This webinar discusses how internal communicators can position themselves as strategic business partners. It emphasizes that internal communicators need a clear purpose of actively participating in and influencing business decisions rather than just executing communications. They also need the right capabilities beyond traditional skills like business acumen and interpersonal awareness. Further, internal communicators can build credibility by using measurement data, keeping informed about the business and external environment, and standing in the leaders' shoes to provide business advice rather than just communications advice.

1. CIPR INSIDE
WEBINAR: Being a
Strategic Business
Partner
James Harkness & Jane Mitchell
2013

2. Positioning internal communications

3. What do your senior leaders
and executive team think of
internal communications?

4. How are you perceived?
• Clear purpose
• Right capability
• Strong credibility

5. Do you have a clear purpose?

6. “Are you here to actively participate
in and influence critical business
decisions?”
or
“Are you here to execute
communications around decisions that have
been made?

7. Positioning internal communications

8. A changing purpose…
Doing
Enabling
Communications “Creator and Influencer”
Communication “Enabler”
Primary objective:
Employees understand and believe in
company and good values
Primary objective:
Employees are mobilised around
company goals
Method:
Inform and inspire
Method:
Provoke and facilitate
Communications environment:
Largely hierarchical; one-way push; rely
on mass channels and manager cascades
Communications environment:
On employees’ terms; two-way;
participatory; rely on interactive channels
(face-to-face and web 2.0)
Communication skill set:
Writing; channel management;
persuasion; shaping strategic agenda
Communication skill set:
Coaching; facilitating; behavioural
phycology; identifying business need for
communication
Typical success measures:
Message reach; employee attitudes
Typical success measures:
Employee mobilisation; business
outcomes
Source: Communications Executive Council Research

9. Do you have the right capability?

12. Internal communications competencies

13. Beyond traditional skills
•
•
•
•
Business acumen
Bias for action
Interpersonal awareness
Dealing with ambiguity

14. Do you have real credibility?

15. Use measurement data to make the case

16. Fresh knowledge and insight
Keeping informed:
Keeping informed:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Intranet
Website
Annual report
AGM
Analysts views
Executive presentations
Business strategy
Conversations with
senior leaders
• Channels from other
areas of the organisation
• Press
• Competitor websites/
publications
• Campaign groups
• Industry journals
• Networking with industry
peers
• Conferences/seminars
The external
environment
What’s
influencing
our business
strategy?
The business
goals and
challenges
What we
need
people
to do
differently
What’s
influencing
our
people?
Employees
mood and
behaviours
Keeping informed:
• People survey
• Focus groups
• Employee sounding
boards
• Strong internal network
• Company canteen!
• Union contacts

17. Standing in the shoes of your leader
Top business leader concerns 2013
• Customer relationships
• Operational excellence
• Human capital
• Government regulation
• Corporate brand and reputation
Chartered Management Institute 2013

18. Winning the ear of your CEO
•
•
•
•
•
•
Share a published article that supports your
recommended approach
Ask questions that lead your ‘client’ to come
to the ‘right’ conclusion on their own
Provide anecdotes or examples of where
a different approach has delivered results
Share best practice – use outside world examples
Find data – research, case studies, benchmarks
to provide evidence for your suggestion
Be ready to stand by your advice

19. Making your mark when it matters most
•
•
•
•
•
Business transformation
Redundancies
Operational crisis
System failures
Executive departures

20. Great questions…
A great question should:
• Demonstrate your own knowledge of an issue
• Be one that others have not thought of asking
• Be challenging to answer
• Lead naturally to more questions
• Open up new avenues of thought not explored before
• Give you real insight – to the thoughts, and
view point of the leader
• Spark creativity and innovation
• Not expect a straight forward answer

21. In summary
• Purpose
–
Define your role and communicate
• Capability
–
Build your influencing skills and confidence
• Credibility
–
Learn about your business and give business (not communications)
advice

23. Contact
James Harkness & Jane Mitchell
James. Harknessl@harknesskennett.com
Jane.mitchell@harknesskennett.com
+44 (0)1483 222730
www.harknesskennett.com