IronStrike

It’s been said the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over, the same way, and expecting different results.

Guiding people through organizational change has never been more important. Are you doing it the same way and expecting different results?

Today’s business environments require new ways of thinking

Many organizations invest significantly in external communications – marketing and public relations to reach external audiences. While IronStrike believes these tools are critical and counsels clients in these areas, they are only half of a whole. They do not help employees through the organizational change that was a precursor to the external campaign.

We believe your internal brand is the other half of the whole, and your messaging needs to go from the inside out.

Points to ponder …

This is not your father’s workforce, and an organization’s internal communications, including messages from top leadership and from human resources, must reflect that. Generation Y, also known as The Millennial Generation or Generation Next and born somewhere from the late 1070s to early 1990s,

• is highly motivated to make a difference in the world
• has pushed managers to provide more feedback than that of previous generations given GenYs’ instant communication expectations built through technology, and
• is probably the most comfortable generation to work remotely.

(Source: Gen Y in the Workplace)

Leadership or CEO communications and employee communications can play a significant role in building understanding with this generation.

Communities and companies are vying for the same professional talent, because such talent creates communities rich in innovation and high-tech industries. According to Richard Florida, author of the national bestseller The Rise of the Creative Class [end italics], “creative class” professionals often relocate to other communities when they feel their existing community does not provide a comfortable home for them. This comfort is driven by opportunities to construct and validate their identities as creative people.

It stands to reason that organizations that build strong internal brands and cultures built on open communication and feedback loops, innovation and creativity foster higher employee engagement, including engagement with the vision of leadership or CEO. Communications can play a significant role here, to the benefit of any company or organization regardless of size or industry sector.

A skilled and engaged workforce is a business imperative.

Several studies support the bottom-line benefits of strong internal communications. Strategic internal communications and organizational change communications are not “soft stuff” – they drive business results. Global consultancy Towers-Watson, which counsels clients on human capital and financial management, is just one company that has provided convincing evidence of the value of internal communications. Visit our Resources page to access this and other studies.

CEO communications and other tools to guide people through organizational change matters.