Change Communications

Q: “Does anyone have any tips and advice to share on how to communicate a global strategy so that it works locally?”

A: “My experience is that providing toolkits can be an effective way to allow for some localization. We have run a number of programs where the European comms team has worked with the business heads to articulate overall messaging and developed a series of tools that help deliver those messages.

The most successful programs have been those where the implementation of those tools (and therefore the message) has been chosen and tailored locally. This means we gain consistency of message while also making it relevant and meaningful to each market.

Here are some quick suggestions:

- Work on the overall concept in loose terms and then take it out to the local comms team/business management in local markets. Explain the overall need/objective and work together on how it could be useful for them (it helps if you know about the local market first so that you can show how the comms concept appeals to the local needs of
employees).

- Go for a partnership approach rather than a one-size-fits-all or an approach that could feel dictated by a central team. Show you are willing to develop the delivery mechanism of the messages to meet local needs. It takes longer at the development stage as it involves consultation but the implementation will be sustainable.

- Consider local translation so that the message feels local.

- Is the audience literate? Do you need to consider using a creative approach (e.g., theater) to communicate the message?

- Remember the difference in communication styles and values by culture. Have a suite of tools that can be used to appeal to all. Some cultures communicate informally and may respond better to management huddles rather than formal comms sessions.

- If articulating messages centrally, remember icons/personalities aren’t always global.

Remember, what works in one company culture may not work in another. I’ve also been looking at some interesting work done on culture and values at Cranfield Management School by Dr Gilles Spony, resulting in the Spony profiling model (visit www.futuretobe.net for further information).”

JANE SPARROW
SONY EUROPE

A recent study conducted by ISR has identified four key drivers of employee engagement that apply across the 10 countries surveyed (Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK and the USA). These drivers are summarized as:

Career development: Career development influences engagement for employees in each of the 10 countries studied, with two specific elements most commonly cited: retaining the most talented employees and providing opportunities for personal development. For a few countries other concerns come into play, but the key message is that organizations with high levels of engagement provide employees with opportunities to develop their abilities, learn new skills, acquire new knowledge and realize their potential. When companies invest in their people in this way, their people invest in them.

Leadership: The degree to which senior leaders communicate the organization’s core values and maintain high ethical standards are two elements of leadership which influence engagement in almost all of the countries studied (Hong Kong being the one exception). Employees need to feel that the core values for which their companies stand are unambiguous and clear. What matters most to them is that the values and ethical standards espoused by leaders match the actions that they take - the degree to which those values and standards affect rewards and guide decision-making and behaviors. This is a top-level issue
that would typically be addressed by senior management.

The respect leaders exhibit towards their staff members was another element of leadership common to the majority of countries ISR studied. Successful organizations show respect for each employee’s qualities and contribution - regardless of their job level. In Australia, Germany and the US, the respect issue was also affected by the degree to which managers trust their employees’ judgment.

Image: How much employees are prepared to endorse the products and services which their company provides its customers depends largely on their perceptions of the quality of those goods and services. High levels of employee engagement are inextricably linked with high levels of customer engagement.

Empowerment: Employees want to be involved in decisions that affect their work. The leaders of high-engagement workplaces do not create fear or blame cultures, where employees are reluctant to express their ideas or exercise their initiative. They create a trust and “challenge” environment, in which employees are encouraged to dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy and to input and innovate to move the organization forward.

Source: This information comes from a global study of employee engagement produced by international employee research and consulting firm, ISR. For more information visit: www.isrinsight.com