Cemex uk-communications-pocket-guide

CEMEX UK COMMUNICATIONS POCKET BOOK

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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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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.

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?

This guide aims to provide us all with

some valuable tips, tools, planning

ideas and processes to help improve

the way we communicate across

CEMEX UK.

Who is this guide for?

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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.

Numerous studies indicate

that higher levels of employee

engagement lead to happier,

more productive and more

profitable companies.

In contrast, lack of effective

and co-ordinated internal

communication can lead to

an unclear sense of business

direction, information overload

and lost productivity.

Internal Communication & Employee Engagement

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.

Our Values

We are a diverse group of people

from many different countries,

cultures and backgrounds but

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.

The CEMEX approach

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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.

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?

Our Process

• 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?

Who should I communicate with?

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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 and move from just hearing

about our mission, values and goals to believing and living them.

Why do I want to communicate?

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?

How should I communicate?

• 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

• Remember style and tone is also important. Consider, for instance,

whether you need to demonstrate solidarity with your audience or

show leadership

• Pause and think before communicating

• Choose your channel depending on the impact your message is

likely to have on your target 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 e-mail might be appropriate.

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Types of Channel

Face to Face

(team briefings, one-to-one’s, focus groups, roadshows,

conferences)

Use for: Messages which have a significant impact on employees’

lives such as dismissals, wide-ranging change programmes, reward

and recognition.

Pros: Personal, direct contact with people, maximises non verbal

communication, allows for discussion and feedback.

Cons: Time consuming for you and them – don’t overuse, less

confident or shyer people may hide behind others.

Email Use for: General information messages that concern all employees

and specific information messages that concern a target group.

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.

Types of Channel cont.

Intranet Use for: General information messages that concern all employees.

Pros: Easy and quick, allows non-native English speakers to absorb

at their own pace, can provide a greater level of detail, 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 its

available, no guarantee it will be seen or that the message has been

understood.

Print

(magazines, leaflets, wall posters, newsletters etc)

Use for: General information messages that concern a target group.

Pros: Reaches large numbers, can be kept for reference, allows

non-native English speakers to absorb at their own pace, allows for

employee contribution.

Cons: Short shelf life, longer lead time – less immediate or

responsive, no engagement or feedback, no guarantee of being read.

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When should I communicate?

• 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

• 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

• Remember, people soon become unreceptive to communication

that doesn’t directly relate to them.

Who is responsible for communicating?

• Everyone at CEMEX UK, from our UK President to our newest and

most junior recruit, plays a valuable role in internal communication

• 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.

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How will I evaluate the effectiveness of the communication?

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?

It starts with you

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.

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.

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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.

Some principles of effective influencing skills

• Show genuine interest and

respect

• Understand personal agendas

and listen to feelings

• Use open questions to

encourage discussion

• Identify common interest

• Consider timing – is it the right

time to talk?

• Be clear and direct

• Give constructive critique

• Never rule out any topic of

discussion as uninteresting

• Be aware of the barriers to

good listening such as day-

dreaming, rehearsing and

interrupting

• Give and pay attention to

non-verbal listening responses

– eye contact, body language

• Be alert to your own

prejudices. Don’t get hung up

on the speaker’s delivery

• Paraphrase, putting into your

own words what you believe

the other person has said to

ensure you have understood

correctly.

It starts with you cont.

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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


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


Survey

Employees with mobiles

Inform Quick news Text message

As required GB Com-munications and Public Affairs

None

Audience Objective Message / Content

Channel Frequency Sender Feedback

All UK Employees & Contractors

Engage &Enlighten

We want to know what you think

TalkbackQuestions for the Executive Team

OngoingElectronic, phone, fax

Everyone None

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.


Employees by region

Enliven & Engage

Party to say ‘Thank you for your hard work’

End of the year event

December CEO, Regional Directors


CEMEX UK’s communication channels

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Top ten tips for communicating

1 | 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.

2 | 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.

3 | The most effective

communication is not words

but behaviour. Make sure your

actions deliver what you promise.

4 | 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.

5 | 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?’

6 | Remember, in the absence

of clear and effective internal

communication, an informal

grapevine of rumour and

speculation will fill the void.

7 | Your audience will only

remember a maximum of one or

two of the messages you deliver.

Keep it simple, don’t overload

them with information and chose

your channel to match the needs

of your audience.

8 | Communication is a

continuous process not a one-off

exercise. Think about your next

steps.

9 | 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.

10 | You can gain something

beneficial from every

communication experience

whether good or 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!

Download the full version of this guide

A full length version of this guide, containing more detailed guidance

and help is available to download from the Communications and

Public Affairs Community on CEMEX Plaza.

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,

research material and resources to help you plan for, create, deliver

and measure your communications challenges.

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.

Where to get help