Communicating Value Through Change

Augusts 31, 2017
MARSHAL THE TROOPS

An important aspect of informing, engaging and involving associates on the journey of change is amassing ground support. Organizations move quicker as higher numbers of contributors propel the system forward.

We spent a lot of time on what and how communicators provide information to their respective audiences. However, organizations need to spend more time on where communication takes place; e.g. mediums of communication.

Not all communication is through standard meetings or status reports.

TAKE A BYTE OUT OF INFORMATION

In the Information Era, communication takes place on social media, department news boards, dashboards, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annual reports, closed-circuit TV, charts on walls, intranet company sites, monitor news ticker (aka crawler or slider), monitor pop-up alerts and more.

Communicators must add these methods to their layers of effective communication. Not only must they consider the method of information absorption regarding their audience, but the manner and medium of how they consume information. This includes understanding format differences between what and how to communicate in 250 characters or a screen-alert pop-up blast verses a bottom screen crawler or a 5-15-30-60-second news infomercial on wall monitors. The internet is changing the way and what people communicate.

Boarcăs (2017) found the following: (There is) influence of the internet on communication in general, and especially on business communication. The use of the internet has brought about many changes to the world, particularly on how contemporary business is being operated. Due to the great technological progress, product development has become faster and better and business process are more systematized. The introduction of the internet to several industries has paved the way for greater progress in the future. (p. 201-203)

TRUST ME

Because Corporate American has been losing public support and confidence since the fall of Enron, WoldCom, Tyco, HealthSouth, Freddie Mac, AIG (American Insurance Group), Houston Waste Management, Lehman Brothers, Saytam and Bernie Madoff (Scandals, 2006), now, communication not only imparts vision, encouragement, success recognition and reasons for loyalty to the cause, it must promote company reputation, modes of operation, commitment to the brand, its associates and customers/clients, ethics, morality and integrity (Grahame, 2006).

Therefore, communication doubles as a marketing tool.

To gain a competitive advantage for companies operating in this Information Era, Slawomir (2014) stated, “The rate of change in companies’ environments forces organizations to react quickly to clients’ needs. …There has been an observed systematic increase in the importance of communicating customer-value, … in the age of modern technology and changes in the economy.”

SO EXCITED AND JUST CAN’T HIDE IT

To be successful, companies need the support of the associates, shareholders and customer-base. Excitement and support must generate across the spectrum. Communication and its rate of frequency will determine the building of anticipation and engagement to rise to the occasion and reach the goal-state.