internal communications guide

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CEMEX UK COMMUNICATIONS GUIDE

description

I asked an agency to draft a communications guide to help improve communication skills across CEMEX UK, specifically amongst managers. Here is the full version. A pocket version was also created.

Transcript of internal communications guide

Page 1: internal communications guide

CEMEX UK COMMUNICATIONS GUIDE

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Contents

Introduction from UK President, Gonzalo Galindo 01

Who is this guide for? 02

What is internal communication? 02

Internal communication and employee engagement 03

The CEMEX approach 04

Our process 05

• Who should I communicate with? 06

• Why do I want to communicate? 07

• What do I want to communicate? 08

• How should I communicate? 09

• When should I communicate? 14

Who is responsible for communicating? 15

How will I evaluate the effectiveness of the communication? 15

CEMEX UK’s communication channels 16

It starts with you 18

• Some principles of effective influencing skills 19

Where to get help 21

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Dear Colleagues

Welcome and thank you for taking the time to read this brief guide to internal communication. I hope that you find it a useful tool that makes it easier for all of us at CEMEX UK to share information, ideas and feedback with each other.

I grew up in a family with two sisters who talked a lot and two brothers who didn’t like to listen. At home and at work, good communications involves the ability to pay attention to what others are thinking and feeling. In other words, an important part of communication is not just talking, but listening to what others have to say.

At CEMEX UK, we are like any other large family, where we face some key communication challenges every day. Our first challenge is therefore to listen, taking the time to understand the way others may interpret and respond to what we tell them is the most important part of any conversation. Our second challenge is to communicate more dynamically. We all need to find ways of crafting and presenting the messages we want to communicate so that the people we are trying to reach will want to listen to them and act on them.

Lastly, I hope that I am someone who listens as well as talks. But I am only one man and I cannot communicate directly with each of our 5,000 employees by myself. So I need your help. As UK President I am a leader with a responsibility to communicate. But my ambition is for everyone at CEMEX UK to take a lead in the area of internal communication. Anyone who shares valuable information and ideas about what’s good and bad about our business and the conversation they are having across the company is showing great leadership.

With this guide I hope we can use the power of good communication to make CEMEX UK a better business for us all to work in.

Gonzalo Galindo UK President

Introduction from Gonzalo Galindo

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We all have a responsibility to communicate. This guide aims to provide us all with some valuable tips, tools and processes to help improve the way we communicate across CEMEX UK.

It includes useful guidance on developing individual and team communication plans and using tried-and-tested techniques to ensure our communication is well planned and compelling, credible and consistent.

Who is this guide for?

Internal communication is a conversation. It is an exchange that requires participants to listen as well as talk. It is about helping everyone at CEMEX UK build productive relationships with each other.

It can take place face to face, over e-mail, by telephone, via websites, videos, posters, newsletters and through all the usual ways we use to communicate beyond the work place.

To get the most out any communication a fair amount of planning is needed and the following guidelines have been drawn up to help you achieve this.

In order to produce communication that is memorable and effective, you must first evaluate who, why, what, where, when and how you will formulate your message.

Aim to produce your message in a way that makes it compelling and credible to your audience and is consistent with CEMEX UK’s commercial goals, brand and values.

Evaluate the success of your communication by the way in which those who received your message listen and respond – through both dialogue and action.

What is internal communication?

TOP TIP | The same communication

skills that you use in life, (such as

listening, honesty and speaking from

the heart) can play a valuable role in

communicating at work.

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Internal communication is important because it affects not just what we know, but also how we feel, as employees of CEMEX UK.

The extent to which we feel both well informed about, and personally committed to, our company and its goals is called employee engagement.

Internal Communication & Employee Engagement

Numerous studies indicate that higher levels of employee engagement lead to happier, more productive and more profitable companies.

Our ability to communicate successfully with each other at CEMEX UK will play a crucial part in achieving employee engagement as we will inspire each other to go the extra mile to deliver superior performance.

In contrast, lack of effective and co-ordinated internal communication can lead to an unclear sense of business direction, information overload and lost productivity.

TOP TIP | People follow people and

are more motivated by emotion than

they are by reason. Studies show

that your personal performance as a

messenger is more important than the

messages you want to communicate.

How much I know

How much I care

RAT

ION

AL

EMOTIONAL

OUR GOAL OF HIGH EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

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The way we communicate with each other should set the standard for everything else we do at CEMEX UK.

It’s rooted in our mission, our brand and our values and is based on best practice that can help all of us to communicate more effectively and consistently.

The CEMEX approach

The CEMEX Values

We are a diverse group of people from many different countries, cultures and backgrounds. But, regardless of our individual circumstances, we all share the same company values:

Collaboration: Work with others in a collective pursuit of excellence

Integrity: Act honestly, responsibly and respectfully toward others at all times

Leadership: Envision the future and focus on service, excellence and competitiveness

Our Business Strategy

Through good internal communication, we can work together to deliver our strategic goals.

Our strategy is to grow by extending high standards to all parts of the operations, through…

• Pricing Discipline

• Efficiency Improvements

• Cost and Expense Control

• Development of New Ideas

• Improving Our Asset Base

…and Getting The Basics Right by focusing on Our People and Our Customers.TOP TIP | The most effective

communication is not words but

behaviour. Make sure your actions

deliver what you promise.

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Good communication doesn’t happen by accident. It may seem effortless to the recipient but it is actually a result of careful planning, well-managed implementation and measurement of results.

Our Process

The communications planning process can be broken down into seven steps:

1 | Who should I communicate with?

2 | Why do I want to communicate?

3 | What do I want to communicate?

4 | How should I communicate?

5 | When should I communicate?

6 | Who is responsible for communicating?

7 | How will I evaluate the effectiveness of the communication?

TOP TIP | You don’t have time to

communicate everything to everyone.

Decide which messages are most

important and communicate a few things

well rather than lots of things badly.

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The first step to delivering a successful message, whether it is in a meeting, or via UK News or Our Voice, is to think about the needs and expectations of the people you want to communicate with.

Who should I communicate with?

The questions below will help you to prioritise your message and choose the most appropriate approach for your communication.

• Who is my audience?

• What do they need/want to know?

• Why should they be interested?

• What matters to them?

• What are their perceptions likely to be?

• When is it right for them to know?

• Who do they want to hear from?

• Where do they find out more?

• What else is going on in their world?

• How will they best understand my message?

TOP TIP | Just because you think

something is interesting and important

doesn’t mean that others will feel

the same way. Put yourself in your

audience’s shoes and ask yourself

‘What’s In It For Me?’

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Communication does not work unless people believe in it. Giving information isn’t enough.

We need a programme of effective communication to engage our people at CEMEX UK and move from just hearing about our mission, values and goals to believing and living them.

Why do I want to communicate?

TOP TIP | Remember that in the

absence of clear and effective

internal communication an

informal grapevine of rumour and

speculation will fill the void.

Hear and Be Aware Conceptual“HEARING IT” PHASE

Understand and Accept Super�cial“BELIEVING IT” PHASE

Emotional& Personal

“LIVING IT” PHASE

Personalise and Promote

Time

Deg

ree

of S

upp

ort

for

Ch

ang

e

Employee Motivation and Morale

Live the story

Own the story

Clarify the story

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Place your most important points first and make them as interesting as you can. Put them in context so that your audience understand why the message matters and how it relates to them.

What do I want to communicate?

TOP TIP | Your audience will only

remember a maximum of one or

two of the messages you deliver.

Keep it simple and don’t overload

them with information.

Developing your messages can be made easier by using the inverted pyramid below

Key messages1.2.3.

Headline or title

5 W’s or conclusion(Who, What, Why, Where, When)

Detail

Supporting points

Planning Phase

Communicating Phase

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How you choose to communicate depends on the impact your message is likely to have on your target audience.

How should I communicate?

TOP TIP | Be consistent. Chose

your channel to match the needs of

your audience.

For example, if the audience will need to discuss and challenge the communication then use face-to-face channels. But if raising awareness is your goal then using email, UK News or Our Voice might be more appropriate.

Style and tone is also important. Consider, for instance, whether you need to demonstrate solidarity with your audience or show leadership. It is critical to have clear objectives related to each phase of the communication process.

• Be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely)

• Clearly take into account what your audience think/know now and what you want them to think/know/do after receiving and interacting with your communication

• Keep your communication consistent with our values and business objectives at CEMEX UK

• Use plain English, avoid acronyms or technical jargon that others might not understand.

• Pause and think before communicating

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Types of Channel

Channel Face to Face• One to One’s• Team briefings• Conferences• Roadshows• Focus Groups

Pros Personal, direct contact with people.Maximises non verbal communication.Allows for discussion and feedback.Demonstrates importance and commitment.

Cons Time consuming for you and them – don’t overuse.Logistics of getting together can be difficult.Less confident or shyer people may hide behind others.

Tips Plan thoroughly – know the group, use their language and give examples relevant to them.Use face to face communication to gain commitment.If you want to encourage discussion, keep groups small or divide them into sub groups.Back up with written communication, especially if the message is complex or if English is not the first language.

Types of message

Messages which have a significant impact on employees’ lives, eg.• Redundancies• Outsourcing• Organisation announcements• Dismissals• Wide-ranging change programmes• Recognition and reward

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Channel Email

Pros Quick and easy. Can give immediate news.Reaches large numbers but can also be targeted and personalised.

Cons Overuse had made it less effective – messages can be easily lost, misunderstood or ignored.Not everyone has access to their own account.

Tips Use an imaginative title to grab attention and encourage people to read it.Keep it short – lots of text is unappealing.Use voting buttons and message read functions to get immediate feedback and engagement.Don’t rely on people reading it – use other methods to support. Consider the content of your email carefully – it may reach audiences it wasn’t intended for.

Types of message

General information messages that concern all employees.Specific information messages that concern a target group.

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Channel Intranet

Pros Easy and quick.Allows non-native English speakers to absorb at their own pace. Can provide a greater level of detail than other forms of communication.Allows for a richer communications experience (audio/visual/flash animation). Can be interactive (blogs/ on line collaboration tools).

Cons Not everyone has access.Still need to publicise that it’s available.No guarantee it will be seen or that the message has been understood.

Tips Make is easy to access and navigate – don’t make people click more than 3 times for information.Update it regularly – keep it fresh and relevant.Build in interactive elements – discussion, feedback, question and answer sections.You may need to create some sign-posts to direct people to the right page.

Types of message

General information messages that concern all employees.

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Channel Print• Wall posters• Leaflets• Bulletins• Magazines• Newsletters

Pros Reaches large numbers.Can be kept for reference.Allows non-native English speakers to absorb at their own pace.A picture speaks a thousand words.Allows for employee contribution.

Cons Short shelf life – posters can become wallpaper.Longer lead time – less immediate or responsive.No engagement or feedback.No guarantee of being read.

Tips Place your story in an existing publication – don’t create new newsletters or magazines.Keep articles short and use striking images to draw people’s attention.Make sure that visually it is on “on-brand” – seek help from your Marketing Department.Gimmicks and items dropped on people’s desks can be a waste of money.

Types of message

All messages that need face to face communication should be supported by written communication.General information messages that concern a target group.

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Your communication will have to compete with the many other messages that people receive in both their work and personal lives (for example through television, email, phone calls etc). So ensuring your message has impact is a real challenge.

When should I communicate?

TOP TIP | Communication is a

continuous process not a one-off

exercise. Think about your next steps.

Think about whether you really need to communicate your message. Less can be more for internal communication and people soon become unreceptive to communication that doesn’t directly relate to them.

Consider too when your audience is most likely to be responsive to your communication and time it to make sure you do not directly compete with other messages.

Timing

• Wherever possible communicate with your colleagues before external stakeholders such as media and shareholders

• Phase communications to make sure that those who need to hear the communication first receive it first

• Make sure that your communication is timely to avoid people hearing information third-hand and speculating

• Give the audience enough time (and the means) to respond

• Communicate regularly but don’t worry if you don’t have all the facts – it’s better to issue a holding statement than leave people guessing.

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Everyone at CEMEX UK, from our UK President to our newest and most junior recruit, plays a valuable role in internal communication.

Who is responsible for communicating?

TOP TIP | If in doubt about a

message, audience or style of delivery,

test your communication with a

colleague or internal communications

expert for advice and feedback.

Our senior leaders and managers have a responsibility to role-model good communication with their teams. However, internal communication that runs horizontally across CEMEX UK from peer to peer and from the bottom up is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than communication that cascades from the top down.

Similarly, the ability to react and respond to messages is just as important as the ability to transmit them.

How will I evaluate the effectiveness of the communication?

TOP TIP | Be brave. Asking for honest

feedback is the best way to learn and

improve.

Without measurement, it is difficult to know whether your communications are having the desired effect. Ask yourself:

• Has my communication been received?

• Has my communication been understood?

• What did the audience do or think differently as a result of my communication?

• How could my communication have been improved?

• How have I responded to the reaction my communication caused?

For large-scale and more formal communications initiatives surveys can be used.

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CEMEX UK’s communication channels

Audience Objective Message / Content

Channel Frequency Sender Feedback

All UK Employees

Inform Latest news covering last week and next

UK NewsNews bulletin

Weekly Electronic, paper and fax

GB Com-munications and Public Affairs

survey

All UK Employees and Contractors

Engage The people behind the news

Our Voiceemployee magazine

QuarterlyPaper and electronic

GB Com-munications and Public Affairs

Yearly survey

Employees with access to IT system

Inform & Engage

Latest news and background information

CX News PlazaIntranet

DailyElectronic

Various Yearly survey

Employees with access to IT system

Enliven & Engage

Positive relevant stories about CEMEX

Did you know lotus notes message

MonthlyEmail

GB Com-munications and Public Affairs

Survey

Employees with mobiles

Inform Quick news Text message

As required GB Com-munications and Public Affairs

None

All UK Employees & Contractors

Engage We want to know what you think

TalkbackQuestions for the Executive Team

OngoingElectronic, phone, fax

Everyone None

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CEMEX UK’s communication channels

Audience Objective Message / Content

Channel Frequency Sender Feedback

Employees by region

Engage &Enlighten

Q & A social event with Executive team

Mini Road shows

Every 2 months in different region

UK President, VPs & Local RDs.

Feedback form after event

Employees by region

Inform & Engage

Last years’ results and next year’s plans & strategy

UK Road shows

Beginning of each year

UK President, VPs & Local RDs.

Feedback form after event

Employees by region

Enliven & Engage

Party to say ‘Thank you for your hard work’

End of the year event

December CEO, Regional Directors

Feedback form after event

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The vital thing is to recognise your own unique communication characteristics so that you can play to your strengths and manage your weaknesses.

When we think of communication skills we naturally think of standing up to make a speech. But in fact seven of the top ten communication skills identified for success in business are related to listening. Being a good listener involves understanding and accepting the way that other people think and feel, gaining their trust and ultimately being able to influence them.

We’ve all experienced communication that was delivered to the wrong people, in the wrong way or at the wrong time but, managed effectively, it is possible to resolve and rectify the situation.

What to do when it all goes wrong:

• Stop

• Don’t ignore the problem and hope it will go away – it won’t!

• Don’t panic. If you act rashly you risk making the situation worse

• Deal with it calmly and efficiently

• Take accountability

• Review why things went wrong rather than what went wrong

• Be positive and move forward – focus on what can be done to rectify the situation rather than dwelling on the mistake

• Seek and accept help from your colleagues – don’t be too proud or embarrassed to ask for assistance

• If appropriate, share knowledge with your colleagues so that they can avoid making the same mistake

• Don’t torment yourself – remember, to make mistakes is human.

The perfect internal communicator has not yet been born. We are all individuals, each with our own strengths and weaknesses as communicators. Some of us are great at listening, while others are able to deliver difficult news face-to-face or have a talent for expressing complicated ideas in a way that makes them easy to understand.

It starts with you

TOP TIP | You can gain something

beneficial from every communication

experience – good and bad. Learn from

your mistakes and resolve not to repeat

them in the future – knowing first hand

what DOESN’T work is a great way to

ensure you know what DOES!

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Some principles of effective influencing skills

Show genuine interest & respect

• Use people’s names • Listen more than you talk• Make them feel important• Maintain eye contact• Treat others the way you

would like to be treated

Understand personal agendas

• Put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand their personal needs

• Answer questions fully and do not skim over topics which require an in depth explanation

Use open questions

• Use questions that require more than a yes or no answer

• Give people a chance to provide more information or to offer their opinion

Listen to feelings

• Listen for key words that reveal someone’s attitude

• Try to understand their feelings

• Respond sensitively and appropriately to these feelings

Identify common interest

• Listen out for areas of common interest

• Refrain from interrupting• Playback what you’ve heard

Consider timing

• Think about where your idea fits in to the bigger picture

• Is the time right to talk?• Will your message get lost

if you are competing with numerous other messages being sent at the same time?

Be clear and direct

• Respect peoples’ time • Communicate simply and

directly to avoid people becoming confused or uneasy

Give constructive critique

• Ask for explanations• Refrain from interrupting• Playback what you’ve heard• Remember that negative

criticism is a powerful demotivator and will affect your ability to influence

Don’t give advice unless its asked for

• Feelings are neither right nor wrong so suspend judgement while you are listening

• Remember that you cannot listen and talk at the same time

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Never rule out any topic of discussion as uninteresting

• Even though some conversations may seem irrelevant, its wise to make sure the subject is not worthwhile before you stop listening otherwise you may miss out on a new inspiration or insight.

Be aware of the barriers to good listening including:

• Thinking about a response, judging, using ‘loaded’ words, advice giving, quizzing, interrupting, rehearsing, filtering, day- dreaming, sparring, changing the subject and faking

Give non-verbal listening responses

• Look at your audience• Make eye contact• Keep your body facing your

audience with a relaxed, open posture

• Sit slightly forward if seated• Nod your head• Avoid doing busy work or

trying to watch or listen to something else

Pay more attention to non-verbal communication than the actual words

• It is estimated that 75% of all communication is non verbal

• Non verbal clues can reinforce or contradict the meaning of the words you hear

• Be aware of body language, tone of voice, inflection, facial expressions and the feelings behind the words

Be alert to your own prejudices. Don’t get hung up on the speaker’s delivery

• Any prejudice, valid or not, tends to obscure the message and influence our willingness or ability to hear

• Remember, you can always rebut later when you’ve heard and considered the whole message

• Don’t judge the message by the delivery style – look beyond an irritating voice for example

Paraphrase, putting into your own words what you believe the other person has said

• This doesn’t mean repeating everything back word for word

• Instead, reflect their underlying feelings and ensure your understanding by saying something like: “I want to make sure I understood you correctly”

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The Communications and Public Affairs community on CEMEX Plaza also has a wide range of information to help you communicate, including;

• A Communications plan template

• A list of Internal Communications representatives and champions around the UK.

• Basic guides to help you write and publish stories in UK News and Our Voice.

• Tips on how to run team meetings.

• And links to a wide range of articles about internal communication practices

You can find all this at the following link or by visiting the UK Services home page on Plaza.

http://cdk.cemex.com/cdk/showCommunity.htm?page=CDK_Communications_And_Public_Affairs_UK

CEMEX UK’s team of dedicated internal communicators is here to help you communicate. They will supply tools, advice, training and resources to help you plan for, create, deliver and measure your internal communications challenges.

Where to get help

Contact details

Email | [email protected] Telephone | 01932 583 217

Produced by: Communications and Public Affairs, CEMEX UK, CEMEX House, Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe TW20 8TD.

Tel: 01932 583 217. email: [email protected]. July 2008.