Being "in and visible" not invisible
As many companies focus on reengaging their employees after a very tough year, Russell Grossman explains how the findings of the recently published MacLeod Review commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), reinforce that engagement is key to success. But how can communicators connect with this and demonstrate their capability to lead their organizations through change?
by Russell Grossman, director of communications, Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Earlier this year, I was at the annual general meeting of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, a group of like-minded individuals running successful small to medium-sized enterprises.
They share ideas, knowledge and inspiration in a non-competitive environment. And although you might imagine that in the grip of a downturn their mood would have been downbeat, what struck me most about this group was their optimism for the opportunity of recession. There were deals to be made at knockdown prices, good people to be hired at reasonable rates and unusual circumstances to be exploited.
Employee engagement is like global warming. Anyone who doesn’t think it matters is on the wrong side of the argument.
As communication practitioners, we currently find our own selves in unusual circumstances. Companies are wondering if they can dispense with “expensive communication”, while on the other hand they recognize communications’ ability to help get the most of employees in a recession.
So are we practitioners really exploiting the opportunities here? Can we show, not what communication can do – leaders generally know that – but that we understand how to apply communication for strategic advantage? And that we have the tenacity and quality to lead the charge in our organizations?
In short – are we “in and visible” in these times, or are we more invisible?
The MacLeod report
This summer, my Department published the MacLeod report on Employee Engagement: “Engaging for Success”. We commissioned it because the Government passionately believed there was a link between engagement, performance and competitiveness. And the significant research carried out for the report has proven that.
David MacLeod, and his co-author Nita Clarke, interviewed hundreds of people and organizations. For the communication practice, the most significant result of its publication is to bring employee engagement to the mainstream attention of the many UK companies who haven’t yet woken up to the potential.
Employee engagement is like global warming. Anyone who doesn’t think it matters is on the wrong side of the argument. The question isn’t “will it help my business?” but “what should I do to get and keep my employees engaged?”
Creating awareness of the report
At BIS, we’re keen that the report’s findings take hold. We’ve been busy talking about them and creating awareness among business about their implications. Most importantly, we’re inviting further input on how to make it happen and through that help the UK’s competitive growth out of recession.
All good stuff. But few contributions to MacLeod came from the communication profession.
And when I spoke about employee engagement at Melcrum’s recent UK Strategic Communication Management Summit, it struck me that while many people were up to speed with the ideas and the principles, it was still quite remote for them.
Many companies now find themselves needing to reengage with their people as we slowly emerge from recession. But the rules of the game have changed. What were previously effective working styles and “good” employer practices like collective decision making, a paternalistic approach to people management and cradle-to-grave secure employment are in most cases gone, unlikely to resurface.
The new world will need even more attention to leadership; less tolerance for average performance; fewer staff doing more work.
Are we ready to lead our organizations through this? Can we be obsessed with using the principles of employee engagement to be at the leading edge of turnaround; tell the story in a way people understand; use our leadership teams to create positive energy, simplify and translate the vision into clear “things to do”; and treat staff as adult individuals?
The MacLeod report gives communication practitioners a renewed licence to operate, as well as a base to collaborate with HR and organizational development colleagues. But we need the courage and tenacity to lead this and make it happen.
Like the good people of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, we shouldn’t be behind in grabbing the opportunities in recession and exploiting them to the full.
Have your say
Which camp do you feel like you're in, "in and visible" or "invisible"? What are your thoughts on the findings in the MacLeod report? Grossman says "The new world will need even more attention to leadership; less tolerance for average performance; fewer staff doing more work," do you agree?
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