Currently, companies coexist in an environment marked fundamentally by two main factors: the high competitiveness of the markets, which leads to constant internal wear and tear of managers and teams for seeking greater quality and differentiation in the products and services generated; and permanent changes that impact organizational dynamics (mergers, purchases, restructuring, technological transformation, etc.). These factors force organizations to continuously monitor the work environment, to –at least- maintain productivity.
This challenging and very dynamic reality has made senior management, for some time, set their eyes on people, that is, on human capital, the bastion to successfully face these important challenges.
So what does the company expect from its employees? Basically they are aligned and committed to the what and how of the company; understanding that the "what" refers to business strategy with its objectives, projects and goals; while the “how” is related to the corporate culture, that is, to the way in which internal efforts are added (leadership, attitudes, values, rites, processes, etc.) to carry out their work.
Strategic Internal Communication, the first key
For workers to align and commit to the what (business) and how (culture), it is essential, first of all, that certain basic conditions exist. The first thing is that companies transform their communication (always existing) into strategic internal communication. This is achieved when work is managed in three dimensions:
• Strategic / Directive: managers empowered by their leading role in internal communication, as effective recipients of employees and issuers of business strategy. In addition to being influential leaders, agents of change and spokespersons before internal crises, channelers of culture and corporate values (being consistent between discourse and action), main motivators of the company (visible and accessible to all, and encouraging employees), and internal climate monitors (look at the long-term impact of certain strategies, policies or action plans that are implemented).
• Operational: headquarters that base communication with their team on key elements such as: effective information on the task, positive or negative feedback on the work carried out by people, motivation and recognition, fostering teamwork and group sense; communication of the vision, mission, strategy and culture of the company, according to what corresponds and makes sense to each area; and engagement management.
• Functional: An area strategically positioned in the organization, with great internal visibility and that supports all areas and levels. That it work, in conjunction with human resources, the communicative management of those key behaviors (motivation, belonging and commitment) and the communicative transmission of business and culture - adjusted to different levels and areas; but that also combines the use of traditional tools (internal digital, audiovisual and printed media; and internal actions and events of a face-to-face nature) with other non-traditional ones (measurements, training and change management).
What we have described in the last point is obviously the ideal that, in our opinion, every company should seek in order to contribute to the objective of aligning and engaging employees. Now, we believe it necessary to emphasize that, in this task, the work carried out in a conscious and coordinated manner by the three main emitters of strategic internal communication: managers, bosses and internal communicators is vital.
In general, what we have been able to see in the organizations that we have advised is that there is often little empowerment at the level of managers and chiefs, and rather limited management in the case of internal communication areas. Therefore, much remains to be done and improved.
However, once this first phase has been addressed, we must take a second step…
Change Communication, second key to compromise and align
One of the common flaws of traditional and nonstrategic internal communication management is that when asked to align and engage employees, it recursively appeals to internal means and, to a lesser extent, face-to-face actions. Then, we find a series of messages in magazines, intranet, newsletters, murals, e-mailings, breakfasts, communication meetings, team meetings, etc., that although they reach the recipients, they do not manage to permeate them and achieve a change of attitude in them.
This happens because traditional internal communication only manages to position certain discourses in people's minds, but it does not go any further. Furthermore, most of these efforts are aimed at disseminating issues, but they consider the real interests of the different audiences (feedback) and their active participation in the co-construction and achievement of the proposed goals too superficially. In other cases, rightly, none of these aspects are considered.
What to do then?
A solution to this dilemma is offered by the incorporation of change management strategies and tools into internal strategic communication. We basically talk about:
• Internal stakeholder management: That is, those people who, by their position and / or representation, have a direct impact on the success or failure of a project. In this sense, we are referring not only to management - as is often thought - but also to union leaders, opinion leaders, middle managers, members of associations, etc. With them, there is a face-to-face and periodic follow-up to alienate them with the key messages; as well as, acquire their opinions and points of view, to incorporate them into the development of the plan that is being executed. In this way, it seeks to increase the degree of adherence and commitment of these people.
• Awareness of key areas: for the specific business or project. Here special focus is placed on measuring the degree of satisfaction and suggestions of the workers that make up the identified areas.
• Training of change agents or facilitators: Ideally they should represent all organizational levels and should have a clearly defined and validated role at the organizational level, with the clear themes in which they will act as allies in the communications area.
These three elements, which are part of what we call change communication, enable the alignment and commitment of employees to be gradually worked on successfully.
We are currently implementing a concrete example of the above in a multinational mining company, which set out as a challenge, at the beginning of the year, the creation of “Ambassadors”, who would help, from within, to promote the alignment and commitment of workers with the strategic discourse and values of the company (that is, with the what and the how). An entire internal marketing campaign was worked with them, supported by internal media (Intranet, magazine, brochures, posters, videos, etc.) and on-site actions (meetings and gatherings), but a communication strategy for change was also designed., based on internal stakeholder management (month by month, their disposition is measured with the project and the key milestones are informed), raising awareness of certain key areas (Environment, Human Resources,Safety and Health, Public Affairs) and in the training of some facilitators in these last key areas.
For the next year, the second phase of the project is considered, which includes a new internal marketing campaign, the continuation of the management of internal stakeholders and awareness of areas, but now, the training of facilitators in all areas of the firm.
Finally, it is important to say that all these strategies and tactics must be measured periodically, to evaluate their effectiveness and identify their opportunities for improvement; as well as ensuring continuity over time that gives it coherence, since this -beyond a specific project- should be transformed into a new style of managing communications and relating to people in a company.
