Behaviors of the Most Effective Corporate Communications Teams

Behaviors of the Most Effective Corporate Communications Teams

These teams are recognized as invaluable to the enterprise, drive measurable business results, and steward relationships for long-term business value.

Below are steps to creating a truly mission-critical function, built on the three qualities that these “best of” teams foster for their enterprises: Audience-Centricity, Behavioral Stewardship and Insight-Based Evolution.

Regardless of how today’s Corporate Communications departments are structured, there are teams that stand out as most effective in today’s changing environment.

Behaviors of the Most Effective Corporate Communications Teams 2

Audience-CentricityAlign on the opinion and behavior shifts desired among stakeholders and engage those stakeholders in the way they want to be engaged by the brand. Audience-centricity means people find desired content and engagement seamlessly and consistently, and are then more likely to buy, advocate and help you promote key messages.


Do you assess – on a regular rhythm – the changing attitudes of key stakeholder segments and how they want to be engaged?

Are there agreed-upon, integrated metrics for how engagement will be monitored/measured by channel and stakeholder segment?

Behaviors of the Most Effective Corporate Communications Teams | Audience-Centricity

Ensure alignment among functional teams within the enterprise who are managing channel engagement.

4


Does your team have the ability and resources to produce high-quality written and visual content that will appeal to your stakeholders?

Are you meeting audiences’ desires for long, short, visual and static content when and where they need it?

Create diverse content to promote differentiators and bring your corporate and product messages to life.

5


Do you engage employees as a critical audience and empower them as your single most trusted communications channel?

Do you foster an echo chamber of internal technicians and third-party experts?

Harness a diverse roster of voices to communicate with you.

6


Have you identified topics of importance to your stakeholders that your brand can credibly address?

Do you have infrastructure in place to maintain a dialogue and not just push content?

Engage stakeholders in conversations beyond the corporation or products to create a meaningful value exchange.

7

Behavioral StewardshipInfluence what the company says and does, to ensure character and intent are consistently clear. In the age of transparency and activism, communications and operations must break down silos to protect the corporation.


Behaviors of the Most Effective Corporate Communications Teams | Behavioral Stewardship

How does your team inform board and management decisions and escalate concerns about operational inconsistencies?

Do you have and regularly update risk mitigation plans and crisis protocol to protect reputation and business continuity?

Understand the business and identify potential exposure points that are misaligned with corporate strategy and values.

9


Do you routinely articulate proof points, such as how your innovations improve lives, your services enhance business and your existence improves the social good?

Do you have a communications calendar of meaningful actions that convey character and positive social impact?

Demonstrate both company goals and larger mission beyond profitability.

10


Are you transparent about missteps and disappointments as well as successes?

Have you fostered understanding and alignment between employees and management so the enterprise consistently speaks in one voice?

Communicate with authenticity to build trust and convey clarity of your mission.

11


Is the platform of your executive leadership and enterprise voice accessible and inclusive of both profit and purpose?

Is there alignment on the tone-of-voice for communications including spokesperson training?

Give the enterprise an accessible and human persona that invites audience connection.

12

Insight-Based EvolutionGather real-time insights and use the information to evolve, keep the company relevant and ensure mutually-valuable relationships. The world is moving fast, so your job is to help your enterprise stay ahead of reputational shifts and needs.


Behaviors of the Most Effective Corporate Communications Teams | Insight-Based Evolution

How are you monitoring, evaluating and acting on what is said about your company and other relevant topics?

Are your community managers, sales teams and frontline employees armed to ask the right questions and convey the feedback they are hearing?

Actively monitor and engage in dialogue on-line and in-person.

14


Does your team stay conversant with all aspects of the industry, competition and business environment?

Do you regularly partner with external advisors and stakeholders to ensure an accurate and objective view of business implications?

Consider the external and competitive environment.

15


Is there cooperation between customer service and communications to quickly escalate and address complaints?

Are you sharing positive customer testimonials about your innovations?

Delve to truly understand both customer complaints and unique benefits.

16


Do you have plans in place to communicate both positive and negative changes within the evolution of your enterprise?

Do stakeholders see you as a credible guide for helping them navigate the changing business landscape and long-term business competitiveness?

Anticipate the future state for your industry and stakeholders.

17

Mission Outline the mission of your department in the context of these ideal behaviors (i.e., audience-centricity, behavioral stewardship and insight-based evolution), your business strategy, and the challenges facing your organization.

Structure Architect your department to drive toward the mission and offer the kind of career opportunities top talent is seeking.

Talent Evaluate your current bench against your needs and make tough decisions about retention, migration, dismissal and hiring needs.

Training Help your team learn to think and perform differently. On an ongoing basis; learning is continual.

Metrics Establish measures of success that demonstrate value to the organization and keep team members accountable.

Building an effective corporate communications team does not happen overnight, but you can start the journey today with these five steps.

Turning Theory into Action


Behaviors of the Most Effective Corporate Communications Teams

Marketing

functional teams

best of teams

trusted communications

critical audience

desired content

visual content

diverse content

static content