In our previous blogs, we talked about the importance of listening to employees and turning these insights into concrete action. Now we focus on a crucial aspect of communication: messaging.
The importance of messaging
The message must convey information effectively both inside and outside the organisation. Corporate communication is therefore essentially about creating and maintaining a shared understanding of work, while ensuring a continuous connection between employees and management. This applies both internally, within teams and departments, and externally, to customers and the wider community, as well as the media.
Internal communication
One of the biggest challenges for companies is translating strategic objectives into concrete messages, that can be understood at all levels of the organisation.
The right message makes it possible to integrate the company’s objectives into the day-to-day work of its employees. It ensures that everyone in the organisation knows why certain decisions are taken and how their role contributes to the overall picture.
The myth of the cascade
Many organisations rely on a cascade system to disseminate information from the top to the rest of the organisation. This system involves passing messages from the top through the various levels of management. Unfortunately, this system does not always work as intended. Messages are simply passed on, without context or explanation, leading to disconnection and misunderstanding.
Making the message clear
Effective messages translate high-level objectives into concrete actions. What does a strategic decision mean for the day-to-day activities of a salesperson or an engineer? Let’s take the example of a company working on sustainability transition. For technicians, this might mean continuing to sell maintenance contracts, but focusing on how they contribute to energy efficiency.
It’s important to make people understand this subtle change of direction.
It is normal that management cannot flesh out the details – this is the job of managers to co-create with their teams. They have to translate the strategic ambitions into practical, understandable actions.
Authentic messages
Messages must not only be clear, but also authentic and inspiring.
The best way for a leader to construct his or her message is to rely on three elements: ratio (head), emotion (heart) and action (hands).
People generally limit themselves to the ratio, but if you want to persuade with authentic messages, you need the other elements too. Communication professionals can support managers in developing these with hands-on tools.
Summary: constructing powerful messages is more difficult than you think
It’s not just conveying information; it’s also about guiding employees and translating strategic objectives into practical action. By focusing on authentic, clear and action-oriented messages, organisations can communicate better and achieve their goals.