28 September 2009
Recognize today's challenges and seize the opportunities to shine
Some highlights and memorable moments from the recent two-day conference in Chicago.
by Claire Leheny, Director, North America, Melcrum 
Change is constant. Trust in leadership is at an all-time low. Employees are feeling disengaged.
Even though times are tough, the opportunities abound. That was the resounding message from our speakers at Melcrum's 6th Annual Strategic Communication Management Summit, held in Chicago last week.
From Tim McCleary’s (principal of The Involve Practice) hands-on presentation that illustrated the value of involving employees in the process of decision-making to Dean Foods Marguerite Copel’s concluding remarks, every single speaker drove home the point that communication has a key role to play in delivering business value.
I know I’m not supposed to have favorites when there’s such an impressive selection of speakers. But Chris Thornton, director of internal communication at pharmaceutical heavy weight, Pfizer, totally won me over with his "take no prisoners" approach to helping leaders retain credibility during times of major change.
Be honest, be brutal even and remember that just because, "leaders have gone through a lot of change doesn't mean they know how to lead their people through it; it means they know how to survive," advised Thornton.
Just because leaders have gone through a lot of change doesn't mean they know how to lead their people through it.
Bob Kelleher, founder and CEO of Employee Engagement.com, reminded attendees that the future engagement model, when Gen Ys rule the workplace, will be one of equilibrium. You take something (benefits, respect, time) from your employees, they will take something (time, effort, skill) away from you. Alternatively, you give, they will give.
Social media
The topic of social media and its myriad potential within organizations was always a question away – and touched on frequently by speakers. But there appeared to be a collective understanding among participants that while social media affords us with more tools and channels through which to communicate the message, it's not the message itself.
Stacy Wilson of Eloquor Consulting was our steady guide throughout the roundtable session and pre-conference workshop, reminding us that social media will get the attention and resources it deserves when it’s tied to business outcomes.
The 75+ participants came away from their time in Chicago with renewed energy, insights into today’s leading practices, and a group of new colleagues and friends to draw upon for advice in the months to come.
5 memorable moments from the US SCM Summit
- The stunned silence in the room when Kathryn Yates of Watson Wyatt revealed that the average spend on internal communication per employee was $61 (inclusive of communication staff salaries).
- The collective "a-ha" when Peggy Schoen of the International Monetary Fund gave a specific example of how LinkedIn helped departing employees stay in touch with the organization and maintain loyalty.
- "You're always looking out for that shark that's going to sink your major project. But it's the goldfish that will nibble it to death that you need to watch out for." Jan Burnham, ROC Group and Jan Mears, Kraft Foods, outlining a major change roll-out.
- Karen Frankola of Deloitte Touche outlining how she was able to see a 300% ROI on her video usage saying, "Money doesn't equal creativity".
- A personal favorite: When Beth Miller of Unilever Foodsolutions asked the ballroom of participants to name a few Unilever brands, our perky AV technician shouted, “Axe! Body Wash for men!” to a room of mostly women. Maybe you had to be there, but it was darn funny…
We look forward to seeing you next year at the US Strategic Communication Management Summit!
Have your say
Were you at Melcrum's SCM Summit in Chicago? What were your highlights? Since returning to the office, have you put into practice anything that you learnt? Let us know.
Recommended resources:
How Deloitte's video competition engages internal and external audiences
Three brands become one: How Abbey managed communication and integration
TOP TIPS: Helping employees adapt to change
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