users and tell a story succinctly. Videos, infographics and interactive content can help you cut through the clutter with maximum impact and minimum noise.

Make it honest

Although vagueness risks creating fear we all appreciate the courage it takes to tell the truth – especially about bad news. If a leader is honest about the fact that staff members will be reduced but explains the why, when and how with empathy and respect, people are more likely to accept the change.

The rise of social media spaces such as Twitter and Facebook has also meant that corporate communicators are increasingly accountable to their audience and must be prepared to address their concerns. A lack of transparency or failure to reveal information can see a PR disaster unfold on social media in real time.

Make it timely

Communicating early can help to bring people on board and involve them from the start. But you can communicate too much too early – which can create anxiety, disinterest or apathy – and you can definitely communicate too late – causing resentment, mistrust or confusion.

When it comes to communicating via online channels such as social media or email marketing, your ability to convey your message in a timely manner can determine your audience’s engagement levels. It can also make or break the chances that your message will be well received.

People are more receptive to communication when they can take immediate action, so incorporate feedback forms, dedicated email address or other feedback tool as part of your campaign. Allowing for a two-way conversation makes a process seem more engaging and fair to all involved.

Make it personal

Generic communications that read as if they were written by an anonymous member of your company should be avoided at all costs.

Whether you’re sending a targeted email campaign to your database or distributing marketing collateral to potential shareholders, personalised touches such as including the recipient’s name, adding a handwritten note or simply incorporating language that is warm, authentic and human is your best chances at reaping results.

These days, each piece of corporate communication should be treated as a chance to build a relationship with your audience and spark brand engagement, loyalty and trust. Failure to treat prospects like individuals can hurt your brand presence – as well as your bottom line.

Give context

If you hope to communicate effectively with your audience, offering context is a pivotal part of conveying your message in a way that provides clarity and resonates with your audience. This applies to both online and offline comms.

Visual tools are an excellent way of achieving this: graphics could be used to highlight connections between key messages, or short videos could provide a narrative that contextualises information.

By

            Basil  Mbuna