Change Communications

Source: Melcrum CommsNetwork: Mark Bishop, Allianz Cornhill:

Communication Objectives:

The objectives of all communications activities are:
1. To enhance and protect the image of the Group and the individual companies belonging to the Group.
2. To motivate key internal and external stakeholders to beliefs, actions or behaviours which help make the goals of the Group and its individual companies a reality.
3. To be consistent in terms of core messages and style worldwide by following the standards and guidelines established in this document.

Communication Principles:

1. Be credible (always honest and, when possible, the first source of information about your company)
2. Be service oriented (accessible, reliable, fast, easy to understand, friendly)
3. Keep all stakeholders in mind when communicating (know your primary and secondary audience)
4. Evaluate audiences¹ EMMA (expectations, mentality, motivation, assessment) and convey messages accordingly
5. Think in and act on key messages that you want to communicate
6. Be consistent with the core issues of the Group (one voice strategy)
7. Have a sustainable, long-term approach for all communications activities
8. Both internal and external communications deserve the same attention (uniform messages and timing).
9. Check information. Don’t assume or take for granted
10. Allow for, evaluate and act on feedback

Internal Communications - Ground Rules:

1. Keep in mind the influence of internal communications on your (external) public image
2. Internal communications should seek to improve employee understanding and knowledge of business decisions and strategy
3. Internal communications measures should foster an open communications culture
4. Make internal communications a regular and expected event
5. Make top management accessible to employees and agent
6. Allow for top down and bottom up internal communications channels. Always provide a feedback opportunity when providing top down information. Give employees a platform for providing bottom up information, so that they can do more than just react to top down news
7. Ensure that there are no repercussions for speaking out
8. Regular staff attitude surveys and staff focus groups are important internal communications tools that should not be neglected
9. Internal communications should advise and coach top management on how to act internally especially during change processes

Crisis Management - Ground Rules:

1. Anticipate and prepare for possible crises Identify possible crises. Establish good relationships with all stakeholders that would influence a crisis
2. Have a crisis plan with appropriate internal and external tools and procedures. Train crisis scenarios.
3. Establish your company as the best source of information about the crisis for all stakeholders. Never leave a question unanswered
4. Offer as complete information as possible, as quickly as possible and repeat it (quality, not quantity). Say when you will provide an information update, and give regular information (transparency)
5. Broaden the spectrum of information provided, in order to fit the crisis item into a larger context
6. Evaluate your internal and external actions, their impacts and the process during and after the crisis
7. Show that you are acting, but do not fall into actionism

Media Communications:

1. Follow a one-voice-strategy.
2. Keep all stakeholders in mind when working with the media (clients, employees, shareholders, public)
3. Always try to at least get your company¹s point of view published, especially if a story may be negative (³share of voice²)
4. Be careful in what you comment on in an ³on the record² fashion
5. Build trust in your relationship with journalists
6. Find out as much as possible about the story before answering questions
7. When preparing for a story keep a headline and key messages in mind thatyou would like to read
8. It’s the answer that counts, not the question
9. Keep it short and simple. Stop speaking when you have made your point
10. Complain if you feel you have been treated unfairly by a journalist

Societal Communications (Corporate Citizenship) - Ground Rules:

1. Define a societal communications concept that is based on clearly defined aims
2. Define the issues that are relevant for your stakeholders, while avoiding conflicts of interests among the stakeholders
3. Enlist the consistent support of management and other relevant institutions within the company, while adhering to the one-voice strategy
4. Review and measure your societal communications strategy or project regularly with a focus on the rules above and the aspects of its sustainability (through market research, focus groups, etc.)
5. Walk the talk!

Client Communications - Ground Rules:

Keep in mind who else (third parties) communicates with your clients and consider their messages and actions in your work
1. Ensure good internal communications as a prerequisite for good client communications
2. Integrate client communications into your overall communication and marketing strategy; be consistent with messages that other parts of your company are sending to clients
3. Develop clear guidelines and responsibilities to handle clients complaints. Monitor and evaluate complaints regularly and feed this information into your client related business units and departments.