2 April 2008
Measurement guru Angela Sinickas named 2008 IABC Fellow
"Measurement is something companies have to do just to survive," says Hub expert.
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has recently announced that Angela Sinickas, ABC*, is this year’s IABC Fellow.
Maybe up to 20% of people might say that they're learning about company strategy from their peers – but almost none of them want to.
Sinickas, also the Hub's resident communication measurement expert, has been awarded the IABC's highest honor, in recognition of her outstanding leadership, professional accomplishment and service to IABC and the communications profession.
Measurement: An interesting idea
We asked Sinickas earlier today what, in her opinion, clinched her the award this year? "I've been talking about it so long it's finally caught up with me!" she jokes.
"I think it's the contributions I've been making towards getting people to measure. I've been doing that since 1981, when people thought measurement was merely an interesting thought. Now it's something companies have to do just to survive," Sinickas says.
Conducting focused research
Sinickas, pictured left hosting a recent Melcrum networking event in the UK, will receive her award at IABC's conference in New York later this year.
Launching her career as a publication editor and public information officer at the University of Illinois Medical Center, Sinickas later became internal communication manager at Chicago Tribune Company and VP of communication at Secomerica. She then worked for 13 years with major consulting firms, Hewitt and Mercer.
Since June 2000, Sinickas has been the president of Sinickas Communications, Inc., an international consulting firm dedicated to helping corporations achieve business results through focused research and practical solutions.
Contribution to communication
Fred Halperin, chair of the 2008 Fellow Award, says of Sinickas' achievements:
"Today, research is understood to be an essential ingredient to effective communication plans and programs. Angela has been instrumental in nurturing and popularizing this critical component of modern communication."
Carve your own niche
Sinickas suggests one way to be within a sniff of receiving such an accolade as the IABC Fellow Award, is to recognize your niche strengths. "Find what you're really good at, or what you have a passion for and what makes you different," she says.
"My first communication job was communicating in the medical field and I got that job just because I was the only candidate who'd ever worked for a doctor before. Sometimes the things that make you different might not seem special to you at the time but it does make you different – it makes your own experience unique," Sinickas advises.
You have to look at what you have to offer that's different from other people and share it with as many people as you possibly can.
"At one time I became an expert at communicating transitions of presidents because at the company I worked at we lost 6 presidents in 4 business units in 2 and a half years! So you have to look at what you have to offer that's different from other people and share it with as many people as you possibly can."
Analyzing preferred information sources
Talking of sharing advice and opinions, Melcrum's Communicators' Network listserv recently featured a call for thoughts on how employees respond to learning information from their peers, as opposed to managers or senior leaders. Sinickas supplies her suggestions:
"For information sharing (facts and figures, what's happening, what's changing, and so on within a company) – that kind of information, people really do not like getting from their peers."
"I do surveys on this all the time when we ask 'What are your preferred and current information sources on different topics?' and while peers are a common current source – maybe up to 20% of people might say that they're learning about company strategy from their peers – almost none of them want to."
Peer-to-peer validation works
So learning new information about the company is something employees definitely don't want from their peers. "That becomes 'the Grapevine'", Sinickas says. "Employees wonder 'Why didn't they tell me officially?'"
"People get upset. But when it comes to shaping attitudes and opinions on how they feel about this information, that's where peers can be very, very helpful," she says.
Learning new information about the company is something employees definitely don't want from their peers.
Using the analogy of when she used to work in the benefits-consulting field implementing tax-savings plans, Sinickas says people wanted to get the facts and figures on how the plans worked from brochures. "But what we found made a huge difference in the take-up rate and behavior was peer-to-peer validation of those plans," she says.
Listen out for the next Melcrum podcast featuring Angela's reaction to winning the Award and more of her thoughts on communication measurement.
*ABC – Accredited Business Communicator
Have your say
Perhaps you'd like to pose a question to Angela as part of your Hub membership?
What tricks and tips do you have for getting ahead in communications? Have you sampled Angela's communication measurement techniques at your organization? What were the findings?
Discuss these issues with other comms practitioners by joining the Internal Comms Hub members' group on the Communicators' Network.
Other recommendations:
Can you give me some advice on ratings scales for employee surveys?
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