Here’s an annoyingly simple truth: If your employees don’t feel emotionally connected to your organization’s purpose, its cultural values, its tasks or its people, your organization will underperform. In fact, your organization won’t survive even in the most favorable times — never mind during times of severe upheaval (like during and after a pandemic).
Don’t Despair
So, establishing and sustaining a strong emotional bond is something every organization should place on senior leadership’s regular agenda and actively managing.
The good news is that the folks at Happeo have just released some research addressing the degree to which employees feel connected to their organizations. And, not surprisingly, the role of employee communicators figures prominently in the findings —- although, not in the way you’d expect
And that’s why we sat down with Happeo’s Global Communications Manager, Jonathan Davies. Full disclosure here, we recently co-authored, The Employee Communicator’s Ultimate Guide to Corporate Podcasting.
Batten Down the Hatches
From our discussion with Jonathan, here are a handful of key insights (and things to do):
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There is a massive gap between what executives communicate and how employee communicators interpret, process and relay that information. Consequently, there is an unhealthy disconnect between employees at large and employee communicators.
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Executives cannot abdicate their responsibility to communicate well – leaving it to employee communicators. Rather, executives need to work closely with employee communicators in partnership.
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To get “inside the tent” with Executives, employee communicators have to take a stand and actively shift away from adopting the “publisher” or “journalist” role within organizations and become better at facilitating communications that lead to behavioral change.
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If employee communicators do not take this opportunity, sparked by the global pandemic, to clearly redefine and elevate the role of internal communications, they will remain undervalued or seen as less relevant.
ABC Resources Highlighted in this Episode
- The Employee Communicator’s Ultimate Guide to Corporate Podcasting (Free Download)
- Employee Change Communications that Work (2 x 3-hour sessions)
Other Resources Highlighted in this Episode
- The Challenger Customer (Brent Adamson)
- Made to Stick (Chip Heath and Dan Heath)
- Prolific (Scott Ginsberg)
- Pacific: The Ocean of the Future (Simon Winchester)
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