7 November 2007
Unique research reveals what your CEO wants from you
Findings show need for deeper relationships between internal communicators and senior leaders.
A report, 21st Century Leadership Communication, containing the results of research conducted by Melcrum and management consultants, The Company Agency, has revealed a number of key findings about CEO perceptions of the internal communication (IC) function.
Interviews were held earlier this year with 18 CEOs and senior leaders from a broad spectrum of organizations and industry sectors across Europe, South Africa and the US about their experiences and opinions of internal communication.
How CEOs feel about internal comms
To investigate leading CEOs’ strategies and priorities in the area of internal
communication was one of the main aims of the report. By compiling and analyzing the interview results, the report identifies the methods and messages CEOs hold up as examples of best practice, as well as
instances of when they've learned from failure.
“Executives never listen enough – we’re very conscious of that. An individual once told me ‘God gave you two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion’. You’ve probably got to listen two thirds of the time, and talk one third, but we are fairly conscious of it,” said John Conover, President of Americas Distribution at air conditioning solutions provider, Trane, in the report.
Draw out the personality
In addition, the conversations with the CEOs raised a number of key points. Conclusions drawn from the findings include that "CEOs need support with communication to make their interactions more authentic and personal," says Darren Briggs (pictured, left), a partner at The Company Agency.
"The IC professional needs to be helping the CEO to get his or her story straight and to articulate the strategic, complex ideas and challenges a company has," Briggs advises.
Get to know your CEO better
In addition, as messages are being ever more precisely focused on their
specific audiences, the internal communicator must equip the CEO with the right tools and information to understand how different generations in the workforce operate, and which methods of communication will work best for them.
“Look at the internet. People are used to being able to get any infomation they want on anything. So, actually, not to have an internal communication strategy that shares with your employee base where you're trying to go as a company would just be very odd,” said Paddy Byng, CEO of luxury apparel designer, Smythson, in the report.
Internal communication is increasingly being used to help
leaders listen.
As a result of the extra attention that needs to be paid to drilling down communication efforts to the needs of a more diverse audience, the relationship between the internal communicator and the CEO will have to naturally strengthen and deepen.
Recommendations for internal communicators
The first part of the report includes recommendations
for CEOs and senior business leaders; while the second contains a more detailed exploration of the research
findings, with recommendations for internal communicators. Both sections provide insights for CEOs and internal communication functions about how they can work in greater alignment.
An Afterword from Malcolm Higgs, Professor of Organization Behavior and HR at the University of Southampton School of Management in the UK, places the key research findings in the context of broader leadership research and thinking.
Listen in detail
Hear more about the research findings in the just-released Melcrum podcast, where Briggs chats in depth about the new report with the Hub's global editor, Annie Waite.
In addition, a Melcrum webinar on December 13, will feature Melcrum's CEO Victoria Mellor (pictured, left) in discussion with Darren Briggs about the background of the report and its findings, conclusions and recommendations.
You can order the CEO report via the Melcrum store. (As part of Melcrum's November sale, the special pre-publication price for this report has been extended.)
Get yourself on the board
Of the numerous important findings detailed in the report, one recommendation in particular is that internal communicators really must strive to get a seat at the top table.
One recommendation in particular is that internal communicators really must strive to get a seat at the top table.
The report suggests that CEOs see internal communication as key to the success of the business. The status of internal communication as an activity is clearly “safe” then.
The status of internal communicators, however, seems to be far less
secure. So, if you’re not the lead counsel, ask why. As a profession, internal communication
needs to establish a stronger position, so that it's always viewed as the most prominent
authority on internal culture, motivation, engagement, desire and
intent.
Have your say
Do you have any vital advice about how to get a seat at the top table? Or are you considering conducting similar research with your CEO? Discuss the findings with other communicators on the Communicators' Network.
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