Employee Communications Guidebook - PR News samplepages.pdfMotivating Employees: ... Empowering Employees to Drive Change and Communication Using Social Media, ... Chapter 7: Coaching

EmployeeCommunications Guidebook

Vol. 1

The blueprint for internal PR strategies and tactics

™

EmployeeCommunications GuidebookThe blueprint for internal PR strategies and tactics

™

PR News | Employee Communications Guidebook www.prnewsonline.com 7

Guidebook Editor & Group Editor: Iris Dorbian, [email protected] News Editor: Courtney Barnes, [email protected] Editor: Greer Jonas, [email protected] Director: Steve Goldstein, [email protected] News Editorial Assistant: Shaila Mentore,[email protected] Director of Marketing Communications: Amy Jefferies, 301.354.1699, [email protected] Assistant Marketing Manager: Rachel Smar,301.354.1613, [email protected] Conference Manager: Saun Sayamongkhun,301.354.1610, [email protected]: Tracey LillyPR News VP/Group Publisher: Diane Schwartz, 212-621-4964; [email protected] President, Heather Farley President & CEO, Don Pazour

PR News ADVISORY BOARD Paul A. Argenti - Tuck School of BusinessNed Barnett - Barnett Marketing CommunicationsNeal Cohen - APCO Carol Cone - Cone Inc. Peter Debreceny - AllstateChris Hammond - Wells Fargo Mike Herman - Epley Associates Mike Paul - MGP & Associates PR Deborah Radman - CKPR Brenda C. Siler - Independent SectorHelene Solomon - Solomon McCown & Co.Mark Weiner - PRIME ResearchMary Wong - Office Depot

PR News BOARD OF CONTRIBUTORS Dave Armon - PR NewswireAndy Gilman - CommCore Consulting Bruce Jeffries-Fox - Jeffries-Fox Associates Angela Jeffrey - VMSRichard Laermer - RLM Public RelationsRichard Levick - Levick Strategic Comms Ian Lipner - Lewis PR/YoungPRpros Katie Paine - KDPaine & Partners Rodger Roeser - Justice & Young Lou Thompson - Kalorama PartnersReid Walker - LenovoTom Martin - College of Charleston

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Dear Reader,

The recent organizational shifts that many com-panies have experienced as a result of the economy have catapulted employee communications into the forefront of PR. Yet there are other pressing rea-sons why employee communications should be at the top of every PR professional's checklist.

For instance, how do you increase and leverage employee engagement via transparency? How do you empower and motivate employees to drive change and become brand ambassadors? There are no stock an-swers to these fraught questions—each company’s infrastructure is different. But there are tactical, strategic methods that you, as a com-munications professional, can implement to practice effective internal communications that will win the confidence of your employees as well as your C-suite executives and stakeholders.

In PR News’ inaugural Employee Communications Guidebook 2009 Edi-tion, we offer a full panoply of information that can improve your skills for many scenarios. Whether it’s recruiting and retaining talent or greening the workplace, this Guidebook will hone your understanding on how you can craft and ensure effective messaging to employees; it will also give you the resources you need to streamline all channels of internal communications.

Putting employee communications on the backburner during this chal-lenging period is not only foolhardy but a serious misstep that can have damaging repercussions from which your company, agency or associa-tion may never fully recover. Reading this Guidebook is your first step toward steering it on the right path. Please let me know what you think, off the record.

Best Wishes,

Iris DorbianGroup EditorPR News

Editor's Letter


Editor’s Letter ________________________________________________________7

Chapter 1: Overview ________________________________________________ 9Why Every Organization Should Embrace the Employee-Driven Workplace,

by Christine Barney ________________________________________________________________________ 10

Come On, Get Happy: How to Make Your Org a Great Place to Work, by PR News Editors __________ 12

Do More with Less: How to Improve Communication While Reducing Time and Costs, by Alison Davis ___________________________________________________ 14

Using Internal Communication to Engender Employee Commitment and Action in Support of Company Goals and Objectives, by Dr. Julie O’Neil _________________________________ 17

Developing Protocols for Communications, by Jenny Schade _____________________________________ 20

Presidents are Key to Employee Engagement, by Deborah P. MacDonnell _________________________ 23

The Global Village: Building the Connection at Your Organization, by Tom Tuohy _________________ 26

The Sound of Money, Employment Law and the Obama Administration, by A. Matthew Rosen _____ 28

Chapter 2: Motivation & Morale ______________________________________31 Internal Communications: Tying Employee Motivation To Organizational Goals and

Success, by PR News Editors ________________________________________________________________ 32

Key Communications Strategies for Building a High Trust Organization, by Angelique L. Rewers and Toni Cascio _____________________________________________________ 34

Cracking the Communication Conundrum, by Dan Dugan ________________________________________ 37

No Sugar Coating: Maintaining an Open and Honest Dialogue with Employees, by Tim Keefe _______________________________________________________________________________ 40

Engaging and Forging Bonds with Employees Through Storytelling, by Matt West ________________ 43

Motivating Employees: A Collective Process, by Millicent N. Ugo-Ikoroha _________________________ 46

The Victors Write the History Books: Capitalizing on a Milestone Corporate Anniversary, by Michael Margolis ________________________________________________________________________ 48

Identifying and Leveraging the Four Drivers of Employee Engagement, by Brian Burgess __________ 51

Talking the Walk: The Key to Balanced Work/Life, By Elizabeth A. Sears __________________________ 53

Work Personality-Life Personality Balance: Is Any Town Big Enough? by Richard Laermer __________ 55

Chapter 3: Management Challenges __________________________________57Model Behavior: Restructuring Orgs To Assess Risk and Manage Change, by PR News Editors _____ 58

Why are There no Managers in Nature? by Lanny Goodman _____________________________________ 61

Tackling the Monday Morning Blues, by Jeff Smith ______________________________________________ 64

Chapter 4: Recruiting & Retaining Talent _____________________________67A New ‘Glue’ Concept to Make Staff Stick Around, by Ted Pincus_________________________________ 68

Maximize Online Tools to Make a Recruiter’s Job Easier, by Noelle Hawton _______________________ 70

Table of Contents

4 www.prnewsonline.com PR News | Employee Communications Guidebook

Why Passion Gets the Job Done, by Patrick Bishop ______________________________________________ 73

Your Recruitment Message Should be Your Best Marketing Tool, by Lin Grensing-Pophal __________ 75

Strategic Talent Management and Employee Communications, by Michael A. Couch _______________ 78

Star Power: Surefire Ways to Attract Top Talent, by Lisa Ward and Steve Brechbiel ________________ 81

Chapter 5: Crisis Management _______________________________________83It’s Not You, It’s Us: Communicating Layoffs & Other Internal Crises, by PR News Editors __________ 84

Why Making Employees Your Company’s Top Advocates is a Crisis Imperative, by Julia Lamm _____ 87

What You Don’t Know Can Kill You, by Jacqueline Kolek _________________________________________ 89

The Keys to Navigating a Crisis, by Adam Clampitt ______________________________________________ 91

Making the Best of Downsizing, by Beth Haiken _________________________________________________ 93

Managing Internal Communications During a Crisis; Containing the Fires, by Glen Stone __________ 96

Hedge Fund Headaches: Communicating Through Economic Turmoil, by Dan Simon _______________ 98

Chapter 6: Online: Social Media & Digital PR _______________________ 101Loose Change: Selling Idea of Digital Integration to Risk-Averse Senior Execs,

by PR News Editors _______________________________________________________________________ 102

Empowering Employees to Drive Change and Communication Using Social Media, by Amanda Brewer ________________________________________________________________________ 105

Social Networking Inside the Enterprise, by Robbie Kellman Baxter ______________________________ 108

Unlocking the Value of HP’s Employee Portal For a Newly Merged Workforce, by Peter Eschbach and Jeremy Morgan _____________________________________________________ 110

Mtg @ 2: Private Microblogs Make Internal Comms Short and Sweet, by PR News Editors _________ 113

Launching Webcasts to Reach Internal Audiences, by Shany Seawright __________________________ 116

Communicating in the YouTube Era: Using Video to Reach Employees, By Brant Skogrand ________ 118

Chapter 7: Coaching & Training ____________________________________ 121Playing to Win: Developing Coaching Programs for Executive Communication,

by PR News Editors _______________________________________________________________________ 122

How to Tell the Boss He Needs Media Training—And Not Get Fired, by Ed Barks _________________ 125

Preparing Executives for the Always-On World of Social Media Training, by Michael Parker _______ 127

Coaching Executives on Developing a Compelling Personal Presence, by Dianna Booher __________ 130

The ‘Pluto Axiom:’ Mitigating Confusion Caused by Unofficial Spokespersons, by Merni Fitzgerald ________________________________________________________________________ 133

‘What’s Your Vibe?’—Finding and Improving Your Personal Energy, by Harriet Gryszkiewicz ______ 135

Why Positioning an Employee to be an Authority Builds Brand Awareness, by Jennifer Manocchio ____________________________________________________________________ 138

Chapter 8: Multicultural & Global Communications _________________ 141 Communicating with a Multicultural, Decentralized Workforce, by Julie Baron ____________________ 142

Engage and Inspire Employees with Diversity Awareness Events, by Dr. Cheryl Ann Lambert _____ 146

Pfizer’s Global Health Fellows Program a Prescription for Employee Motivation, by PR News Editors _______________________________________________________________________ 149


Chapter 9: Greening the Workplace ________________________________ 151 Get Going: Early Lessons for Going Green Before Internal & External Audiences,

by Beth Bengston and Jonathan Feinstein __________________________________________________ 152

Virtual Workplaces: Authenticity Begins in the Office, by Julie Herrick Williams __________________ 155

Greening the Landscape of Modern-Day Businesses, by Steven Kleber ___________________________ 158

Building a Sustainable Workforce; Green Benefits Your Company And Your World, by Mindy Frink ____________________________________________________________________________ 161

Turning the Corner: How Employers are Helping Staff Green Their Daily Commute,

by Brian Shifman and Jennifer Lay __________________________________________________________ 164

Chapter 10: Internal Communications & Surveys ___________________ 169 The 2-Cent Solution: How Employee Input Adds Up to Meaningful Change, by Ed King ___________ 170

How Leveraging the Power of Colleague Engagement Will Grow Your Company, by Blake Jordan ___________________________________________________________________________ 172

‘Just Ask’ Leadership & GPSing, by Gary Cohen ________________________________________________ 174

The Listening Roadmap, by Allen Putman _____________________________________________________ 176

Chapter 11: Internal Branding _____________________________________ 179 The Tipping Point: How to Launch an Internal Brand, by PR News Editors _______________________ 180

Building Brand Strength From Within, by Jody Ordioni __________________________________________ 183

Internal Branding: Fluff or Necessity? by Keith Burton __________________________________________ 185

Missing Link: Make Internal Brand Equity Strongest Piece of Value Chain, by PR News Editors ____ 187

Engage Employees as Secret Weapons to Maximize the Impact of Your Corporate Messaging, by Bill Bradley ____________________________________________________________________________ 190

Chapter 12: Case Studies __________________________________________ 193 Greasing the Skids: Shell Uses Employee Engagement and Outreach to

Rebuild a Community, by PR News Editors __________________________________________________ 194

Skills-Based Volunteerism Come Together To Impact Communities Nationwide, by PR News Editors _______________________________________________________________________ 197

Employers With Benefits: An Integrated Campaign Teaches Employees the Value of Open Enrollment, by PR News Editors ______________________________________________ 201

DHL Delivers Brand Promise Via Internal Campaign ‘I’m On It,’ by PR News Editors ______________ 204

South Texas Veterans Health Care System Goes For the Blue, by PR News Editors ________________ 205

School Board Overcomes Challenge to Communicate Important Legislation, by PR News Editors _______________________________________________________________________ 206

Discovering Diversity: Learn To Walk A Mile In The Other Person’s Shoes, by PR News Editors ____ 207

Chapter 1

Overview



Every day more and more experts call for mar-keters to relinquish control of their brands

and engage customers in dialogue. Companies are entering the blogosphere, building Facebook pag-es and Twittering with record speed. And while these organizations are bravely entering the new world, most fail to adopt this practice at home in their internal communications. The result is that we talk at employees rather than with them.

In the “employee-driven workplace,” people are given the freedom to create their own work envi-ronments. As a result, clients will stay, more will come and everyone will make money. The rewards of this approach include dramatically low turn-over rates and training costs, along with excep-tionally high client longevity and more profits.

Homing In on the ParticularsWhat characterizes an employee-driven work-place? You may have a fabulous perks package and invest in employee tools and resources and still not be an employee-driven workplace. Often executives bemoan a lack of appreciation shown by employees for all the great benefits they are given. But if someone gives you top-notch pair of skis for a gift, and you don’t ski, would you be ungrateful if you return them? No. Unfortunately, many organizations “gift” employees in a one-size-fits-all mentality, often with little input on what employees really want and need.

An employee-driven workplace is rooted in the organization’s corporate culture. Many organiza-

tions have a culture that reads well on paper, but doesn’t live well in reality. A value statement may promote the importance of teamwork, but when you look at how things are really done, you might see that individuals, rather than teams, reap the most rewards.

So, how do you know if you have the ingredients for an employee-driven workplace? Consider the following questions:

• Doyoutrackemployeeengagement,satisfac-tion and understanding and then act on the findings?

• Howdoyoushareyourinformationandmakedecisions? Are your communications interac-tive or primarily top-down?

• AreyourHRpoliciesbuiltonaphilosophyofrestricting, controlling and stopping behavior or investing in ways to promote good behav-iors that drive business objectives?

• Doesyourphysicalenvironmentsupportposi-tive employee interaction?

There are two common roadblocks to creating an employee-driven workplace:

• Lack of trust: Flexibility and respect are the foundation of an employee-driven workplace. If you treat employees like thieves and liars, the result is a nonproductive atmosphere of fearanddistrust.rbbPublicRelationsallowsevery employee, down to the bookkeeper, to choose the location and hours of work. This situation often begs the question of how to know that employees are really working. The

Why Every Organization Should Embrace the Employee-Driven Workplace By Christine Barney

Many organizations have a culture that reads well on paper, but doesn’t live well in reality. ➥


Chapter 1

Overview

answer is twofold. First, every good commu-nication department must have time/produc-tivity tracking. Second, the results speak for themselves. If the work isn’t getting done or is done poorly, it will be discovered. No one can cheat the system for very long. In an employ-ee-driven workplace, often other employees are the first to call out the slacker who lets down the team.

• Desire for control: Employees can better contribute to profitability when they under-stand and can control the areas they touch and see how profits are invested. Many workplace decisions are made backwards, driven by finan-cial considerations first. Just as no product is launched without user input, employees are best suited to make many work environment decisions.

rbb employees drive the selection of all work en-vironment needs, from vendors to software to the physical layout and types of professional develop-ment training. The scrutiny they provide as daily users yields a better value equation every year. They have support from our purchasing/financial department who provide open books to ensure de-cisions incorporate monetary as well as work goals.

Change Requires PatienceWhen presented with the employee-driven work-place concept, numerous objections to adoption arise based on size, structure, cost, etc. The transi-tion to an employee-driven workplace requires time, patience and, yes, money. It must be built in concert with corporate values and culture. Com-panies both small and large have done it. Their stories should inspire us to find ways to say yes rather than no. The employee–driven workplace

cannot be dictated or memoed into being. While its growth is organic, it needs structure. Intranets with message boards, discussion groups and sur-veys are only some of the tools used to obtain and most importantly show action on employee input.

At rbb, we’ve built our structure with five em-ployee groups: rbb Works for operational issues, rbb Think Tank for professional development, rbbFlexforwork/lifebalance,rbbExtrasDivi-sion for social networking and rbb News for firm marketing. Every employee participates in a group and has dedicated hours and budget allocated to managing that group function. Measurable results include:

• Nationalaccolades:rbbmadethetop30listnationwide of Wall Street Journal Top Small Workplaces for the last two years.

• Retentionandrecruitmentbenefits:averagestaff and client tenure is 8.5 years.

• Thenumbers:Productivity,profitmarginsandemployee satisfaction have all continuously improved.

A final word on why you should consider adopt-ing the employee-driven workplace philosophy. Consider what really defines your organization’s brand. It is defined most strongly not by what you say but what your employees say and do. With-out the support of employees, your brand will fail to deliver. With their support, not only will you deliver on your brand promise, but also you will achieve strong financial success. PRN

Christine Barney is CEO/managing partner of rbb Public Relations, a full-service firm with offices in New York and Miami.

Chapter 2

Motivation &

Morale



It’s apparently fun to work at Google: There are 11 free gourmet cafeterias; motorized scoot-

ers are available for traversing the vast Google campus; and onsite haircuts are free. But for companies that don’t hemorrhage money, how can executives keep employee morale high and turn-over low? The answer lies in the communications department.

Communications executives’ integration into every organizational function gives them the ability to play an increasingly large role in all business activities: developing and promoting the most desirable brand and image to attract top candidates; hiring the best people in conjunction with human resources; and managing top talent through leadership roles. However, it all starts—and ends—with an effective internal communica-tions strategy, which will foster a sense of com-munity and participation and, in the end, drive positive organizational growth. (Case in point: a Watson Wyatt survey, which analyzed links be-tween communications effectiveness and business performance, found that companies with the most effective employee communications experienced a far greater shareholder return than companies that communicated less effectively.)

PR/communications executives can implement an effective internal communications strategy and, in turn, score the PR equivalent of a triple-double: increased employee morale, decreased turnover and better bottom-line business results. The Wat-son Wyatt research study had some tips on best practices to follow.

#1 To build a foundation for strong com-munications, follow a formal process.

The study reveals that the most effective com-panies have communications programs that are

developed proactively; coordinate internal and external communications; have a documented communication strategy; follow a systematic ori-entation program for new hires; conduct opinion surveys that verify employees' understanding of key internal messages; and foster a culture that supports the sharing of knowledge across the organization. Given the findings, communications executives must:

Appeal to employees through internal brand-ing efforts that echo external branding, as this aligns messaging, encourages employees to be evangelists of the brand and gives employees a personal stake in the company's public image.

Facilitate communication between all groups within the company through focus groups, small meetings, webinars, meet-and-greets, luncheons, happy hours, message boards, etc.

Emphasize to senior management the impor-tance of appealing to each employee. Being “one of the little guys” or a new hire shouldn't be the same as feeling like your voice doesn't matter or can't be heard. These people are the most important ones for senior manage-ment to reach, as they can be the company's future leaders—or they can leave as a result of discontent and cost the organization valuable resources (i.e., the time and money that goes into training).

#2 Use employee feedback. Now that you've had meetings, conducted surveys

and facilitated communication with senior man-agement, put the information to good use. Note that, as the Watson Wyatt study suggests, all employee surveys should include “action plan-ning and improvement programs” and feedback

Tying Employee Motivation to Organizational Goals and SuccessBy PR News Editors


Chapter 2Motivation & Moraleprocesses. Some potential employee-feedback

vehicles:

A voicemail system where employees can call in and (anonymously, if they choose) respond to an announcement or initiative;

A message board on the company's intranet; and,

Roundtables where ideas and opinions can be exchanged.

Then, most important, make sure you incorporate employee feedback into future endeavors and that all solicited feedback is relevant to key business objectives. If a concern is voiced that is valid but, at that time, unsolvable, have the appropriate senior executive issue a release or announcement acknowledging the concern and explain why it can't be changed now and/or what is being done about it.

#3 Integrate total rewards. Money speaks volumes, both for the organization and

for the individuals who work within it. Commu-nications executives must use pay/compensation/bonuses as a means of developing a strong brand and improving business performance. Pay-for-performance models, such as the one observed by General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt, can't be implemented in every company, but small finan-cial rewards can do wonders.

The study also revealed that, at the most effective companies, employees understand the impor-tance of participating in benefit programs and the value of their total compensation packages. This is where communications executives need to have a close working relationship with those in human resources.

#4 Leverage technology. Technological advances have provided communica-

tions managers with limitless channels for fa-cilitating internal communications and, in turn, encouraging collaboration and the sharing of resources. Blogs can promote casual dialogue;

podcasts can give senior executives a means for speaking to employees; and intranets can serve as a resource for navigating a company's policies, initiatives, mission and goals.

Technology also can be used to increase employee engagement and satisfaction in unexpected ways. For example, a May 2006 Wall Street Journal ar-ticle highlighted how some companies handle the widespread feeling of being overworked. Among the examples:

IBM uses a Web-based tool for managers to survey employees and identify “low-value” work. The results lead to consolidations and, of course, saves money.

Boston Consulting Group logs total hours in a weekly “Red Zone Report,” which identifies the employees who are working “too much,” and gives executives an opportunity to address it.

#5 Create an employee “Line of Sight.” The study defines this as communicat-

ing openly to employees about matters that affect them; sharing financial information with em-ployees; sharing business plans and/or goals with employees; and having leaders who consistently communicate company information to employees. Communications executives' role in these efforts is clear: With the ear of the C-suite, communica-tions executives can facilitate the flow of informa-tion among all parties in the organization.

The study goes on to name more ways in which communications activities can motivate employ-ees to achieve the goals of the organization, but they all boil down to one theme: Just as PR and communications executives once longed for a “seat at the table,” now every employee wants (and feels entitled) to pull up a proverbial chair. The business environment necessitates it, as it is in every company's best interest to have their em-ployees act as ambassadors for their brands. Study after study shows the strong impact of employee morale on performance, and employees are, after all, a key constituent. PRN

Chapter 3

Management

Challenges



Risks abound in today’s global business cli-mate. Shattered investor confidence, slashed

consumer spending and spiraling employee mo-rale have all forced executives to take pause and reassess their organizations’ business models and recipes for success. With this reassessment have come necessary changes, from widespread layoffs to drastically downsized budget allocations. The only problem? As these changes are implemented, oftentimes the big picture—that is, the business model and organizational structure—remains un-touched, leaving it with gaping holes and broken connections.

Securing Stakeholder Buy-InOf course, a business model and organizational structure that resemble Swiss cheese don’t reassure any stakeholder group that things will continue to run smoothly amid this economic roller-coaster ride. Thus, management teams are revising plans and restructuring departments to account for the extraordinary circumstances. For communications executives, that means all hands on deck to ensure that strategic alignment happens without any sac-rifices to the brand, reputation or bottom line.

“Communications is the difference between a re-structuring that is painful yet successful, and one that simply fails,” says Reid Walker, vice president of Global Communications and Sponsorships at Lenovo. “Employees, shareholders, custom-ers, suppliers and local communities all need to understand what [the company] is doing and

why. They also need to understand how it plans to remain viable for the long run. It’s really up to the communications professionals to be at the table insisting on that degree of transparency, and to ensure that the messages being delivered to every audience are consistent and complete.”

Walker’s vision of the role communicators should play in restructurings comes from experience in the trenches; his team is currently finalizing a reorganization that, while necessary, was anything but easy.

“We’ve made a careful examination of our op-erations globally and done a number of things to streamline our company, and to realign some functions and geographic areas,” he says. “That has required us to make some tough decisions, in the words of our CEO Bill Amelio, that have resulted in cutting our workforce by 11%, includ-ing a number of senior executives.”

Based on his experience acquired during Lenovo’s reorganization, Walker helps identify the follow-ing best practices all communications executives should consider when undertaking restructurings, no matter how big or small their organizations might be.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just because busi-nesses across the board are struggling doesn’t mean every company needs to restructure its operation. Before initiating any changes to the business model or organizational structure, make sure there is a definitive reason to actually do so.

“Organizations should not rush to change sound strategies or make decisions that focus only on the short-term situation,” Walker says. “They should take the time to examine carefully how

Model Behavior: Restructuring Orgs to Assess Risk and Manage ChangeBy PR News Editors

Just because businesses across the board are struggling doesn't mean every company needs to restructure its operation.➥


Chapter 3ManagementChallenges

Necessary Evil: How To Conduct An Internal Audit

According to Paul Argenti, professor of cor-porate communication at the Tuck School of Business, “The point of a communications audit is to figure out what everyone is doing, and if they are working in the most productive, integrated fashion possible.” Acquiring this knowledge is critical to executing a reorganiza-tion or restructuring of any kind. To conduct an audit, follow these steps:

● Assess the current organizational structure by mapping out reporting relationships, both among individual executives and en-tire departments.

● Interview managers in each department to get a thorough understanding of roles and responsibilities. Use this insight to analyze structural and functional effectiveness.

● If time and resources permit, compare your organizational structure with those of industry peers, but always consider their approaches in the context of their own suc-cesses/failures.

● Look for redundancies. “Audits do have a financial implication,” Argenti says. “You may be doing the same thing three differ-ent ways when you could just do it once and do it right.”

● Based on the any redundancies or ineffi-ciencies that you identify, plan out the new, best-case scenario structure that you want to achieve. Then, make sure it would effectively solve any problems/close any gaps before setting the reorganization into motion.

they can become more efficient today while still being in a strong position to compete tomorrow when the economic crisis is over. The last thing you want to do is sacrifice the future.”

Conduct an internal audit. If you thought au-dits were just for accountants, think again. Audit-ing is an essential process that will help gauge the need for a reorganization.

“It’s important that a company undertake this ex-amination across its entire business and its entire global footprint in order to identify efficiencies that might not be found if you look at the busi-ness in either functional or geographic silos,” Walker says.

Also critical during this stage is identifying the core business attributes that define the brand, as restructurings should never, ever involve chang-ing an organization’s identity. “It’s important to remember the brand attributes that built your company and ensure they aren’t sacrificed,” Walk-er says. “For Lenovo, innovation is a hallmark, and we’ll continue to invest in it despite the dif-ficulties posed by the global economy right now. The same is true for quality. And we are sticking with our core strategy to focus on growth markets throughout the world, and to grow faster than the industry as a whole in those markets.”

Proceed with caution—and confidence. If an audit determines that a restructuring is indeed required for the business to remain viable, then make the necessary moves with resolve. Expect resistance from all stakeholders, especially if changes involve staff reductions. Most important, be consistent with messaging, and always be sure you talk the talk and walk the walk. For example, Lenovo did cut its staff by 11%, but, “The remain-ing executives are taking significant reductions in their compensation,” Walker says. “[You must] ensure that any pain is shared fairly by the top of the company as well as the bottom. That will be a vital factor in remaining strong for a recovery.”

Honesty is the best policy. Be transparent in communications with all stakeholders, both

internal and external. If messaging is incon-sistent, it will come back to bite you. The only way to emerge from a reorganization relatively unscathed is to have stakeholders on your side throughout the process. If your communications


strategy involves smoke and mirrors, you might as well jump overboard now, because that ship is going to sink.

Remember why there is such a thing as a communications department. The PR and com-munications disciplines developed out of the need to protect an organization’s most important asset: its reputation. Always use that as your guiding light.

“Your calling card should be the responsibility

you have for maintaining the company’s reputa-tion and brand image,” Walker says. “There will be a lot of other players advocating for decisions to be made in certain ways, but they may not be considering—or even have the skills to under-stand—how those decisions will affect the com-pany’s reputation. It’s your job to keep executives apprised from the beginning of not just how to communicate their decisions, but how to consider the communications implications before those decisions are made.” PRN

Boosting Employee Productivity During a Downturn

As signs of an economic turnaround remain elusive, business leaders are becoming more focused on increasing employee productivity. The goal of the research recently conducted by The Conference Board was to identify effective ways to address the organizational and managerial challenges of man-aging distance employees. Among the findings:

● 60% agreed that managing same-site employees is easier than managing distance employees.

● 80% believed that the extra costs of enabling employees to work at a distance do pay off.

● Five common practices emerged among effective distance teams: in-person meetings; clear agreements on accessibility; good use of group software; adequate company support; and clearly defined roles for members.

● The study states that distance managers must be superb at three competencies—cultivating rela-tionships, focusing on outcomes and developing employees.

● 53% of managers surveyed reported spending more than an hour a week developing relationships with distance employees, whereas only 18% of employees believed that their managers spent that much time with them.

● 90% of managers and 70% of employees said “the phone” and “in person,” respectively, were the most effective communication tools for building distance relationships.

Source: The Conference Board

Documents

Employee Communications Guidebook - PR News samplepages.pdfMotivating Employees: ... Empowering Employees to Drive Change and Communication Using Social Media, ... Chapter 7: Coaching