Activating corporate values – Communication requires corresponding behavior

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Accelerated by the events in 2020, many companies are increasingly undergoing fundamental change. This includes rethinking corporate culture and its underlying values. Topics such as sustainability, digitalization, diversity, and new work have been important drivers of such value reassessment for some time now. In this context, the communication of corporate values plays an important role, but it is often overestimated.

Please leave us alone with values

Even though values are very suitable for attracting new employees on the external side, they often make people roll their eyes internally. We all know the reason why: the firm’s values aren’t lived and behavior that goes against these values has no consequences. Companies first start communicating their values externally. Only in a second step they start to think about what behaviors these values are based on company-wide. Often, people and leaders are not involved in the discussion of values until it’s far too late. In the end, glossy brochures with catchy slogans are distributed and the topic is considered “communicated”. This leads to corporate values that aren’t anchored in corporate culture.

Crises shake up our value system

In the last 12 months, economic, social and political crises such as COVID19, #blacklivesmatter or the storming of the Capitol in Washington challenged our personal value system enormously. Is an old human life worth less than economic success? Should we accept an increase in the suicide rate if it means a lower COVID death rate? Where does racism begin? What does true solidarity mean? How does it feel when someone’s (or an entire nation’s) values are run down? What do we care about and why? What do we stand for?

Values determine our decisions

The decisions we make and the way we behave will always be shaped by our personal value system. Ultimately, personal values are always authentic. If we go against them, sooner or later we will realize that the decision we made does not suit us. If we don’t want to compromise ourselves, we have no choice but to accept the consequences and stand up for our values.

Next generation puts values at the center

The road to value transformation is rocky and leads to many dead ends. Only a few companies actually manage to sustainably change their culture, in which leadership rigorously exemplifies the values and takes a zero-tolerance approach to non-compliance. And yet, the “war for talent” is greater than ever. In particular, the next generation is increasingly focused on personal values, and they are extremely self-confident and courageous in this regard. If an employer doesn’t fit into their value system, they won’t consider them as an option.

No time to twiddle one’s thumbs

In a world of disorientation, in which we can evaluate everything at any time and share our opinions with everyone globally, values are a lighthouse on stormy seas. However, twiddling one’s thumbs and waiting until everyone in a company has understood that rethinking values is necessary cannot be the alternative. Rather, a change in values – knowing the limits of how effective value communication is – must be approached from multiple sides, continuously and persistently.

Today’s opportunity for vision and change

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The coronavirus crisis has not only accelerated digitalization at numerous companies, it’s also put internal communication and leadership communication back at the top of the corporate priority list. Change is in full swing – and companies are striving to communicate it successfully. However, the transformation of corporate communications as such has also gathered pace in the last 12 months and we’ll end the year with relevant insights. Many employees are now open to new visions and change initiatives have a real chance to make an impact. 

Visions for the bookshelf

In my many years in corporate communications and strategy development, I’ve encountered many corporate visions and strategy launches, or watched change initiatives come and go. Part of my job was to make them understandable and tangible for employees. I’ve always understood that a company needs a vision to attract good employees and to stand out from the competition. But over time, I’ve increasingly wondered how sustainable and effective all these programs and efforts to communicate the vision are, and what employees ultimately gain from them.

New boss, new vision

Typically, I would experience the following scenario: a new boss would start, bringing a new vision. In the end, that boss needed a way to define their position, give the employees an idea of where the journey was going, and prove to their superior that they deserved their promotion, etc.

The bigger the organization, the more visions there were

In large organizations, there was not only the CEO’s vision, but was also the vision of department xy, the vision of subdivision yz, HR’s vision and of course the global vision. Then there were various strategies and at least five pages of initiatives on how to achieve any given vision. What you ended up with was a bunch of confused employees who, despite a major strategy communication rollout, had never consciously registered the company’s vision at all.

Vision is regaining importance

Even today, there are still visions that are produced “for the bookshelf”. But in times of uncertainty and unpredictability, I believe that clear visions are becoming more important again and that change initiatives in many companies have a real chance of succeeding.

Employees are ready to embrace a new vision

Why? Because the sense of urgency to change has increased dramatically in many organizations in recent months. This is not only due to COVID-19, but also because the “purpose” movement of the next generation requires a clear vision. Moreover, process automation developing in our working world is increasing our desire to see the big picture. This makes us and our employees open to change and new visions.

It’s all about authenticity and uniqueness

Crucial in communicating new vision is the authenticity and uniqueness of the leader who stands for the vision.  Does the vision only serve for positioning purposes or does the person in question really believe in changing the world a bit? If the latter is the case, the employees will also believe in the vision and be more willing to support it.

Communication must come from the center of the organization

What is important now is to understand that new visions cannot be communicated according to conventional methods. Leaders who are now heralding change must think carefully about how to on-board their people. The top-down approach won’t work. Rather, the vision must be communicated from the within the organization. In other words, employees must have the opportunity to be part of the vision. This means that the leadership task of current visionaries is to empower employees to embody change, to be the change.

 

Virtual internal communication – New learning culture required

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Internal communication has changed dramatically over the last six months at many organizations. Endless Zoom meetings, Skype drinks, virtual performance reviews and e-seeing events have long since become the “new normal”. So how did all this happen, and what questions should we be concerned with now?

Focus on technology and content exchange is not enough

Many organizations were already dealing with questions around new communication and collaboration platforms before COVID-19. But the coronavirus crisis has accelerated this process massively and put it firmly at the top of the agenda for most companies. In a first step the focus was on ensuring that new solutions were embedded neatly and effectively into existing IT systems. At the same time, some organizations began to worry about the supposed “loss of control”. How are we supposed to manage our employees if we can no longer keep a close eye on them? Added to this were growing cost pressure and fears of a future increasingly hard to predict. There was certainly no time to spare for questions about new forms of internal communication in the virtual space, for conversations that went beyond new platforms or content exchange.

“Never let a good crisis go to waste”

In the meantime, many organizations have gone through a steep learning curve. They’ve seen that they can trust employees working from home. And that it even increases productivity and employee satisfaction in some cases. Many companies have now established well-functioning technology and regular virtual communication channels, including personal exchange platforms for virtual social interaction. Some have managed to use the crisis as an opportunity, especially in terms of internal communication, and have been able to significantly increase employee confidence thanks to good crisis communication.

Empathic communication in the virtual space is crucial

And yet, in the future there will be an even greater need to address the question of how to address supposed communication deficits in internal communications. Because one thing is clear: personal contact is and remains irreplaceable, and employees’ need for personal interaction with colleagues and superiors grows with increasing isolation. This is true even when the best technology solutions and communication platforms are available.

It is also clear that the coronavirus crisis has given virtual communication an irreversible push and that we will very probably continue to communicate virtually more in the future. This is a major challenge for internal communication and, in general, for leadership communication, especially when it comes to conveying empathy. For example, in the on-boarding process, in appraisal interviews, in management development or when putting together new teams.

Creation of a new learning culture

So, how can companies optimize their internal communication? How can leaders stay as close as possible to their people across distance and virtual space? The answer isn’t just about creating a new communication channel or integrating additional functionalities into an existing communication platform. Nor is it about communicating more frequently or talking about a broader range of topics. Rather, the focus should be on cultivating a shared learning culture that supports employees, and especially leaders, in understanding how their communication is received on the other side of the screen and what they can do to bridge the distance created by virtual space.

 

Covid-19 recession: Employees need clarity on consequences?

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Even though the Federal Council has announced the first easing of measures to combat Covid-19, recession is already on the mind of many business leaders. This is another major challenge for corporate communications: how do you communicate in these times without making anxious employees even more insecure?

Clarifying the consequences for individual employees

With the exit strategy announced on 16 April 2020, the Federal Council has created a little more clarity about possible ways out of the crisis, at least for some organizations. However, many companies are not yet able to accurately assess the consequences of the global lockdown. All they know is that recession is coming, along with the next reorganization. In this ongoing climate of uncertainty, discussions on how to tackle the recession have been commonplace.

For all the talk, many companies are still failing to communicate on what to expect now and what the crisis ultimately means for individual employees. These questions must be addressed as quickly as possible so that employees understand how they are affected by the consequences. However difficult the news – the faster individuals understand how they are affected, the faster the entire workforce can adapt to the new situation.

Embracing a new understanding of transparency

From forced leave and short-time work to redundancies, companies are currently discussing various measures to regain control of their financials as soon as possible. Many face a communication dilemma: on the one hand, they feel pressure from employees to provide transparent answers to the crisis. On the other, they are keen to avoid spreading panic. They believe that communicating too openly and in too much detail about all possible scenarios could unsettle many employees. If they communicate too little, the same happens.

In any case, employees will be questioning what the future holds. Many are probably already wondering whether to start their job search immediately. When in doubt, it is always better to communicate too much than too little. Companies need to understand that the digital information revolution has given younger generations in particular a new understanding of transparency, and that they expect this from their employers.

Leaders who reassure employees that things are not too bad, even though redundancy packages are being worked out in the background, are doing themselves no favors. Long-term trust of employees suffers – and with it, any efforts to increase productivity again as quickly as possible.

Communicating the big picture

When sharing bad news, it can be extremely difficult to get anything right at all. This makes it all the more important for leaders to communicate honestly and comprehensibly. They need to give employees an overview of the big picture. Nothing contributes more to a general sense of insecurity than salami tactics where the beginning and end are not apparent. An example of how not to do things would be to communicate redundancies in bits and pieces over a long period without explaining to employees exactly what the plan is and how they are (or are not) personally affected by it.
Covid-19 recession: How should companies be communicating consequences for employees?

Employees work best when they understand their employer’s strategy and purpose and have a clear idea of the role they can play in it. Over the coming weeks and months in particular, clear strategy communication will play a key role in freeing employees from their uncertainty as quickly as possible. This in turn contributes to a working environment in which productivity can once again thrive.
Covid-19 recession: How should companies be communicating consequences for employees?

Better a horrible end than endless horror

So when it comes to the question of how companies should be communicating the impact of Covid-19 for their employees, I would argue strongly in favor of clarity. Rapid information about the possible measures, set out with weighting, priorities and a time line should be complemented by fast, context-rich, forward-looking and transparent communication. Even if the news is bad, it is better to communicate a horrible end than endless horror. That way, people can look forward to a time when things move on again at some point.

Internal crisis communication: What matters now

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If it wasn’t already top of Swiss companies’ agenda, crisis communication certainly is now. Since the Federal Council announced its first measures to limit the further spread of coronavirus on 13 March 2020, companies are tasked with steering their people through this crisis and the changes it brings to working life. With daily reports of new horrors, there’s little hope of improvement any time soon. What are the challenges of internal communication right now, and where should companies focus their efforts to navigate these turbulent times effectively?

Steep learning curve for many companies

In recent weeks we have seen crisis communication take on a new dynamic – not only at the federal level, but also within many organizations. Many companies have had to undergo a steep learning curve as the severity of the public health emergency became clear. While some were still strategically “downplaying” coronavirus at first, everyone should by now have understood that implementing the measures prescribed by the federal government is essential to prevent the worst from happening.

A crisis brings out the best and worst in leadership

As the world faces this unprecedented crisis, it has also become apparent that good or bad leadership is directly linked to good or bad leadership communication. There’s nothing like a crisis to bring out the best – or worst – in leadership.

Tone from the top

Internal communication plays a crucial role in managing the COVID-19 crisis. For credibility to develop, it is particularly important to know WHO is communicating with whom, how transparent they’re being and how frequently they are talking. In these strange and troubling times, clients and employees expect the CEO to make a personal, transparent and credible statement on the crisis. Employees want a clear answer to the question of what exactly this crisis means for them. At the top of the company, it is essential to strike a balance between the greatest possible confidence and the highest possible level of transparency.

Transparent and comprehensible communication

This is no small task for CEOs and their leadership teams. Only those who communicate transparently and comprehensibly now will be able to secure the trust of employees (and also clients) in the long term. CEOs have the unenviable task of communicating – rather than covering – uncertainties, but without unduly scaring the entire workforce. One piece of advice is likely to be to show empathy – one of the most important leadership qualities, not just on paper, but in daily actions.

Crisis communication becomes a mirror for the corporate culture

For organizations to appear credible in their internal communications, it is not only the CEO’s messages that matter. The type of crisis communication quickly becomes a mirror of the entire corporate culture. Are the CEO and management team pulling in the same direction, or is that Swiss “canton mindset” also prevailing in the boardroom? This is where leadership and leadership communication meet.

One voice

No matter how good and how transparent the CEO’s messages, it is simply not possible to lead the organization successfully through the crisis without having the leadership team on side. In crisis situations it is essential that leadership teams communicate with one voice – a voice that tells the same story. Failure to get this right will lead to even greater uncertainty among employees who are already unsettled.

Coordinated communication – a potential challenge for agile companies

Coordinated communication is a major challenge even for very agile companies. They must take great care to avoid having every department communicating independently of the others and before the extent of the crisis and the shared approach are clear. An uncoordinated approach only serves to increase employee uncertainty.

Walk the talk

Even the best and most coordinated communication is of no use unless it’s followed by action. Measures that are defined in a crisis must be adhered to consistently. If they’re not, companies risk a major breach of trust with employees, which in turn will have an impact on client relationships.

Restart for change

The coronavirus has redefined the concept of agility. Current strategies and business models will have to be fundamentally – and rapidly – rethought in the coming weeks and months. Willingness to change will take on a whole new significance as a decisive competitive advantage. Companies will have to make painful decisions very quickly, even those that have fared relatively well so far.

A world before and a world after coronavirus

For very many companies there will be a world before and a world after coronavirus. The way companies communicate now and act on their communication will have a great impact on future employee and client relationships. Amid all the uncertainty and turmoil, one thing is sure: getting communication right is all the more important today.

Stay healthy!