Chapter 9

TEAM TWO

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 9

ESTABLISHING LEADERSHIP THROUGH STRATEGIC INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Effective internal communication provides organizational direction and employee motivation. If employees believe in their leaders, if they trust and respect them, they become change agent. The purpose of Chapter 9 was to recognize the role of communication by employees; assess internal communication effectiveness; establish effective internal communication; use mission and vision to strengthen internal communication as well as designing and implementing effective change communication.

Establishing leadership through strategic internal communication was discussed under six different scope as follows; recognizing the strategic role of employee communication; assessing employee communication effectiveness; establishing effective internal communication; using missions and visions to strengthen internal communication; ensuring effective mission and vision; and designing and implementing effective change communication


1. RECOGNIZING THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION

The strategic role of employee communication were identified in the chapter to include; educating employees on company vision and strategic goals as well as motivating employees to support the company strategy. It was identified that communication is capable of encouraging employees towards higher performance and limits misunderstanding and rumours that may damage productivity in a company.

2. ASSESSING EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS

It was identified that factors exist which could limit employee communication effectiveness. To resolve the factors, there would be need to identify the communication problem; pinpoint areas for improvement; close all communication gaps; and establish an effective internal communication approach.


3. ESTABLISHING EFFECTIVE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

To establish an effective internal communication in an organization, a simple analytical model was used which composed of five strategies namely supportive management, targeted message, effective media/forum, well positioned staff and on-going assessment.

a. Supportive Management. This implies that management should model the communication behavior they expect and should support it and encourage others to follow the model. Management should include communication as part of management review and appraisal and be willing to accept good and bad news without penalties.

b. Targeted Message. Management should communicate relevant messages, which must be clear and understandable.

c. Effective Media/Forum. Management should analyze the various media through which employees could be reached which include meetings, text, memo, mail, notice board and newsletters. Communication cost should be computed after which the best media to reach all employees will be chosen.

d. Well Positioned Staff. For effective internal communication, communication professionals should be hired by organizations. Communication professionals should be elevated and recognized. They should be present during deliberations and aware of decision making. They should be given high management positions in the organization for respectability and followership.

e. On-going Assessment. Management should include communication as part of employee evaluation.

4. USING MISSIONS AND VISIONS TO STRENGTHEN INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

The chapter explained the need to understand the importance of mission and vision in strengthening internal communication. The importance were enumerated to include inspiring individual action, determining behavior and fueling motivation; establishing firm foundation of goals and standards for corporate planners. Others include providing direction for everyone; and satisfying company need for efficiency and employee need for group identity.

Missions and Visions were defined in the Chapter and their characteristics were stated. Mission was defined as a statement of the reason why a company exist. It is usually intended for internal use. A mission is the basic business purpose and should establish a simple noble purpose and enduring reality. On the other hand, a vision was seen as establishing the company’s aspiration which is achievable within a reasonable time frame. While mission can be seen to be here and now, vision is entirely in the future.

5. ENSURING EFFECTIVE MISSION AND VISION

The characteristics of mission and vision was highlighted as well as the process of building an effective mission and vision. The characteristics of mission are that it must be clear and makes sense in the market place; it must be inspirational and suggest excellence; it must be stable but flexile for minor changes, and it must empower both employees and customers. A vision on the other hand must have goals and provide direction; it must be prepared for the future and must be applicable to the company. It must also be actionable.

The process of building an effective mission and vision were stated to be three which include CEO Developed. CEO developed is common in hierarchical structured organization; Leader – Senior Team developed which is applicable in team based organization, and Bottom-up Visioning which is prevalent in small organization.

The steps towards building an effective mission and vision most evolve from leaders. They are developed by leaders. Leaders are to ask for inputs from employees before having a final mission and vision statement. The overall procedure will involve creating initial draft; clarifying the meaning of the statements amongst employees; telling the world about what you are and what you want to become in a concise words. Others include developing strategies to make the vision very specific and actionable and continually testing the mission and vision through evaluation in the market place.

6. DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE CHANGE COMMUNICATION

It was recognize that organization change will be impossible without effective communication. It recognizes human and employees to be the barriers to change. It proposed effective communication with employees before, during after major change program as key to a successful change programme.

The chapter analyzed the procedure and scope for a change communication program. The procedures include determining the effectiveness of existing internal communication practice; taking stock of current communication practices in organizations and making improvement where necessary. The scope were identified by asking probing questions such as: Is the change a major change? Is it company wide or specific to a business unit? How many employees are involved? The response to the questions will unveil the extent of change required and the communication strategy to be adopted.

A three-phased communication plan was adopted in evaluating the structuring of a communication program for major change. They include determining change communication strategy and plan; launching the change communication and ensuring understanding by all; as well as monitoring results through feedbacks and making adjustments.


Group Opinion

Group 2 was of the opinion that several lessons were learnt in the Chapter 9 which will assist in internal communication as well as evolving a strategic mission and vision statements in our place of work.

We have also been equipped with the relevant skills to effect meaningful change programs in our organization.