Focus on measurement at Melcrum's Member Event

by Luke Dodd, Features Editor, Melcrum

Hi everyone,

Our latest UK Member Event was held at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel & Conference Centre in London on 23rd November and focused on the ever-relevant topic of measurement.

The event, exclusive to members as part of their annual membership, featured delegates from various top companies such as Aviva, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Diageo and Unilever.

Melcrum's head of content, Mike Berry, opened proceedings with an introduction to the day and overview of the agenda. Ann McDonagh, head of employee communications and Robert Fox, HR comms manager, Heineken UK (SCM Awards winner – Business Impact) then took to the stage. The presentation: "How the IC team at Heineken UK used engaging, proactive and measurable communication to radically transform a much valued employee benefit", looked at the stages the beer business took to ensure that a planned change to its pension scheme went smoothly. Before they began a program to communicate the proposed plans to the workforce, McDonagh said that internal communication had to analyze and consider several different points such as audience groupings (segmentation), likely audience impacts, key pension concepts to be communicated, likely understanding issues, likely decision paths and viable delivery channels. The duo then presented a plot graph to the assembled delegates that showed how they performed their channel selection analysis. After detailing how they communicated the new pensions, they presented some strong metrics. They had targeted 60% of employees to join the new pension scheme, in reality they hit 94% - a resounding hit!

Following Heineken UK, Melcrum hosted an interactive session facilitated by Sona Hathi, research analyst. During the slot, each table of delegates had to come up with two questions to be included in their "perfect" employee engagement survey. All these questions were collated and delegates could vote on their favourites during the breaks.

After a short coffee break, we all gathered back in the conference for Top Banana's presentation: "Using measurement to focus the attention of business leaders". Nick Terry, managing director - commercial and Richard Bridge, managing director - operations, jointly discussed how to to become your company's trusted advisor, referencing our very own Nishwa Ashraf's article: "The Trusted Advisor: How to become your company's hero". During an interactive session with the delegates, they rated the qualities that were needed to be a trusted advisor. These included being knowledgeable, leading by example and being impartial. Terry and Bridge also provided tips on how to use metrics to focus event design and how to use research as a tool to help improve ROI.

Following lunch, Andrew Hillary, communication consultant, Speakeasy, provided a colourful address referencing his own past as an aspiring rock star (with photographic evidence supplied!) to highlight how beliefs contribute to employee behavior and that it should also be measured alongside opinion and attitude. "Going beyond the standard measure of staff performance" also emphasized the point that we interpret reality through the lens of our beliefs, so understanding employees belief systems is key to getting deeper insight.

Sophie Sheppard, European research and training delivery manager, Melcrum outlined the importance of measurement stating that it was a basis for improvement, a driver of engagement and helped to educate the business. Focusing on change communication, she said that, to measure it, you need to analyze each stage of implementation thoroughly. She added that communicators need to keep their measurement focused on desired outcomes and also to be consistent in their measures. The need to balance hard metrics with soft metrics was also mentioned.

The final presentation of the day was a joint case study provided by Charlotte Kensett, senior channel manager for internal and change communications, Nationwide Building Society and Gareth Dearden, director of customer success EMEA, Kontiki. "Measuring video success at Nationwide Building Society" looked at how they worked with Kontiki to deploy a new video platform. Kensett said that the hurdles to the desktop streaming project included cost, technology reservations, bandwidth and getting the subject on the agenda. However it proved a success, with the internal communication team uploading three to four videos a week with 15,000 unique viewers for each video. In conclusion, she believed that in the future Nationwide needs to look at mobile usage when it comes to its videos.

Melcrum plans to hold more exclusive events in 2012, which are free to attend for practitioners that are members. For more details on the benefits of membership, visit www.melcrum.com/membership_levels/membership-uk.html

Until next time,

Luke

 

 

 

 

The death of a visionary leader - how can communication cope?

by Luke Dodd, Features Editor, Melcrum

Steve Jobs, founder and former-CEO of Apple, died this week at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer.

When such an influential figurehead and leader dies, what is the correct protocol for the organization to follow? How can we, as communicators, support the needs of a company that has lost its leader?

In the case of Apple, the important first step was to ensure employees were notified in a respectful and straightforward manner.

Tim Cook, who took over from Jobs as CEO in August, sent an email to employees announcing that Jobs had passed away and invited staff to send in their reflections on his influence in the company. Here's what he wrote:

“Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve's extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tim”

It is evident from this message that Apple wanted to assure employees that the company culture would not change following Jobs' death and that ensuring the company remained at the top of its game would be a fitting tribute to his memory.

What people are saying

However, analysts and tech industry watchers have said his absence will undoubtedly be felt at the company he co-founded.

Michael Yoshikami, founder of YCMNET Advisors, told US television company CNBC: "I don't think it's a stretch to say that many people did buy Apple products because of the faith in the vision that Steve Jobs has put out…. and when that visionary falls away, then the company is judged more harshly. It's just inevitable."

According to brand specialist Mike Amour, CEO of Project: WorldWide Asia Pacific: "If the Apple culture, vision and product remain consistent, then Jobs' extraordinary legacy will live on and the company will climb to even greater heights of creativity and innovation."

Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray's, who has been covering Apple for years, told CNBC that while Jobs’ death does not change his view of the company, one thing is clear: Jobs was very important to the culture at Apple.

In this kind of situation, it is important for internal communication to ensure that the business is kept moving forward, but to also acknowledge the influence of the past. Apple's plans for an up-coming employee celebration of Jobs' life should lift morale, which will be essential with the company growing and moving forward into different areas – such as television.

On a parting note, we can see that Steve Jobs' premature death has been unique in the effect it's had on the public and the way it's shown leadership can transform a company into a cultural phenomenon.

Recent articles on the Internal Comms Hub that focus on leadership include:

Driving communication his way at Volvo, a look at the career of Charlie Nordblom, vice president, strategic internal communications at Volvo Group, Sweden;

What do we look for in a leader?, an article on how to adapt to a leader's communication style and turning it to your advantage;

How to help leaders avoid communication sins, looking at how to help our leaders avoid common pitfalls when it comes to communicating to employees.

Until next time,

Luke

Ten reasons why you can’t afford to miss our 10th anniversary!

By Tanya Batra, Melcrum

The 10th Annual Strategic Communication Management Summit takes place in just two weeks! And for those of you who haven’t booked your place yet - here’s ten reasons why you really can’t afford to miss out...

1. Future foresight - be in the know
We all want to know what’s around the corner. And while predicting the future is a challenging and unenviable task, having that foresight means we can plan ahead and make provisions to not just meet future challenges, but to successfully overcome them. This year our focus is on the future for internal comms, and the Summit is set around four key trends set to shape the business world over the next 3-5 years.
 
2. SCM Summit legends pack
As well as lots of new inspiring ideas, you’ll also receive an SCM Summit Legends Pack, containing a handpicked selection of case studies and opinion pieces from past Summit speakers - available exclusively for delegates.
 
3. SCM Awards
The SCM awards dinner takes place on 12 October, the evening of the first day of the Summit, so after a day of inspiring case studies, relax and enjoy a drink with fellow delegates at the champagne reception before sitting down to a three-course meal and an evening of surprises and entertainment, as we announce the winning entries. 

4. All bases covered
Our programme leaves no stone unturned. It covers up-to-the-minute issues facing communicators across industry, as well as fresh, cutting-edge approaches to recurring challenges: line manager comms, the digital workplace, measurement, employee value proposition (EVP), agile working, communicating with a global workforce, CEO comms, ROI and cost efficiency, culture and behaviour, employee engagement and intranets.

5. Trusted by many
Benefit from over 15 years of Melcrum’s research with Fortune 500 companies to share examples of best practice and emerging trends set to shape our industry. We’re the trusted source of advice for senior level communicators at Global Fortune 100 and FTSE 100 largest organisations, so you can be sure you’ll be in expert hands.  

6. Unrivalled benchmarking and networking opportunities
with fellow IC professionals from across industry facing the same challenges as you, in a practitioner-focused environment. Delegates already registered include those from RBS, Rolls Royce, Nationwide Building Society, Essex County Council, HSBC, GE Capital, Centrica, Adidas, BP, Orange and Shell, and many more. 

7. Expert-led panel discussion on “The Digital Workplace”
with senior reps from Yammer Inc., Microsoft UK and the Intranet Benchmarking Forum (IBF) who will address your questions and key challenges around the digital workplace, it’s evolution and role in IC strategy. 

8. Macleod and Clarke
As IC rises to the top of the national agenda, we’re keeping you at the forefront. David MacLeod and Nita Clarke, two names truly synonymous with the words employee engagement after their hugely influential report to government in 2009, will present a keynote session on day one, providing exclusive first-hand insight to their next steps, the launch of a new government sponsored employee engagement taskforce.

9. Diverse, refreshing and inspiring 30+ speaker line-up
With over 30 speakers, this year features our largest speaker line-up to date. Over just two days, you’ll hear from top-level communicators from a broad range of organisations who’ll provide in-depth insight into the work they’re doing. You’ll hear case studies from senior leaders at Nationwide Building Society, Ericsson, NHS Blood and Transplant, eBay Europe, first direct, Harrods, TUI UK & Ireland, Tata Global Beverages, Chartered Management Institute and many more.

10. And our final reason?
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the UK Strategic Communication Management Summit, and to celebrate, we’ve gone all out to make this event as exciting, inspiring and valuable as possible. It’s more than just a conference, it’s an annual meeting of the best minds and leaders in IC - make sure you don’t miss out. 
 
Full programme and booking information available at:
http://melcrum.com/scmsummit_2011/index.html

The Times They Are A-Changin’

by Roz Topolski

“The only constant is change” has never been truer for Communicators, at least according to Melcrum’s recent survey.

In fact, 32% of Communicators said they spend most of their time on change communication, according to our Key Benchmarking Data for Communicators 2011 survey for organizations with 1,000 or more employees.

Rather than focusing on proactive strategies that will help their organizations thrive, these communicators are spending more time just keeping up with all the change in their organizations.

I’d like to invite those Communicators – and others who find themselves dedicating most of their resources to change communication – to attend the SCM Summit in Washington D.C They’ll discover tactics to help them navigate the complex change communication channels, such as how to:

• Become a trust communication advisor and ask powerful questions from Melcrum’s Black Belt Trainers.
• Turn front-line managers into authentic communicators, while building trust and driving adoption, from Susan Dorflinger of GE Real Estate.
• Align and engage a globally dispersed and demographically diverse workforce with corporate change from Sona Hathi of Melcrum.
• Lay the groundwork for a positive future from Leslie Cifelli of National Grid.

Join us for a unique opportunity to join communication leaders from across the US for fresh insight, thought leadership, guidance, and best practices in internal communication.

To view the full program for this year’s SCM Summit, taking place on October 4-6, visit the website and download the brochure.

Effective internal communication is the highway to a high-trust workplace

By Roz Topolski

 

We all know what it feels like…you hear rumors about upcoming layoffs, a re-organization, or a change in leadership. You ask your manager at the next team meeting about the details…and there aren’t any. Your CEO is extremely vague at the town hall meeting. Has your leadership considered how this uncertainty will impact employee productivity, engagement, or even the financial future of the business?

Here’s a statistic that will open their eyes…according to a paper form the US National Bureau of Economic Research, even a 10% increase in employee trust in management has the same effect on general levels of satisfaction as a 36% increase in monetary reward.

Trust has emerged as a critical factor in building successful businesses. Fortunately for communicators, effective internal communication is the highway to a high-trust workplace. Communicators can equip leaders and managers with the essential tools they need to strengthen the relationship-focused elements of their business and drive their organization
towards financial recovery.

The true expert on this subject, Roger D’Aprix, a communication mastermind and author of “The Credible Company: Communicating with a Skeptical Workforce,” will share his experience with building trust in some of the world’s most admired companies at the SCM Summit in Washington D.C. In a candid keynote session, Roger will outline what companies and communicators must do to meet the demands of a 21^st century
workforce living and working in the Digital Age.

Attend the SCM Summit in Washington D.C., on October 4-6, and you’ll hear from true thought-leaders who are restoring employee productivity, commitment, innovation, and trust in their workplaces. Learn how to:

• Enhance senior leadership’s influence through: authenticity, candor, transparency, and conversation from Angelo Ioffreda, Senior Director of Internal Communications, NII Holdings.


• Provide opportunities for conversation up, down and across your organization from Mark Mills, Senior Communication Consultant, Nationwide Insurance


• Become a trusted and valued advisor to your leadership from Jeff Zwier, Associated Director, Global Business Line Communications, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ltd.


• Earn high ratings from employees on key trust drivers, even after major change, from Brandy Fulton, Vice President, Human Resources, and Kristin Taylor, Director of Communication, of Citrix Systems, Inc.


Earn your employees’ trust, and the sky is the limit! See you in Washington D.C.

P.S. Register for the SCM Summit in Washington D.C. by September 2 and save up to $250!

“I believe that the effort of communicating, the effort of listening, the effort of respecting each other will be key to actually strengthen the institution…

…I will do my best. To do so I will count on you. You will be able to count on me. Confidence, trust, and energies are reciprocated values"

By Tanya Batra, Melcrum 

The above is taken from the transcript of a video message* where Christine Lagarde is speaking to IMF staff on 30 June 2011, shortly after her election to head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). And as communicators, you’ll know all too well the far-reaching impact that such clear leadership visibility can have on establishing a line of sight and engaging employees.

Since her appointment to this position was announced, she has been making headlines globally. Not least for being the first female to hold this position since the inception of the IMF in 1944, but also as a result of the circumstances and economic climate under which her appointment took place.

Lagarde has begun her five-year term in the midst of talks regarding a second bailout for Greece, and a growing risk that Portugal may soon require the same, and she must also deal with the legacy left by her predecessor, Dominic Strauss-Kahn, and the sorry state of internal affairs his abrupt departure left for some 2,500 employees following his highly publicized arrest in New York in May. His behavior may however have come as little surprise to employees given that in 2008, the IMF censured him after they discovered he was having an affair with a Hungarian economist.

 With this in mind, it’s perhaps an understatement to say that challenging times lie ahead. However, her dedication to unifying staff and restoring confidence in their employer is clear, as she sets about rebuilding employee morale and engagement and regaining their trust in leadership, while the rest of the world watches her lead the IMF into a new era:

"The staff is the Fund’s key asset. Its independence must be protected now more than ever. I am well aware that recent events have left open wounds… the incoming MD must take pains to show the outside world that this great institution is not only leading in terms of expertise, but also in terms of integrity and work ethics. We must consolidate and, if needed, restore staff pride in working at the IMF, to get us through the healing process". 

- Christine Lagarde, Statement to IMF Executive Board, 23 June 2011

Similarly, while a change in leadership is without a doubt challenging for the IC function, the intrinsic opportunities such circumstances can present for communicators are tremendous.

At this year’s SCM Summit, our 10th anniversary, Niall Ryan, head of internal communication and employee brand at Harrods, will discuss how his team used the departure of their long-standing chairman and "father figure" to employees, Mohammed Al Fayed, and the arrival of a new chairman, Michael Ward, as an opportunity to collaborate with leadership and focus on delivering the organization’s brand values, drive business performance and boost employee engagement and satisfaction levels.

Ruth Spellman, OBE, and CEO at Chartered Management Institute will also discuss the importance of partnering with and better supporting leadership as we move into a new era of economic activity, provide a vision of management in the future, a roadmap for meeting identified challenges head on and consideration into how the internal comms function is uniquely positioned to take the leadership role to the next level, in her opening session on day one. 

Those of you who attended last year’s Summit will have heard from Rosie Mowatt, head of internal communications at RWE npower, who discussed how her team were able to successfully seize the arrival of a new CEO to put in place strategy and tactics to move the organization in new directions and raise the visibility of the comms function.

This year, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the SCM Summit, all delegates will receive an "SCM Legends" pack featuring this case study from Mowatt, as well as a hand-picked collection of other powerful and pioneering case studies from the last decade of both our SCM journal and past Summits.

If you’d like to check out the full programme for this year’s Summit, complete the form below to receive an electronic pdf of our conference brochure, or alternatively, visit the website.

Engagement inspiration at manager communications conference

by Luke Dodd, Features Editor, Melcrum

Melcrum’s latest event offering Bridging the gap: Making managers better communicators was held on 29th March 2011 at the CBI Conference Centre, London, and featured a high standard of key speakers, presentations and interactive sessions.

A recurring theme throughout the day was employee and management engagement; so here we take a look at a selection of the speakers’ statistics, facts and advice on this issue.

The rules of engagement

Bill Quirke, managing director, Synopsis Communication Consulting, began the day with his presentation, “The importance of appreciation, understanding and collaboration between internal communication and senior business leaders”, in which he outlined the following points:

• Engaged employees are more productive, more profitable, more customer-focused, safer and less likely to leave their employer. (Source: The Gallup Organization)

• Employees who understand organizational goals deliver 24% higher shareholder returns. (Source: Watson Wyatt 2003)

• Highly committed employees are 87% less likely to leave their organizations and perform 20% better than disengaged colleagues. (Source: “Driving Performance and Retention Through Employee Engagement”, a 2004 Corporate Leadership Council survey of 50,000 employees in 59 global organizations)

• High-commitment organizations outperformed those with low commitment by 47%.

Clive Gunby, employee relations & internal communications director, Openreach (a BT Group Business) provided further interesting statistics during his case study:

• Engaged employees generate 43% more revenue. (Source: Hay Group)

• Disengaged workers costs the UK £4bn a year. (Source: IES) and the US $270bn - $343bn in lost productivity (Source: The Gallup Organization)

• Take 2.7 sick days per year rather than the 6.2 disengaged employees take. (Source: The Gallup Organization)

• Engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave. (Source: Corporate Leadership Council)

• 67% of engaged employees advocate their organization; only 3% of the disengaged do. (Source: The Gallup Organization)

• 59% of engage employees say ‘work brings out their most creative ideas’ – only 3% of disengaged agree. (Source: The Gallup Organization)

In her interactive session titled “The role of internal communicators in managing communication performance”, Angela Sinickas, ABC, president of Sinickas Communications advised that, during training sessions, internal communicators should get management engaged by having them share their own best practise tips to others in the group, cementing their involvement in the session

Looking at the broader picture, Kate Jones, people and culture business partner, E.ON UK, and Stephen King, head of learning and development, E.ON UK revealed in their case study that they thought leaders should apply engagement skills to overcome communication blockers to drive business success.

Finally, Lynne Gray, group director of internal communications, Aviva plc, and Adam Hibbert, group communications manager, Aviva plc outlined their various methods to implement manager engagement. They revealed they had provided scenarios for team leaders to role-play, materials for online manager academies, and supporting materials to help them hit the ground running when they return from training.

The day proved that engagement is a key issue for today’s internal communicator and is essential for ensuring a content and productive workforce.

To find out more about employee engagement, why not purchase a copy of Melcrum’s Employee Engagement: How to build a high-performance workforce report.

Switching off the communication autopilot in preparation for the challenges of 2011

By Tanya Batra, Melcrum

Economic uncertainty is far from over - not least for the public sector who are entering a period of significant change as a result of budget cuts in 2011.

A report from the CIPD and KPMG* last week warned of the rise in redundancies set to take place over the coming months. Nearly eight in ten local government employers plan to slash staff numbers this year, and one in three companies intend to employ fewer people thanks to the comprehensive spending review.

Private organisations are also fighting their own battles; with squeezed communication teams facing the aftermath of lay-offs, morale of employees left behind and generally having to “do more with less”.

But whether public or private sector - in the face of financial challenges - the internal comms function is often one of the first to be dealt a blow through a lack of resources, when in fact, relaying difficult messages to staff, keeping them informed and maintaining engagement is more important than ever.  

Creating a “line of sight”

When faced with such difficult times, employees need their line managers to turn to for reassurance, answers and vision. It’s easy to forget the importance of face-to-face communication and the powerful line of sight managers can establish for their team members to connect them to the overall business strategy, especially during tough times.

But with line managers being hired for their own specialism’s rather than their explicit communication abilities - what remains a worry and issue is that the second you step away from owning the communication space - the risk of managers not conveying messages correctly and not performing the role as well as you becomes all the more real.

This fear was brought to life for internal communicators at BBVA Compass, a top 15 U.S. bank, when managerial communication was highlighted by employees as being inadequate. However, rather than simply attributing the low ratings as a result of the communication shortcomings of managers, they instead considered the position of managers at a time of large-scale organisational restructuring.

In their response to dealing with line manager communication issues, BBVA acknowledged that the task of making their managers highly effective communicators needed to go beyond team briefings, emails, slick PowerPoint presentations, "selling the company-line" and putting a "positive-spin" on things. They revisited the concept of the cascade, reinvigorated it through technology and pushed managers to embrace it.

Switching off the autopilot

Managers need to be guided by communicators to switch off the communication autopilot and remove the corporate mask when it comes to communicating with and engaging their team members, as well as be given access to tools, techniques and resources that allow them to find and embrace an authentic communication style that works to their individual strengths - allowing them to communicate effectively, whatever the message may be. 

To get your free copy of the compelling BBVA Compass case study, and read about how they tackled issues surrounding line manager communication delivery, visit the website for our upcoming event, Bridging the gap: Making managers better communicators, which takes place on 29 March. 

*Labour Market Outlook, http://www.cipd.co.uk/research/_labour-market-outlook/current-report.htm

 

Guess who's back...

By Tanya Batra, Melcrum
  
In 2008, Bill Quirke received the highest-ever speaker score to date
(4.7 out of 5) and unanimously positive feedback from delegates.

For this reason, we’re pleased that Bill is back for our 9th Annual SCM Summit!

No matter how big or small your organisation, leaders must be able to effectively communicate with employees in order to retain talented and engaged staff. But before leaders can achieve that, they themselves must first be engaged.

This year, Bill will lead an interactive workshop around the key topic of leadership communication, with a specific focus on four key areas where leaders need to raise their game, and the practical tools and resources which communicators can use to help them do so.

Continuing the leadership communication theme into day one is Brian Bannister, Director of Communications and James Chalmers, Head of Strategy & Talent, both from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who will co-present What leaders want and value from internal communication: an insight into a successful collaboration. They’ll discuss exactly what senior leaders want from the internal communication function, and how both teams can collaborate to share vision and strategy more effectively with employees to build a robust culture of engagement.

Rosie Mowatt, Head of Internal Communication at RWE npower, will also discuss how, through working with senior leaders, a new level of communication leadership has been introduced into the organisation.

With the arrival of a new CEO in January 2010, Rosie led her team on a mission that seized this as an opportunity to increase leadership visibility for employees, achieve CEO buy-in for their internal comms efforts and raise the profile of the communication function.

It's going to be a great few days. See you next week!

Highlights from Melcrum's SCM Summit Australia

Katrina Andrews, Director, Melcrum Asia-Pacific

This year’s 7th Annual Strategic Communication Management Summit in Sydney, drew together a crowd of over 120 communicators, based throughout Australia and Asia, including Japan and China. Compared to last year, in the midst of the global financial crisis, there was an air of optimism in the room. If I was to sum up in one sentence the general attitude of the audience it would be: "We’re through the worst of it. Let’s reignite, reinvent and most importantly re-engage."

There were case studies of communication triumph against adversity, with Andrew Huckel, group internal communications manager, Bankwest, coaching us through the internal comms challenges faced when a parent company collapses (HBOS) and a subsequent acquisition takes place (by Commonwealth Bank of Australia).

Most interesting was to hear how their senior leadership played an integral part in keeping their employees informed and internal brand consistent. Huckel told the audience that in the midst of the crisis, he was having twice daily meetings with the MD.

Olivia Wirth, head of corporate communications, Qantas, delivered an outstanding presentation on how she and her team harnessed and learned from Qantas' 13 individual unions – a communication prospect that would make most of us shudder.

Communicating within such an iconic Australian brand like Qantas brought up a whole set of challenges, including the mainstream media being named the primary source for organizational information for employees. Quite simply, Qantas “hadn’t invested in internal communication” -  a challenge both Wirth and the executive team set out to change by introducing "we will tell you first" –  a new governing internal communication principle.

Spurred on by the belief that if you haven’t got your top 100 engaged, you're not going to get the rest of the business engaged, the team set out to develop a new senior leadership communication project. Plus, executed a brand review process targeting individual staff across the organization with a set of questions focused on:

• What do you think our values are?
• How do you think that relates to your behavior?
• And reflecting the nature of the Qantas brand: What is the "Australian way"?

At the completion of Olivia’s presentation, I really was left convinced that this was a company  on its way to delivering world-class communications.

Some of the other key takeaways from the Summit included

• Melcrum’s Rebecca Richmond’s presentation on moving from a cascade to a dialogue approach to communication. When thinking about manager communication, help them to set the scene i.e. create the infrastructure. Bill Quirke’s model for structuring a meeting is a great tool to help manager’s foster dialogue within your organization
  
  
• Athena Wiliams-Atwood, AMP New Zealand, encouraged all communicators to adapt a sales approach to convince senior leaders of the importance of engagement, perhaps by reading Spin Selling – a book on how to pitch your ideas, or – even more radical – attending a sales training course!
  
  
• Insights and learnings from one of the year's biggest stories: the multiple outages that hit Telecom's XT mobile network. Also, a great example of how to harness a charismatic CEO can be seen through their use of video.
  

Plus, great further presentations from Ericsson, IBM & ABT, Luxottica, Raytheon, AMP Australia and Integral Energy. All up, great speakers with great networking – I’m already looking forward to 2011!