Biz-commPulse

Storytelling is referred to by some experts as the future of internal communication.  Telling stories is not new and has been around for thousands of years. Many psychologists can tell you that something is better remembered if it is linked to a compelling story.  This is just how our brains work. This is why storytelling can be a powerful internal communication tool to engage and inspire employees. Using stories for internal communication messages could evoke a shared sense of identity due to an emotional connection with the stories. Language The Coca-Cola Brand is renowned for its stories. can be used to the business' advantage as it can evoke such emotional connection with other employees and what the business stands for. Businesses therefore now also use stories to share or explain their business culture or goals. The business can, for example, use stories to explain difficult data, facts, and figures.  Stories can also pro...

Infographics, or the visual representation of data, is increasingly being  used by businesses to visually represent complex data to their employees.  Especially policies with numerous legal terms  or complicated business data lend themselves to using  infographics.  Infographics can easily be designed by any employee who is creative enough to resourcefully represent data visually and not necessarily only by graphic designers. Numerous online tools are available, but they could also be designed with Powerpoint, Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. These graphics can be uploaded on the business website and also be distributed to employees via email or even embedded in the business Intranet and should preferably complement the business corporate identity. What kind of data could be visually represented to employees? Business policies could be visually displayed to explain how they affect employees in real business life. Business figures could be made more a...

Source: Freedigitalphotos.net Being a leader is not the same as being a manager.  A manager can still be a poor leader or a leader cannot be a good manager.     In an ever changing business environment, known leadership principles also constantly have to adapt with new leadership styles in addition to the old styles.  But what is leadership and what will make a good leader in 2014?  A good leader inspires other people while ruling or guiding them in the right direction.  But in a world of being connected, a good leader also provides opportunities for what is known as connective leadership .  This means that while managing and leading, the leader also provides opportunities for participation and innovation by giving employees access to experiences and knowledge to grow.   The leader of 2014 knows exactly what employees' passions are and enable them to use them to the benefit of both the business and the employees. ...

Source: Freedigitalphotos.net Team work has become increasingly important in a business, especially since numerous studies confirm that not only are employees more productive when working in a group, but many excellent and innovative ideas had their origin in a group setting to the long-term benefit of the business. Why is team work good  for a business? In a group setting employees have different skills, talents and working styles which can complement each other while striving towards achieving the same business goals.   Employees have to collaborate while different ideas are shared and tested with peers.  It often happens that employees are encouraged to do their best in a group setting because they trust and respect each other.  However, the opposite is also true if the team consists of different personalities who do not agree which could  result in conflict. To really succeed with a team approach in a business, the culture of the business nee...

Source: Recruitingcycle.com A business is just as good as its employees and therefore managers aspire to employ only the most talented people.  Not only are talented employees appointed, but star performers are also handpicked for further improvement  of their talents to the benefit of the business through specialised training and skills development programmes. Why is it so important for a business to manage and develop the talent of its star employees? First of all it is an investment the business makes in its employees which will pay off in the long term.  It is considered a strategic advantage for the business by attaining all of its business objectives through highly skilled employees. It cultivates the loyalty of the best employees in the business because it makes them feel appreciated and rewarded to be handpicked for further training. It also improves the performance of these employees in the business as the training is usually directed link...

Source: Freedigitalphotos.net Implementing changes in a business could be very difficult but even more if employees are not in favour of the changes.  By knowing why employees might be resistant to change, effective communication strategies and media could be developed in advance to overcome any obstacles and to adequately  inform employees about the changes (also read my post on how to communicate change s). Here are the five most common reasons why employees might resist the changes you want to implement in your business: Employees do not really see or understand the need for any changes. Fear of management changing the status quo. Reluctance to work with other colleagues or in different teams. Employees not willing to take on more responsibilities. Employees might fear retrenchments, early retirement or other issues that might threaten their long-term security in the business. Honest and open communication play a crucial role in implementin...

Any change management process requires good communication skills as many employees are naturally resistant to change.  If changes in the business are also not congruent with some employees' self-seeking interests, the challenge for managers is even greater.  Employees also have unique personalities and may react to change differently (also read my post why employees might be resistant to change ). Employees need to prepared for the change in the business and all changes need be reinforced.  What role does communication play in the change management process? Source: Soshable.com Before the changes are implemented, the manager first needs to motivate employees to appreciate the need for the change.   Many employees feel too comfortable in the current status quo and need to see how the changes could benefit them in the long term.   The manager could, for example, communicate current problems in the business and explain how the changes would solve the...

Leadership and communication skills are essential for the business to function well. There are several points of view about what differentiate a leader from a manager.  Many theorists suggest that a manager is more focused on systems in the business, while a leader is more focused on the workers. The ideal is that a manager should also be a good leader. There is also a difference between a leader and leadership . A leader in a business usually controls the behaviour of workers keeping in mind the mission and vision of the business.  To effectively control a business, a leader demonstrates encouraging behaviour associated with good communication skills. Leadership on the other hand implies encouraging behaviour that managers and even workers demonstrate to help workers achieve their goals and objectives. Persuading workers to do their work, giving directions and coordinating messages and actions all require excellent communication skills. Workers in senior positions ...

Happy employees are more productive. Business communication is no longer about how to write a letter, email or use effective writing skills.  It has also extended to other areas in the business, for example, excellent relationships within the business. A manager should not only concentrate on successful communication with its external clients, customers and stakeholders.  The employees of the business actually are   internal clients   and should also be treated with care.  Many scholars refer to this as   internal marketing , a very important feature of good business communication.  Employees’ well-being and work satisfaction play a large role in their productivity and how loyal they will be towards the business.  The role of the manager is to ensure good relationships with and among employees.   A healthy working environment is equally important.  Previous research has indicated that employees also have other career as...

The name of this blog is Biz-CommPulse , which will include information about business communication. You might now wonder why a whole blog is dedicated to the area of business communication.  Business communication is such an important part of a business’s strategy, yet it is also one of the most neglected areas in the business.  Many managers are so focused on making sales and a profit, that they forget about the role of proper business communication for success. The aim of this blog  is to point out practices of good business communication and where businesses possibly could improve in this area.  If you visit regularly, you will find useful information on the best ways of improving business communication and best practices.  The blog will also provide valuable resources on business communication. Effective business communication requires good skills and a sound knowledge of the dynamics of a business and its people. This will become evident if you...