1. Steve Moffatt,CommunicationStrategist: AonCase Study2
Case study: Aon 2
Themes: Strategy articulation; Global leadership alignment; Change implementation; Generic Story
Audience: Executive Committee; Board members; Senior Managers and their global teams (12000)
The challenge
The business was at a critical stage in strategic delivery. It had recognised that in order to steal-a-march
and differentiate in the industry, it needed to better reconfigure the organisation around the needs of their
clients. To move away from a silo-approach to doing business, providing total business solutions for their
clients combining expert risk management across product ranges and geographies with comprehensive
and robust risk transfer strategies. A new global customer operating model had been signed off by the
executive committee and the task was to implement it across the business. But whilst some
communication had been delivered to Senior Managers, implementation had stalled. On analysis it became
clear that messages were mixed and were not sufficient enough to avoid causing confusion and concern,
whilst implementation had stalled mainly because more work had to be done to clearly articulate the
detail behind the strategy and create a framework to bring the strategy to life.
My solution
The first step was to create content and context. This involved interviewing executive team members and
based on their input, creating a template for the team to agree collaboratively and sign-off. Telling the
story from the perspective of the change environment; the people capabilities and new behaviours
required to deliver the change; the values that underpinned the change; the new identity of the business
from the client perspective and the overall vision of the business once new ways-of-working were fully
integrated (An exercise based on Dilt’s Neurological Levels model). Messages were then tested for
understanding with a sample of the audience. Based on this feedback a final template was created and
signed off. This became the Generic Story and formed the foundation on which all communications were
based. From there, a communication programme and series of tools were introduced to springboard the
process of implementation across the global Senior Manager population.
Stand out communicationtool: Monthly LeadershipBulletin
What: A monthly bulletin from the executive team, designed
in such a way that all members of the team contributed and
were responsible for signing off each others’ contributions.
The aim to articulate clearly the thinking behind the new
client operating model and create leadership alignment. The
first bulletin had contributions from all members of the
executive team responsible for delivering the new model.
This promoted to the audience that all were aligned,
involved and working together to drive the business forward.
How: Using an online collaboration application, members of
the global executive team could see the contributions from
their peers and were able to challenge the wording and the
positioning of what, why, how and when. This process was
facilitated until a final template was agreed.
The bulletin included a feedback loop providing
opportunities to seek further clarity and feed new ideas to

2. Steve Moffatt,CommunicationStrategist: AonCase Study2
bringing the change to life. These served to feed the project and next bulletin. Each bulletin included a 1
page briefing document for senior managers to present to their direct reports and for their direct reports
to brief their teams.
Results: From the senior manager audience perspective, the executive team were communicating with
them for the first time, providing opportunities to ask questions and input ideas, creating clarity around
the new strategy. Also, and most importantly, a perception of unity and alignment was created across the
global team responsible for delivering the new working model.
In terms of the message, the big challenge was to identify the buy-in hook. Based on feedback from the
audience, the biggest problem they faced was from internal wrangling about which part of the business
income belonged to and who got a share of revenue. The new operating model, once implemented, would
ensure this would no longer be an issue and therefore this became a strong theme throughout.
Added value: The process ensured that the executive leadership team could feel more confident that
action would be taken by their senior teams to bring the strategy to life. Once clarity and alignment had
been reached, it started the process of dialogue, working together and implementation.