This blog is about the relationship between organizations and the people who work for them. And, it’s dedicated to the millions of people around the world who go to work every day wanting to do a great job.
Message control
Since 1948, when it was first published by the two mathematicians, Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver, the Shannon-Weaver model has remained one of the dominant theories of communication. Senders [read managers] worry about reaching receivers [read stakeholders/audiences] and how they can get their message heard through the ‘noise’. The answer, according to Shannon-Weaver: Increase the volume!
Over 30 years ago, in conversation with then Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, Marshall McLuhan, argued that Shannon-Weaver’s thinking was flawed and that the model was a “transportation solution”. [see From Marshall and Me]
Too bad none of us were there to hear. The Shannon-Weaver theory and its underlying assumptions may be at the heart of much that is wrong with organizational communications – inside and out.
How would McLuhan’s insight change how you think about communications and what would that mean for how you/we:
- Design communications plans?
- Do communications? [what? when? where? how?]
- Measure success?
- Develop professionals? Managers and communication professionals?
- Organize communications functions?
I’d love to hear what you think.
Tags: Disciplined approach, Message control, Reaching the front lines, The profession, Transparency, Trust
Last week Corporate Responsibility Magazine published the results of their survey of best practices in the area of corporate responsibility. I’m not a huge fan of best practice [that's another story], but since I’m working with a client on designing an approach to sustainable investing project from an investor point of view, when this came across my desk I took a peek.
The survey of 650 companies around the world found, among other things, some interesting differences between what employees think is important to their CEOs and what the CEOs actually think is important within the area of corporate responsibility:
| Ranking |
The top areas in terms of their corporate responsibility to my CEO |
As CEO the top 3 areas in term of their corporate responsibility importance to me |
| 1: |
Sustainability strategy |
Corporate governance |
| 2: |
Brand Management |
Sustainability strategy |
| 3: |
Corporate Governance |
Risk management |
| 4: |
Risk management |
Employee relations |
| 5: |
Employee relations |
Brand management |
What really stands out for me is a general observation: what employees think is important to their CEOs in terms of corporate responsibility and what their CEOs actually think it is doesn’t align on any single topic area.
What are the implications of this misalignment between the employees’ perception of what the CEOs corporate responsibility priorities are and what the CEOs think they are to the institutions they work in?
And what, , if anything, could/should we as communicators do to support better alignment and understanding of the institutions corporate responsibility priorities and preoccupations?
Tags: Creating meaning, Ethics, Message control, Transparency, Trust
Years ago, I was taking the train to Montreal from Ottawa. Since I had lots to catch up on after 3 days with my client I scanned the car looking for a ‘quiet’ spot where I could make the most of my 2 hour trip. There was a nun about half way up the car. Perfect.
Little did I know… This nun was on her way home to Nova Scotia for holidays and she wanted to talk. She was simply bubbling over. Turned out she was the senior Sister at the Vatican Emissary in Ottawa. And, we ended up talking about how communication worked in the church. [Full disclosure I am Anglican not Roman Catholic.]
She told me with pride that the Pope could know what was happening in a small village pretty much anywhere in the world within 24 hours. Quite something since we were talking before the internet, social media and wide spread use of cell phones. In fact, the cell phone I was carrying that day – possibly the only one on that train – was bigger than, and weighed as much, as a brick.
The Sister went on to say that every day diplomatic pouches would leave the Vatican with important messages from the Pope and the Papal Curia to bishops and priests around the world. The pouches were officially sealed and could only be opened by those to whom they were sent. And every day diplomatic pouches filled with the details of parish and diocesan life were sent through the bishops and back to the Vatican where over 200 priests would review, organize and prioritize the incoming material to report to the Pope.
The information that sent from the ‘field’ wasn’t just facts and figures – numbers of baptisms, marriages, deaths – it was also very rich human stories of the community. This system apparently worked extremely well and must have played an important part in making the Roman Catholic Church one of the most enduring and powerful institutions.
In a world where we seem to all agree that transparency and authenticity is in. At least technically this system would seem to be ideal [more on this soon].
With all our surveying and data crunching how much do today’s institutional leaders really understand about the human concerns of the people that work for them? How easy is it for employees to have their concerns reach their leaders in a way that is institutionally meaningful. In your organization do you have the equivalent of the diplomatic pouch?
Tags: Authenticity, Knowledge management, Message control, Transparency, Trust
