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mandy.thatcher@melcrum.comFebruary 20, 2008
Dear Source Reader
At Melcrum's exclusive networking event in Chicago next month, Ann Adams, communication consultant and former VP of Internal Communication and Marketing at Motorola, will advise members how to plan, partner and scramble their way up the communication career ladder.
Ann should know, given her success during her time at Motorola. One example was the internal branding campaign that helped lift morale among employees and get the business back on track. Here she shares 5 actions that helped create consistency in the way Motorola's leaders and employees view the brand and live it's values:
1. Encouraging Leaders to show and tell
"Our CEO, Ed Zander, has always stressed the importance of showing, not just telling," says Ann Adams, vice president, internal communication and marketing. "He called on his senior leaders to act like leaders. That meant not only talking about the values, but living them. So, a key part of our strategy was to make sure that messages from senior leaders included examples of how they personally were 'walking the talk'."
2. Presenting a full portfolio of products
One of the most important ways Motorola walked the talk was the change in how sales was organized so that staff members presented the full portfolio of products rather than individual solutions. A Sales & Service Council was formed to help foster enterprisewide collaboration in customer-facing interactions.
3. Streamlining operating businesses
Complementing this "One Motorola" change was a streamlining of operating businesses from 6 to 3. "This made it easier to work across businesses," says Adams. "HR started establishing consistent job grades across the company so that employees could move from business to business more easily. Line managers were encouraged to talk with their staff about career opportunities across Motorola."
4. Presenting one company internally and externally
Trade shows and recruitment presented more opportunities to show the company as One Motorola. "It was important that we strategically integrated what customers saw at trade shows so that we looked like one company instead of many disparate booths, banners and products," says Adams. "This was what we also did internally with our facility displays. We felt that it was important for employees to see how we show ourselves to customers at trade shows.
"We sometimes showed up on campuses with several recruiters who represented only one business and weren't coordinating with the other company recruiters," Adams said. "Now our new employment branding presents One Motorola. One recruiter presents the entire portfolio of career opportunities to prospective hires."
5. Improving business intelligence
Zander tasked senior leaders with getting the value messages out to employees in their own business units, and also to employees in other business units. This gave employees a picture of the other parts of Motorola that serve customers. "The new enterprise portal helps us here," Adams says. "In one place, employees can access a weekly summary of key developments across the enterprise."
If you're in the neighborhood, join us at the networking event in Chicago next month to hear Ann's candid thoughts on how to get ahead in corporate communication, based on her 25 years' experience with Fortune 500 companies.
See you next week!
Merger uncertainties at Yahoo
The Internal Comms Hub, February 15, 2008
The unsolicited bid by Microsoft is having its impact on Yahoo employees – news reports say they're thinking of jumping ship.
Enterprise 2.0 should be harnessed as a strategic asset
The Internal Comms Hub, February 19, 2008
Web 2.0 tools in the workplace and how they improve the working lives of employees topped the discussion at the Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum in Sydney this week, organized by Ross Dawson, chairman of the Future Exploration Network.
More great stories from BT
The Melcrum Blog, February 15, 2008
Yet more good comments and examples have been published around the burgeoning social media story at BT.
How social media helped the World Bank during tough times
The Melcrum Podcast, February 20, 2008
The winner of Melcrum's "proudest achievement" competition Michele Egan, senior communications officer at the World Bank tells us about her adventure with social media during the global publicity that surrounded the resignation of their president.
Is this what we're afraid of?
Sue Dewhurst, The Black Belt Dojo Blog, February 19, 2008
For the first time ever, this weekend I reported a blog comment to a moderator. It was one of 805 comments relating to a post on The Guardian's travel site.
The Source
for Communicators is a free resource for corporate communicators
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