“ How the Global Economy has brought about changes in Employee Communications” Edelman Change and Employee Engagement

Is the world flatter?

Or is it smaller?

Or is it spikier?

A web of interconnectivity

The Transparent Global Economy

The Global Economy The Global Economy is an economy of : Knowledge Relationships Change

The Global Economy is an economy of :

Knowledge

Relationships

Change

The challenge today How do we reconcile the attributes of the Global Economy?: How do you acquire and share knowledge? How do you distribute relationships? How do you consume change?

How do we reconcile the attributes of the Global

Economy?:

How do you acquire and share knowledge?

How do you distribute relationships?

How do you consume change?

Where does the Global Economy live?

Where does the Global Economy live?

Increase in tribalism

The rule of the Global Economy The speed of innovation required to maintain a competitive advantage is directly proportional to the rate of replication that currently exists. Success in the Global Economy = Innovation + Brand Value

The speed of innovation required to maintain a

competitive advantage is directly proportional to the

rate of replication that currently exists.

Success in the Global Economy =

Innovation + Brand Value

Creating Global Employees A Global Employee: Sees how decisions are made and what career opportunities are Asks why things are the way they are and where they are headed Never gives the excuse that they didn’t know

A Global Employee:

Sees how decisions are made and what career opportunities are

Asks why things are the way they are and where they are headed

Never gives the excuse that they didn’t know

What does this mean for Employee Communications? The Global Economy requires us to focus on: Change – We must recognize the speed and scope of communications have changed Content and Relevancy – We must strive to create central, unified content and local relevancy Context – We need to provide context for communications Success – We need to re-evaluate what constitutes success and how it is measured

The Global Economy requires us to focus on:

Change – We must recognize the speed and scope of communications have changed

Content and Relevancy – We must strive to create central, unified content and local relevancy

Context – We need to provide context for communications

Success – We need to re-evaluate what constitutes success and how it is measured

What does this mean for Employee Communicators? The rise of the Global Economy represents a tremendous opportunity for corporate communicators: Marketing techniques are less effective in today’s communications environment Senior executives are looking for counsel on how to implement and deploy communications strategies

The rise of the Global Economy represents a

tremendous opportunity for corporate

communicators:

Marketing techniques are less effective in today’s communications environment

Senior executives are looking for counsel on how to implement and deploy communications strategies

“ As the CEO of a global organization, I realize it’s imperative that, on any given day, our employees have knowledge, understanding and access to information in order to achieve their objectives, conduct their affairs, and gain confidence in the potential of GM.” — Rick Wagoner CEO & Chairman General Motors Corp. The opportunity exists

“ As the CEO of a global organization, I realize it’s imperative that, on any given day, our employees have knowledge, understanding and access to information in order to achieve their objectives, conduct their affairs, and gain confidence in the potential of GM.”

— Rick Wagoner

CEO & Chairman

General Motors Corp.

Working with the volume off Employees, who are bombarded with a constant stream of information and messages, have simply turned off the noise Employees operate in an environment of “continuous-partial-attention” where individuals scan the periphery but do not focus on any one thing This method of operations is based on a desire to maximize connections, which leaves little room for relationships

Employees, who are bombarded with a constant stream of information and messages, have simply turned off the noise

Employees operate in an environment of “continuous-partial-attention” where individuals scan the periphery but do not focus on any one thing

This method of operations is based on a desire to maximize connections, which leaves little room for relationships

Change Communications today is about what you know NOW! Constant Ubiquitous Crosses borders and boundaries

Communications today is about what you know

NOW!

Constant

Ubiquitous

Crosses borders and boundaries

The speed of change is not slowing As computing power increases, communications technology will become more flexible and inexpensive The increase of voice-over-IP (VOIP) technologies will make telecommunications possible in remote locations Broadband technologies and fiber-optics will allow for the greater use of audio and video material

As computing power increases, communications technology will become more flexible and inexpensive

The increase of voice-over-IP (VOIP) technologies will make telecommunications possible in remote locations

Broadband technologies and fiber-optics will allow for the greater use of audio and video material

The Digital Divide in the workforce Plugged-in vs. Unplugged Tech savvy vs. Techphobic The end communications objectives are not different for these different audiences

Plugged-in vs. Unplugged

Tech savvy vs. Techphobic

The end communications objectives are not different for these different audiences

The implications of the Digital Divide Delivery of content must be relevant If the organization does not provide the information, tools and access that employees want, employees will find it themselves There is an opportunity to engage employees as internal ambassadors It is not an excuse to say that you could not reach an employee

Delivery of content must be relevant

If the organization does not provide the information, tools and access that employees want, employees will find it themselves

There is an opportunity to engage employees as internal ambassadors

It is not an excuse to say that you could not reach an employee

Employees as consumers Employees do not abandon personal preferences when they come to work There is no cookie-cutter approach or single solution

Employees do not abandon personal preferences when they come to work

There is no cookie-cutter approach or single solution

Employees are talking Words and actions of employees at all levels are more transparent and come under more scrutiny Blogs, e-mail, IM, forums, podcasts, social networking Few companies have policies in place that specifically address social media Employees are unaware or do not care about the consequences of communication to stakeholders Few organizations are tracking what employees are saying online

Words and actions of employees at all levels are more transparent and come under more scrutiny

Blogs, e-mail, IM, forums, podcasts, social networking

Few companies have policies in place that specifically address social media

Employees are unaware or do not care about the consequences of communication to stakeholders

Few organizations are tracking what employees are saying online

Distributed Public Relations

Content and Relevancy What are you as an organization? What do you do? What do you want to be? What are your vision, mission and values? The answers to these questions should be the foundation of everything you do and everything you communicate...

What are you as an organization?

What do you do?

What do you want to be?

What are your vision, mission and values?

The answers to these questions should be the foundation of everything you do and everything you communicate...

Achieving engagement What are we telling employees is the reason they ought to care? What are we showing them that lets them know they matter? Make your communications meaningful

What are we telling employees is the reason they ought to care?

What are we showing them that lets them know they matter?

Make your communications meaningful

Creating productive competition How do we reconcile a competitive business climate with a desire for collaborative intelligence? Create a two-way, conversational communications environment Understand that decentralized communication does not mean silos Work to develop integrated teams and facilitate discussions from all levels of an organization Share successes

How do we reconcile a competitive business climate with

a desire for collaborative intelligence?

Create a two-way, conversational communications environment

Understand that decentralized communication does not mean silos

Work to develop integrated teams and facilitate discussions from all levels of an organization

Share successes

Context Each only tells part of the story…

Expectations for employees Corporate communicators cannot expect that employees will: Digest and assimilate all information that is provided Ignore other sources of information Communicators need to pay attention to what is getting through

Corporate communicators cannot expect that

employees will:

Digest and assimilate all information that is provided

Ignore other sources of information

Communicators need to pay attention to what is

getting through

Awareness of conversations Sharing all news about the organization allows employees to see the bigger picture Corporate communicators cannot ignore new social media Transparency around internal decision making builds trust and establishes a culture of being in-the-know Don’t let employees get lost…

Sharing all news about the organization allows employees to see the bigger picture

Corporate communicators cannot ignore new social media

Transparency around internal decision making builds trust and establishes a culture of being in-the-know

Don’t let employees get lost…

Success Move away from strictly measuring channel use and comprehension We need to measure employee communications as a driver of employee engagement To get a seat at the executive table, we need to be able to demonstrate that strategic communications efforts play a meaningful role in supporting business objectives

Move away from strictly measuring channel use and comprehension

We need to measure employee communications as a driver of employee engagement

To get a seat at the executive table, we need to be able to demonstrate that strategic communications efforts play a meaningful role in supporting business objectives

The myth of control Companies no longer control the distribution of messages Companies no longer control the speed and reach of communications Organizations do not control the message or the brand…They never did

Companies no longer control the distribution of messages

Companies no longer control the speed and reach of communications

Organizations do not control the message or the brand…They never did

What is success? If we don’t have control, how do we measure success?: Success is about providing a consistent and meaningful story of what your organization is about Success is about listening to others and becoming part of the conversation Success is defined by discussion, dialogue and debate The end goal is discretionary effort

If we don’t have control, how do we measure

success?:

Success is about providing a consistent and meaningful story of what your organization is about

Success is about listening to others and becoming part of the conversation

Success is defined by discussion, dialogue and debate

The end goal is discretionary effort

The Global Economy as reality Change – We must recognize the speed and scope of communications have changed Content and Relevancy – We must strive to create central, unified content and local relevancy Context – We need to provide context for communications Success – We need to re-evaluate what constitutes success and how it is measured We need to serve as valued counselors armed with the knowledge and data to show that our strategies can and will have a real affect in terms of cost-savings, increased productivity and greater innovation

Change – We must recognize the speed and scope of communications have changed

Content and Relevancy – We must strive to create central, unified content and local relevancy

Context – We need to provide context for communications

Success – We need to re-evaluate what constitutes success and how it is measured

We need to serve as valued counselors armed with the knowledge and data to show that our strategies can and will have a real affect in terms of cost-savings, increased productivity and greater innovation

“ To realize the full possibilities of this economy, we must reach beyond our own borders, to shape the revolution that is tearing down barriers and building new networks among nations and individuals, and economies and cultures: globalization. It's the central reality of our time.” — Bill Clinton

“ To realize the full possibilities of this economy, we must reach beyond our own borders, to shape the revolution that is tearing down barriers and building new networks among nations and individuals, and economies and cultures: globalization. It's the central reality of our time.”

— Bill Clinton