8:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast & Networking

8:30 a.m.

Chairperson's Opening of Day Two & Presentation:
Lessons From Lego™: Creating Effective Strategic Communication Plans For Your Internal Audience

Have you ever opened a box of Lego™ and looked at all the little pieces only to find yourself wondering “how am I supposed to make anything out of this”? As communication options proliferate and information is available all day/every day, the task of developing a successful communication strategy can feel just like that.

But even as the options or “pieces” available to us increase, we need to remember there’s a logic and unifying purpose in why we choose to do what we do and when we choose to do it.  

In this thought-provoking session, you will be reminded that:

1. Establishing an overarching vision enables you to assess communication alternatives effectively
2. Choosing the right tool, not necessarily the latest tool, is the secret to anchoring overall employee education and engagement initiatives
3. Communication is a group effort –  involving front line managers and supervisors as champions and resources for your program extends your impact and your credibility

Jacqueline Taggart, Senior Consultant, Communication and Change Management
Towers Watson

9:30 a.m.

How To Communicate With Employees To Increase Certainty In Uncertain Times

In this thought-provoking session, you will join in a discussion about the most common approaches to communicating during times of uncertainty…and why they may not achieve your communication and business goals. Whether due to internal or external factors, companies frequently operate through periods during which employees aren’t sure what’s happening, how it affects them and what their role is in their organization’s success.

Layoffs…stock price depreciation…revenue or profit decreases…executive changes --- these events can easily throw an employee off his or her game, potentially impacting the business, but it doesn’t have to be that way!

• How even the most beautifully-executed communication tactics aren’t quite working to keep employees engaged and motivated
• The simple tweak to a strategic communication framework that forces a new way of looking at business communications
• How you and your executive leadership can take more control over the impact of your communications – regardless of the storms circling your company

Howard Karesh, Director, Internal Communications
Exelon Corporation

10:50 a.m.

Rebuilding Your Internal Brand From The Ground Up: How To Overcome Obstacles, Continue To Motivate Employees, Get Senior Management Support And Successfully Deliver On Your Strategy

Founded in 2005, Meridian Credit Union had a vision to reinvent neighbourhood banking to become the dominant leader in outstanding relationship service. Bringing together two very unique cultures is always a challenge, putting Meridian to the test.

• Over the last five years, Meridian has more than doubled their Assets Under Administration
• Outperformed the Big 5 banks in mortgage growth
• Have been recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 employers and
• Continue to have best-in-class employee engagement scores

How has Meridian achieved such success and continues to do so? By the relentless commitment from senior management to engage employees through internal communications!

• Secured commitment from senior management
• Ensured that more than 98% of employees understood and delivered on the corporate strategy and operational plan
• Committed and delivered a three year brand strategy that drove the brand deep within the organization – touching everything from recruitment processes, to retention and performance programs

Scott Windsor, VP, Corporate Communications
Meridian Credit Union

11:40 a.m.

How To Use Social Media To Engage Employees
On Improving Their Workplace

Despite ongoing efforts to raise awareness and reinforce positive workplace values, in ongoing surveys, employees in the federal public service still show concern around harassment at work. For one Agency, what better way to make improvements than by inviting open discussion and asking employees for their advice and practical suggestions?

• Successfully position social media use in the context of broader internal communications planning
• Make the pitch to senior management and internal partners for using social media to realize organizational objectives
• Set reasonable goals for a social media-based project

Pamela Roy, Acting Director, Corporate Communications
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Join a group of your colleagues for lunch with an informal discussion facilitated by one of our expert speakers. Take this opportunity to join others in a small, interactive group setting to network and brainstorm solutions to your most pressing internal communications concerns.

2:00 p.m.

Group Exercise: Brainstorm Solutions And New Ideas You Can Use

You asked for it, you got it! Interact and discuss solutions to your internal communications challenges with your fellow attendees and our experienced speakers. You will leave with new tools and hands-on experience and ideas for more successfully applying best practices to your own internal communications initiatives.

2:30 p.m.

Improving Employee Engagement Beyond Industry Measures, In Partnership With HR

Sodexo Canada is a national services organization and one of 80 countries where Global Sodexo has clients. A third party conducted a recent employee engagement survey at Sodexo across 35 countries and Sodexo Canada earned an unheard of score -- a 9 points boost. By investing in new people programs, as well as policy and recognition improvements, Sodexo earned opportunities to communicate with its employees.

During this session, you will hear about the communications principles and practices that have cleared Sodexo managers’ inboxes and built trust and reliability in electronic communications tools.

• Working with HR to enhance employees’ work experience through an Employee Value Proposition, improved benefits, robust awards programs and engagement focus groups
• Applying the principals used in establishing communications tools that cost nothing, are completely reliable and which have improved overall readership and corporate awareness

Bobbie Smith, Director, Employee Communications
Sodexo Canada

3:20 p.m.

Afternoon Refreshment & Networking Break

3:40 p.m.

How To Measure And Assess Your Internal Communications Efforts During Times Of Change

Communications play a key role in managing the pervasive changes sweeping through all companies and industries. One of the many challenges is to find a proper balance between the information needs of the stakeholders and the timing and content of what can be communicated. Of utmost importance is to know how and when to appropriately monitor and assess the effectiveness of your strategy during change.

In this forward-thinking session, you will hear about large-scale change including corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and re-branding activities at several financial services companies.

• How to know if employees understand changes to your organization
  and its future goals
• Determining if your change communication is resonating with your internal audiences
• Using measurement results to revise and improve your internal
  change communication strategy

Brigette Kocijancic, Vice President of Accreditation and Standards
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Toronto Chapter

4:30 p.m.
Chairperson's Recap: Key Takeaways And What To Do When You Get Back To The Office

We’ll recap the highlights of the past two days and ask you to share key insights and next steps with the group.