Asunción Soriano, CEO of ATREVIA, published a new article on Domestic Communication and CSR in Corresponsables, the publication reference to company Responsibility and Sustainability. It is the potential of CSR as an engine of team involvement.
We joined the corporate world in September with charged batteries and important challenges. One of them is the management of the famous “engagement” and employee. The market starts moving and in this context not only do we address challenges of capturing and retaining talent but also the involvement and team bonding to inevitable transformation projects that organizations face today.
Currently we find ourselves in front of a “disbelieving” society, in a scenario of public distrust that also affects our collaborators. This context brings us to a dangerous prospect of breaking the “emotional” contract between employees and the company. Being present in the office isn’t a synonym of doing. There are of course times that require things to happen.
Another tremendous challenge is the generational change in companies. The challenge of managing and attracting Millennial talent. The managers at Baby Boomers should learn that their priorities, values and motivations are very different to ours. Not only this but also their working approach, segments in which emotion managements has a clear result. Our young people want to adhere to projects in which they believe in. In this sense, studies are restricted and the trend is very clear: committed companies are more attractive for new generations.
This environment needs to involve the team and pull everyone in the same direction. It is essential to have robust machinery for domestic communication which is driven by the management team. Also as a fundamental pillar for responsible business, becoming the nervous system of the organization that joins the collaborators of the project by explaining, listening and involving.
I read recently about the successful entrepreneur Anxo Pérez who said that the 21st Century doesn’t have a problem to generate ideas, but of followers of them. The business projects and must have internal followers or it will never reach success. There are no links without involving a team in the responsible management of a company. Corporate social responsibility is a powerful vehicle for internal engagement which is sometimes wasted on occasions.
One of the brakes is that we continue to plan is “CSR” as being increasingly obsolete in a digital environment that requires “liquid” companies and transversal functions. CSR should be understood as the materialization of beliefs and corporate values, as well as a lever of business success if it is managed with determination, integration, consistency and commitment.
This point is where a correct strategy for domestic communication, based mainly on three factors is essential to transmit to the team these responsible values and the reflection of the principles of daily management.
As the first requirement, the communication of commitment must be built from the core and not from an epidermal approach. We should speak on what is important for the employees, avoiding theoretic terminology, acronyms, labels and semantic debates on responsible management which are irrelevant for our people. Dialogue should be driven by the team, who will create the project, internalize it, and hence, convert it into a convincing ambassador in front of society.
A second factor would be the involvement of the team on all processes, from the definition of these values until the development of the behaviors and initiatives orientated to the vale channel. How to do it? From living: driven by participation, forming horizontal and diverse groups, including managers and identifying and supporting internal leaders as catalysts of the projects for responsible management.
Finally, I would like to highlight that in communication the “how” is as important as the “what”. An effective communication strategy requires designing impacting and attractive tools. Bringing to play the narrative techniques and that impacts today functions and has much to do with simplicity, audiovisual and the digital environment. It allows the creation of necessary collaboration and co-creation environments.
I don’t have a doubt that there is still a lot to do, but in twenty years working for the communication of organizations, I have found that, if the equation is applied well, the team magic will occur: KNOW-FEEL-DO. We should incorporate another step: TRANCEND. We strengthen the pride of membership and we convert the collaborators as the most genuine spokespeople of the values of the company and the brand. For those who believe, are involved. Winds of change are blowing and they begin to pass very interesting things in some companies. This continues with (good) communication. Communicating is not informing, there is much more to do to get involved.
