The document summarizes the development of a communications capability guide at GE. It describes creating the guide over three weeks with input from high potential communicators and experts from around the world. The guide includes 500 pieces of content, self-assessment tools, and a learning library. It covers five clusters and 17 capabilities related to communications strategy, process, organizational communications, media, and branding. The results showed increased traffic to the site and library usage. It was benchmarked against other companies and written up as an industry best practice.

1. Communications Capability Guide Caitlin McConoughey

2. My background in communications MBA Marketing GPA 3.7 Corporate experience Eight years Oldest corporation in the world Agency work 10 years Alex Stanton

3. My role Dedicated leader of this strategic initiative Project manager Team of 75 Entry-level to experienced executives Managed internal and external vendors Communicator Edited all content Wrote internal communications Broad experience (understands issues) Quickly adapted to GE culture

4. The Need

5. Three facts about GE communications 40% Work outside of the Americas 800 GE Communicators Report in to 3 or 4 different functions

6. The essential tools to become a leader "What do I need to go to the next level and be a leader in this company?" That is one of the first questions from young communicators at GE, says Gary Sheffer, executive director of communications and public affairs for the corporation. "Communicators have to be strategic partners for their CEOs and other executives, and we really have to inform and influence the strategic debate inside our company," Sheffer says. "Based on that, and the changing nature of our jobs, I think we really needed to do something inside the company to help our communicators understand that and also work toward having those capabilities."

7. Evolution of communications Building a cohesive team with a vision for our future 21 st Century Strategist Influencer relations Brand experience Global Customer engagement Engagement Policymaking Marketing collateral U.S. centric Sales force & Marketing communications Employee communications Speech writing Press relations 1980‘s Specialist

8. The Guide

9. User experience overview Communications Portal A - Dan Henson Self-assessment Suggested learning plan Talk with manager Learning Library Results Harvard NYU Syracuse Crotonville Prof. groups

10. Behind the scenes General Awareness Skilled Strategist Applied Knowledge Expert 3 Motivating people after an acquisition – HBR video The takeover – HBR video Four critical decisions – HBR article Heart of change – Skillsoft book How to ruin a merger – HBR article Communicating acquisitions – GE CommChat Motivating through communication – HBR video Integrating culture – HBR video Rule of adjacency – HBR video Mergers & acquisitions – Skillsoft book Not all M&As are alike – HBR article Evolution – HBR video Making deals work – HBR video Merging top teams – HBR video Capitalizing on conflict – Skillsoft book The complete M&A guide – Skillsoft book 2 1 5 4 Functional Expertise Mergers & Acquisitions Communications Definition: Develops and executes a communications strategy for acquisitions, joint ventures, partnerships and dispositions in a variety of cultural and regulatory environments. Financial Communications Organizational Communications Employee Communications Rating Scale Training Definition: Works closely with business development and integration/disposition teams. Leads understanding and buy-in of impact with all stakeholder audiences. Devises measurements, gauges progress and drives actions to achieve that success. Merging the brands – HBR article Managing multiple identities – HBR article Acquisitions & executions – HBR video Restructuring after a buyout – HBR video Charging back up the hill – Skillsoft book

11. Creating the Guide 500+ pieces of content selected for the library by high potential communicators 30 experts listed as resources in the guide 20 senior communicators from around the globe developed the capabilities 16 focus groups including Europe and Asia over three weeks

12. The Capabilities

13. Five clusters - 17 Capabilities Strategy Process OrgComm Media Branding

14. Media Capability Proactively influences the perception of the company and builds public trust including championing reputational risk issues and understanding their impact on business success. General Awareness Applied Knowledge Skilled Expert Strategist Can articulate the value of corporate reputation to the success of GE. Identifies reputational issues (such as business and social influences) and appropriate groups in general business environment and own industry. Can articulate the concerns and supporting points. Understands how those issues impact own business and industry. Develops integrated plan of collected risks/opportunities to determine and influence the stakeholders’ perception. Maintains relationships with high-level industry influencers. Shares expertise in reputational risk management with junior staffers. Identifies strategic resources inside of own business and GE. Acts as advisor to senior level executives on proactive and reactive issues management. Initiates relationships with high-level influencers to protect current and future reputation of the business. Leads initiatives on building public trust. Identifies cutting-edge resources outside of own business or GE. Leads process for surfacing and addressing reputational issues from a risk and opportunities standpoint. 2. Reputation/Issues Management The executive charged with section was unable to write it. I stepped in to meet the deadline and wrote this capability labeled as “the skill of the year”. The executive director of communications and public affairs loved it. Writing sample

15. The Results

16. The first week The top five countries visiting the site United States Canada United Kingdom India Hungary 13% increase in site traffic Over 50% of the target audience watched the live Web cast hosted by the new CMO 100% of the Learning Library access licenses were activated.

17. Internal benchmarking Improved navigation More precise use of language Directions at key decision points Options to store data created from usability testing 10 times the number of experts 7% more learning content

18. External benchmarking Benchmarked against eight other large, global corporations Accomplished in 75% less time Cutting-edge partnerships Faculty at NYU and Syracuse University Arthur W. Page Society, IABC, etc. Learning content from non-GE resources Harvard Business Review Summaries of bestselling business books

19. Written up as industry best practice

20. Internal collateral

21. If you have a client … Situation Complex Uncertain Needs Results-oriented implementation Cross-functional teams Analysis and synthesis Strategic communications

22. My wish list… New York City to New Haven Corporate side (preferred) Mid to large company Career track Flexible on industry

23. Thank you! Any questions?