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Real-World Measurement For Real-World Communication

Employees draw information from many sources: their own direct observation, the grapevine, social media, their past experience, observations of an executive's behavior, news from relatives and friends, Internet forums, their feeling of dignity and significance on the job, the company's policies and procedures, a supervisor's castoff remarks, the news media, perhaps a labor union, even their own intuition. Often, the company's formally published or distributed publications are the least of it.

Moreover, all this information-official and unofficial-passes through a prism that bends the information. The prism consists of the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes that employees already have. Employees tend to believe the "metamessage" that comes out the other side.

All told, what a company states is rarely what employees actually hear, and it's what they hear that counts.

Effectively managing the real world of internal communications requires appreciating the complex reality of information flow in the 21st century. Because you can't manage what you can't measure, it's crucial to measure the gap between the message that management believes it has sent and the message that employees have actually heard.

In this fast-paced, interactive session, you will learn to distinguish between the "official truth" as management sees it and the "ground truth" as employees experience it, to respect both for what they are, and to begin measuring the gap in clarity and credibility between intended messages and actual messages.

• Three voices of communication every company uses: formal (official media), semi-formal (management programs and policies), and informal (working relationships) and the powerful effect of their integration on employee engagement
• Importance of measuring the impact of internal communication-the outcomes, not the "output"-on the engagement of employees for the sake of whatever the organization is trying to do
• Use of assessment tools (such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups) to gauge the effectiveness of strategic messages and to reconcile disconnects in the organization
• Challenge of planning a communication strategy that takes into account implicit as well as explicit communication

WORKSHOP LEADERS: Thomas J. Lee, President of Arceil Leadership Ltd., teaches leadership communication to management teams in numerous Fortune 500 companies. He has benchmarked leadership/engagement communication in nearly 30 major corporations. A dynamic and popular speaker, Tom has lectured, consulted and led workshops throughout the United States, across Canada, and in nearly a dozen other countries in South America, Europe, and Africa. He blogs at www.MindingGaps.com.

Andrew Mosko is the Founder & Managing Principal of Organizational Research Forum, Inc., a firm that specializes in the collection and analysis of survey data. He has over 30 years of experience in organizational research and human resources management.

Testimonials From Past Thomas Lee Sessions:

"I loved the material and discussions and stories -- great teaching tools!"

"Best presentation of the conference."

"Excellent material; outstanding presenter; engaged participants."

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Afternoon break/lunch on your own

In these turbulent times, it is more critical than ever to ensure that employees clearly understand the business strategy, how it relates to the larger marketplace and what they can do to help achieve results. To ensure that everyone is aligned behind the business priorities, communication needs to be focused and reinforced, leaders and managers should be aligned and engaged in communicating about the strategy, and communication methods must “break through the clutter” to gain employee mindshare.

• Ensuring that employees understand the marketplace context for your business strategy
• Developing clear and concise messaging that resonates with employees
• Defining and supporting the leaders' role in communicating about the business
• Identifying and meeting the unique needs of various employee groups
• Using creative ways to energize employees and truly engage them in the strategy

WORKSHOP LEADER: Chris Gay, a Principal at Bridge Consulting, partners with companies to connect people and strategy through employee engagement, communication, and change management strategies that truly have an impact on business results. Chris has earned international and national awards for her communication and engagement work, including three IABC Gold Quills, a PRSA Silver Anvil, and recognition as one of the top 20 Human Resources case studies in the world according to the International Benchmarking Association.

Chris has worked in corporate America for 25 years in the retail, manufacturing, and financial services sectors. Her extensive experience spans both Human Resources and Communication, and her corporate experience has allowed her to develop strong skills in both strategy development and execution.

Testimonials From Past Bridge Consulting Sessions:

"I thoroughly enjoyed this session!"

"I appreciated the practical tips, examples, and stories to apply to my own organization."

"One of the best speakers of the conference; great tools that can be easily applied."