Internal Communications Training Session Part Two Piers Schreiber HR Academy - 6 th February 2007

Building the Skills Principles of outside-in thinking Checklist for internal communications Two key tools: Messaging Matrix Q&A Construction Scenario practice - workshop

Principles of outside-in thinking

Checklist for internal communications

Two key tools:

Messaging Matrix

Q&A Construction

Scenario practice - workshop

Outside-In Thinking Seeing things from your customer’s point of view… … in this case your customer is the employee Strategy, Objectives, Policies, Benefits, Imperatives, Churn, Restructuring, Synergies, Yadda yadda yadda… My job, my colleagues, my family, the future, opportunities, hopes & ambitions… How do you bridge the gap?

Outside-In Thinking Bridging the Gap – Useful Tactics Empathy – Select 3 positions in the company, pretend you are each person in turn and imagine 10 questions you would ask Brainstorm – Get 3 people together in a room or a secure chat-site and come up with 10 employee concerns in 10 minutes Research – Survey a sample of the employee base to understand their needs, interests, fears and especially how they prefer to be communicated to Testing – Once you think you have the right messages & language, run through them with an employee to test credibility

Empathy – Select 3 positions in the company, pretend you are each person in turn and imagine 10 questions you would ask

Brainstorm – Get 3 people together in a room or a secure chat-site and come up with 10 employee concerns in 10 minutes

Research – Survey a sample of the employee base to understand their needs, interests, fears and especially how they prefer to be communicated to

Testing – Once you think you have the right messages & language, run through them with an employee to test credibility

Outside-In Thinking Success lies not in the delivery…. … but in the reception ‘ Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again.’ (Andre Gide) “ Have you heard: Peter is now Office Head” “ Have you heard: Peter is now Off His Head”

Checklist for Internal Communications For every communication check that it is: Clear Concise Credible Consistent Constructive

For every communication check that it is:

Clear

Concise

Credible

Consistent

Constructive

Checklist for Internal Communications For every communication check that it is: Clear Have you removed all jargon? Is there any ambiguity in the messages? Can people read between the lines? Are all technical terms explained?

For every communication check that it is:

Clear

Have you removed all jargon?

Is there any ambiguity in the messages?

Can people read between the lines?

Are all technical terms explained?

Checklist for Internal Communications For every communication check that it is: Concise Is there anything you can remove? Can you shorten any sentences or paragraphs? Have you limited yourself to delivering the agreed key messages? Have you succeeded to illustrating your point?

For every communication check that it is:

Concise

Is there anything you can remove?

Can you shorten any sentences or paragraphs?

Have you limited yourself to delivering the agreed key messages?

Have you succeeded to illustrating your point?

Checklist for Internal Communications For every communication check that it is: Credible Does your message make sense? Is there anything that might undermine your message? Have you checked the facts? Have you tested the message with an employee?

For every communication check that it is:

Credible

Does your message make sense?

Is there anything that might undermine your message?

Have you checked the facts?

Have you tested the message with an employee?

Checklist for Internal Communications For every communication check that it is: Consistent Is the message in line with previous messages? Are you using the right kind of language? Does the message fit with audience perceptions? Is the message internally consistent?

For every communication check that it is:

Consistent

Is the message in line with previous messages?

Are you using the right kind of language?

Does the message fit with audience perceptions?

Is the message internally consistent?

Checklist for Internal Communications For every communication check that it is: Constructive Have you delivered a new piece of information? Is it expressed positively and actively (no passives)? Have you linked it to the strategic goals? Does the message have a ‘human’ voice?

For every communication check that it is:

Constructive

Have you delivered a new piece of information?

Is it expressed positively and actively (no passives)?

Have you linked it to the strategic goals?

Does the message have a ‘human’ voice?

Key Tool: Message Matrix A tool for managing internal communications: Agree key messages Understand target audiences Select appropriate channels Share tasks among communicators Monitor effectiveness of delivery

A tool for managing internal communications:

Agree key messages

Understand target audiences

Select appropriate channels

Share tasks among communicators

Monitor effectiveness of delivery

Key Tool: Message Matrix The ACE programme is our global growth strategy ACE will mean significant changes in the way we do business in Africa If we successfully execute ACE we will emerge as a Top 10 global player Management Local JG 6-8 Junior Staff Contractors Union / Works Council Community Partners Intranet All staff meeting Team meeting Email Letter Q&A session Newsletter Message Channel Audience Sample template

Key Tool: Message Matrix The ACE programme is our global growth strategy ACE will mean significant changes in the way we do business in Africa If we successfully execute ACE we will emerge as a Top 10 global player Management Local JG 6-8 Junior Staff Contractors Union / Works Council Community Partners Intranet All staff meeting Team meeting Email Letter Q&A session Newsletter Message Channel Audience Sample completed matrix

Q&A Construction The Q&A is a key component of successful messaging Test robustness of message Prepare executives for effective delivery Think through all likely scenarios Demonstrate understanding of audience concerns Dynamic tool – grows with feedback Keeps everyone on the same page Supports ‘internal communication checklist’

Test robustness of message

Prepare executives for effective delivery

Think through all likely scenarios

Demonstrate understanding of audience concerns

Dynamic tool – grows with feedback

Keeps everyone on the same page

Supports ‘internal communication checklist’

Q&A Construction Tips Cluster Q&As into themes Keep key messages by your side as you prepare them Test credibility with a reliable partner Differentiate between Q&A (private) and FAQ (public) Keep answers clear, concise, consistent, constructive Update based on feedback & share Always empathise with employees

Cluster Q&As into themes

Keep key messages by your side as you prepare them

Test credibility with a reliable partner

Differentiate between Q&A (private) and FAQ (public)

Keep answers clear, concise, consistent, constructive

Update based on feedback & share

Always empathise with employees

Group work - Scenarios What is a Scenario A description of a possible future The Task Imagine the details of the scenario Itemise the greatest concerns among employees Create 3 key messages Build them into a message matrix Construct 8 questions & 8 answers Verify using the ‘internal communications checklist

What is a Scenario

A description of a possible future

The Task

Imagine the details of the scenario

Itemise the greatest concerns among employees

Create 3 key messages

Build them into a message matrix

Construct 8 questions & 8 answers

Verify using the ‘internal communications checklist

Group work – 5 Scenarios Scenario One MTC has bought a rival company in your market and plans to merge both companies into one Scenario Two After three quarters of poor results, your MD announces that he is going to leave the company Scenario Three Anti-government rebels have seized a town, destroyed all the mobile masts in the area and issues demands to the government and to Celtel Scenario Four State investigators have arrived at your office and started taking boxes of files away from the Finance Department Scenario Five Technical staff have gone on strike demanding better pay and conditions Scenario Six Management has decided that it needs to cut 10% of the workforce

Scenario One

MTC has bought a rival company in your market and plans to merge both companies into one

Scenario Two

After three quarters of poor results, your MD announces that he is going to leave the company

Scenario Three

Anti-government rebels have seized a town, destroyed all the mobile masts in the area and issues demands to the government and to Celtel

Scenario Four

State investigators have arrived at your office and started taking boxes of files away from the Finance Department

Scenario Five

Technical staff have gone on strike demanding better pay and conditions

Scenario Six

Management has decided that it needs to cut 10% of the workforce