Internal Communications Excellence: Engaging Middle Management
11
Internal Communications Excellence: Engaging Middle Management to Align With Senior Leadership and Energize the Front Line Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research
-
Upload
best-practices-llc -
Category
Business
-
view
2.113 -
download
0
Transcript of Internal Communications Excellence: Engaging Middle Management
Internal Communications Excellence: Engaging Middle Management to Align With Senior Leadership
and Energize the Front Line
Best Practices, LLC Strategic Benchmarking Research
Executive Brief 2
Communication Definitions 4
Business Issues and Objectives 5
Key Findings & Recommendations 6
About the Benchmark Class 7
Message Channels 12
Message Recall 17
Strategy Alignment 23
Hiring and Training Communicators 26
Appendix 35
Additional Quotes 36
About Best Practices 37
Table of Contents
2Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
3Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
Communication Definitions Used in this Report
New Media: Technological forms of communication that have been relatively recently accepted in the workplace. These forms include, but are not limited to: instant messaging, SharePoint, text messaging, video messaging, and blogs.
Traditional Media: Forms of communication that have traditionally been accepted within the workplace. These forms include face-to-face discussions, emails, and phone calls.
New Media: Technological forms of communication that have been relatively recently accepted in the workplace. These forms include, but are not limited to: instant messaging, SharePoint, text messaging, video messaging, and blogs.
Traditional Media: Forms of communication that have traditionally been accepted within the workplace. These forms include face-to-face discussions, emails, and phone calls.
4Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
Formulate a Strategic Formulate a Strategic Approach for Removing Approach for Removing
Communications Communications Bottlenecks within Middle Bottlenecks within Middle
ManagementManagement
Business Issue & Objectives
Objectives:• Spotlight winning approaches, tools, and technologies that help leadership effectively
communicate to and through middle management
• Understand how to frame messages in such a way that they are retained
• Discover new, critical trends emerging regarding technology and communication
As companies continue to progress through a tumultuous business environment, organizations must ensure that best practices, strategic insights and organizational goals cascade throughout the company. One potential hindrance is a communications barrier within middle management.
Field Research & Insight Development:
Engaged 26 communications executives from 23 companies in a performance benchmark
Analyzed quantitative and qualitative findings
INFO
RM
INFO
RM
Objective:
Universe of Learning & InsightsFor this benchmarking study, Best Practices®, LLC gathered insights and performance data from 26 communication leaders representing 23 leading national and global organizations.
5Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
Middle Managers Do “OK” with Translating MessagesMost respondents rated their middle managers “good” or “neutral” in translating messages to direct reports. However, 1 in 4 rated middle manager’s translation effectiveness as only “fair” or “poor.”
(n=26)
Message Translation Effectiveness: When passing along messages from senior management to direct reports, how well do middle managers translate the messages to make them relevant to direct reports and their jobs?
6Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
Majority Do Not Effectively Measure Message RecallAs the graph below shows, most companies either do not use or cannot depend on most measurement types. The sole exception – “formal message recall testing” – was at least somewhat effective for more than half of respondents that employ the tactic.
Message Recall Measurement: Please rate the effectiveness of the following message recall measurement approaches for tracking communication effectiveness through your organization.
7Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
(n=23)
Most Leaders Say Middle Managers Are Informed About StrategyMost benchmark companies keep their middle managers well-informed regarding the overall corporate strategy of the company, with nearly 1 in 4 stating that their middle managers are “very informed” about overall important programs and initiatives.
(n=26)
Middle Management Alignment: In general, how well informed are your company’s Middle Managers regarding corporate strategy, programs and important initiatives? (Choose one.)
* Not informed = 0%
8Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
Strategy, Goals & Updates Communicated QuarterlyFor most companies, key information types (e.g., strategy, performance goals) are communicated quarterly. One notable exception is employee transitions, which are communicated more frequently. A number of respondents find it important to alert middle managers about new products and services, and division strategy and updates frequently – on at least a monthly basis.
(n=26)
On average, how frequently does senior leadership communicate the following types of information to middle management employees? (Choose one frequency per item.)
9Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
Managers Trained to Handle “Difficult Conversations”The majority of respondents provide training to middle managers on handling difficult conversations with employees who report to them. In addition, 40% of participating organizations provide coaching on public speaking.
(n=25)
Communication Training: What type of formal communication skill training does your company provide for middle management employees? (Check all that apply)
Other Responses:•“My learning with series of training sessions on various topics”•“Depends on employee -- middle managers tend to identify training themselves as opposed to it being dictated by the company”•“Periodic special training”•“Engaging / creating a dialogue”•“General communications training”•Effective Presentation”
Note: Communicating Through Video Formats = 0%
10Copyright © Best Practices, LLC
About Best Practices, LLC
Best Practices, LLC is a research and consulting firm that conducts work based on the simple yet profound principle that organizations can chart a course to superior economic performance by studying the best business practices, operating tactics and winning
strategies of world-class Segment.
Best Practices, LLC6350 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
www.best-in-class.com
