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...

Ethical communication occurs when it is honest, open, fair and mindful of all employees' rights.  It is not surprising that the management of a business could play a pivotal role to set the example to employees.  They should lead by example, reward ethical behaviour as well as create an awareness of ethics in general. The corporate values of the business are imperative in that they guide the ethical behaviour of employees.  It is important for employees to understand the difference between right and wrong behaviour in the workplace. Business' values are usually related but not limited to human rights, employee development, health and safety, discrimination and respect for others as well as working conditions. How can a manager instill ethical communication practices in the business? By, for example: creating an awareness of the values of the business through continuous communication having ethical roundtable discussions with employees blog postings ...

Branding a company is important for distinguishing it clearly from the competitors through planned communication strategies but it also expands to other functional areas in the company, for example, a   reliable customer service   when dealing with customers’ email, written, personal and telephonic enquiries and basically all instances where customers come into contact with the company. A reliable customer service is also applicable to effective brand administration in that customers can benefit by the whole administration process.  As indicated in previous posts, the role of happy employees in this regard is of utmost important.  The happier the employees, the better the customer service will be. But how should it work?  A   brand communication strategy , as part of an internal communication strategy ,   should include strategies how to offer value to the customer in all areas of service delivery, including administration. When a company has ineffi...

A direct communication channel by the CEO could enhance  business communication. Image credit:  Photopin . Communication from the CEO of a business is essential for employees not only to receive direct messages from Top Management but also to understand the thinking process of those who are in charge.   A CEO weekly blog could improve communication in the business and simultaneously make the management more visible to employees which is essential for any business communication strategy to remain effective. The CEO could, for example, write to employees on a weekly basis about different topics that would be of interest to them at that specific point in time.  The blog posts could relate to important events in the business,  clarify unclear issues or  communicate essential new information, for example on being ethical. In addition interesting statistics about how the business is doing financially could also be of interest to employees.   ...

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...

Employees generally welcome feedback from managers, not only  constructive feedback  about their own work performance, but also about any undertakings in the business which directly relate to their tasks.  Managers tend to forget that well informed employees are more productive and also focused on achieving business objectives. So what kind of  feedback should a manager give to employees? Continuous feedback to employees is important.  Picture Credit: Photopin . Feedback on work performance without discouraging the employee, thus constructive remarks to help the employee grow and prosper to the benefit of business goals.   The annual performance interview is the ideal place, but feedback could also be continuous throughout the year in less formal settings. Feedback about all activities and undertakings in the business.  Large businesses have their own public relations officers dealing with internal communication according t...

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. ...

Many businesses that used to deny employees access to social media are now increasingly making access available.  It is as if there is a renewed awareness that use of social at the office is not necessarily always a bad thing.   The main reason why businesses did not in the beginning want to give employees access to social media is because of fear of loss of productivity and even misuse of social media.  Why is use of social media at the office a good thing?  I can think of at least the following reasons: Source: Twitter. A more favourable perception of the business by employees is created which in turn could result in even higher productivity. Networking opportunities for employees outside the business are possible which could benefit the business in the long term. Employees are granted the opportunity to build a personal professional brand through various social media. Employees can even assist in building the company brand thr...

Another key area for seamless integration of business communication is having access to  the right technology or infrastructure.  Many business owners therefore are looking for the right software with which to integrate all messages to or from employees.  I recently discovered Google Enterprise which is a very cost effective way of managing communication in the business.  Google has been widely criticised especially since they seem to almost have a monopoly when it comes to search engines, but I am fascinated by the many possibilities for any business.  So why am I impressed and what can Google Enterprise do to enhance integration? Source: Google Enterprise. Google has many applications which business owners can use to communicate with employees.  Employees are always connected via email while the communication can be better managed with added productivity applications.  Examples of such applications are: A calendar where all calendars are...

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...

When is the right time to do a communication audit in a business?  Why is it important to know whether communication in a business is effective or not? During a communication audit the strength and weaknesses of all communication in the business is analyzed, namely its communication policies, strategies, practices, messages, capabilities and even the media that are used, including social and other online media. If you have read some of my other postings in this blog, you will know how important communication in a business is.  Lack of effective communication can even cause the business to eventually fail. When is the right time to do a communication audit?  You could consider a communication audit in your business when: a major restructuring of the business is taking place   the business seems to be failing and not reaching its objectives. union negotiations are upcoming a merger or acquisition of another business might be happening a new management ...

Business communication can also enhance a business’ brand, including its products, through what is known as employee branding.  But what exactly is employee branding? Employee branding refers to employees’ behaviour that shapes the identity of the brand.  The employee basically projects the brand by acting in specific way when dealing with current or potential customers. This can be through good customer service and other work behaviour that creates a specific perception of the business in the minds of customers. Effective business communication can play a role in employee branding because employees are empowered through how motivated they feel, how they understand their different roles in the business and if they completely understand the mission and vision of the business. If the business is committed to being a learning organization, employees even take ownership of their roles and tasks in the business. A learning organization generally provides more opportuniti...

What is a learning organisation and why should business communication facilitate learning? In this article I will interchangeable refer to a business and an organization which basically refers to a company that continuously transforms itself by facilitating the learning of its employees.  Employees in a learning organization share the same vision and have a team approach to learning.  Employees in a learning organization work smarter and are knowledgeable about any new products and processes of the business as well as how the macro-environment affects the business. Training programmes are thus essential to develop employees. The manager uses the skills of employees in the business to come up with creative solutions to any problems facing the business.  To facilitate learning in a business, communication is reliable and trusted by employees. The communication strategy of a business instills trust through honest and transparent communication. Business communication is re...