 |
|
Sometimes leaders aren't as engaged in communication as we need or want them to be. How many times has a leader said to you: "Just tell me what I need to say," or "You're the expert… you figure it out."
The leader is trying to "put the monkey on our back". In other words, they're shifting the responsibility of their communication entirely over to us. My suggestion would be to put it right back.
Here are two tried-and-true strategies that work when leaders aren't as engaged as they should be:
1. Give the leader homework to ensure ownership in the communication. What do you need from them before your work can begin? Have them get back to you on:
- The desired business outcomes (leaders often need to think more about what exactly they want to accomplish).
- A few key messages that form the basis of what you'll work on.
- The actions he/she wants to drive (another topic that often takes some thinking time)
Get them involved up front, which will save you time in the end and help you create a more strategic, effective product.
2. Find and work with an "early adopter" peer who "gets it" and can model the behavior and the results you want, then merchandise their success. You want that leader to notice the early adopter and say, "I want that. Can you help me?" – of course you can, and now the leader is in a very receptive position for your advice and counsel.
Communication is too important to leave up to an individual department – it's everyone's responsibility, especially the leaders we work with. Ensure they're partnering with us for success.
With leaders' help, now is our opportunity to show them how to influence their people through communication – to build trust, create a line of sight and engage employees. And that means no more monkeying around!
See you next month.
David Grossman, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA
President and principal thoughtpartner™, dg&a
Strategic Planning for Internal Communicators Few activities seem to unnerve today's internal communication professionals as much as strategic planning. Strategic Planning for Internal Communicators walks you through a best-practice process for strategic planning, providing all the tools you need to go from concept to completion – and evaluation. |
 |
What communicators can do to create a CSR buzz |
|
What does Frank Lampard know about change communication anyway? |
|
Podcast: How World Bank used social media during tough times |
|
|
About
Melcrum
Melcrum is
a research and training business, expert in all aspects of
internal communication. Through our global networks, we connect
more than 18,000 professional communicators in sharing what
works. We produce benchmarking research, periodicals, reports,
membership websites and CD-ROMs and run training courses,
conferences and workshops.