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mandy.thatcher@melcrum.comDecember 20, 2007
Dear Source Reader
Searching for new and interesting ideas, research and advice to share with Source readers each week is a challenge I relish. But the end of a year calls for some reflection, so in this issue I'm sharing 10 things I have learned over the last year – most, but not all, relating to the world of internal comms:
1. Formal engagement programs are less common than you might think
In October 2007 Melcrum sent out an online survey to gain a picture of how organizations are currently approaching employee engagement. More than 1,600 responses from professionals worldwide revealed that only 27% of participating organizations have a formal engagement program, and for 19% employee engagement is not on the agenda at all. The remainder of respondents (54%) indicated that engagement is more a general philosophy incorporated into the organization's people practices.
2. The CEO could be a strong ally for internal communication
Melcrum's research this year into how the CEO views internal communication revealed that many CEOs are under no illusion about the power of strong communication skills. But they don't want to do all the work – they want other leaders to step up and "do their bit". If you're struggling to get buy-in for your efforts to improve leadership communication, the CEO could be your best ally. (I heard further evidence of this from one of the speakers at Melcrum's Employee Engagement conference in Amsterdam this year.)
3. Social media is great – but it's not for every organization
Melcrum's report on How to use social media to engage employees published earlier this year contained some great examples of organizations using social media tools to improve internal conversations and collaboration. But the simple fact is that not all companies are culturally ready for social media and it can't do much for people without regular computer access.
4. Communicators can learn a trick or two from urban myths
One of our favorite reads this year was Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath, reviewed in Strategic Communication Management and discussed on the Melcrum blog. The book examines "why some ideas take hold and others come unstuck". I particularly liked the analysis of why urban myths tend to stay in our minds. (The challenge now is to figure out how to make the latest process-improvement memo from the CEO as memorable as a story about a gang of kidney thieves!)
5. It's hard to find examples of four-generation engagement strategies
How to engage a "four-generation workforce" – covered in Melcrum's report on Mastering audience segmentation – remained a hot topic throughout 2007. But it's still quite difficult to find actual examples of organizations with strategies in place to deal with this. (If you have one, please email me!)
6. Most conference feedback will focus on the temperature of the room
Having chaired four of Melcrum's global events this year I can confirm that the most frequent conference feedback relates to the temperature of the room. (We're yet to find the perfect temperature that suits 100 delegates or more, but we're working on it.)
7. Podcasts really are simple to put together
This isn't just because we've published a special report on How to get started with podcasting in your organization. We've taken our own advice and launched a series of regular Melcrum podcasts, which have grown from strength to strength during 2007. They provide a more personable way to connect with your audience and the more you do them, the quicker and easier they get.
8. "Skip-level" meetings are big news
They're nothing new, but this topic has generated interest at a number of Melcrum events this year. The idea is to encourage engagement between front-line employees and senior leaders. Similarly, setting up informal lunches between senior leaders and employees was a hot topic on Melcrum's online discussion forum and the impetus behind an article on this in Strategic Communication Management.
9. If you're Brazilian, you're probably a bit more engaged in your job
I've heard this before, but Towers Perrin-ISR confirmed it with results from a global employee engagement study in 2006. They analyze the findings in an article in How to communicate with global and hard-to-reach audiences. Variations in engagement across different countries show Brazilian employees tend to be the most engaged.
10. A photo of a colleague superimposed on a dancing elf is funny
If you're looking for a festive way to share a Christmas message with colleagues, an online dancing elf could be the answer. The "Elf Yourself" site explains how to superimpose your choice of photos to create up to four dancing elves. The end result is cheesy (and slightly disturbing) but amusing.
Very best wishes to all our readers over the festive season. See you in 2008!
P.S. If you're planning to take your career to the next level in 2008 – or expand your team – don't forget to check out Internal Comms Jobs.
The communicator's role in change
Adrian Cropley, Melcrum's Change Communication Newsletter, December 19, 2007
In the first issue of Melcrum's monthly newsletter on change communication, Adrian Cropley explores the theory that the way employees deal with organizational change is similar to the grieving process.
What's your proudest achievement this year?
Melcrum's Communicators' Network , December 13, 2007
Tell us about your biggest achievement this year and you could win a copy of Melcrum's brand new report "Essential techniques for employee engagement" as part of our special Christmas competition.
How to get true loyalty from Generation Y
Interview with Jason Ryan Dorsey, The Melcrum Podcast, December 20, 2007
Jason Ryan Dorsey, speaker at Melcrum's forthcoming Employee Engagement conference gives you a taster of his presentation on the secrets to unlocking Generation Y's loyalty, creativity and performance.
Facebook Friday – dream or pipedream?
Kelly Dyer, The Melcrum Blog, December 14, 2007
Kelly Dyer blogs about how the CEO at IT software developer, Serena, is encouraging staff to use Facebook in a move towards breaking down the hierarchical barriers that exist in the company.
Drive engagement – with two words
Chris Gay , Melcrum's Engagement Newsletter, December 2007
Engagement expert Chris Gay talks about the power of saying "thank you", and shares other simple ways to acknowledge and show appreciation to employees in the latest Engagement Newsletter.
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