Communication practices are out of step with the current climate

Communication practices are out of step with the current climate

Many organizations are using inadequate communication approaches and techniques leading to a lack of communication support for employees, according to recent research.
The IC Survey 2006, published by UK consultancy Karian & Box, says the pace of organizational change has outstripped that of the internal communication profession and its ability to provide the type of advice and back-up needed is insufficient for the nature of the challenges facing much of industry and the public sector.

Change not well managedOver 70% of respondents say that change and uncertainty are major factors for their organization, but nearly 50% said their organizations did not mange change communications well. A further 34% of communicators don’t feel they get the training and coaching they need to improve in their role and a worrying 32% said communication measurement and evaluation is not a regular focus for them.

Nor do the majority of communicators feel that line managers are given the support and resources they need to become better communicators and engage their teams. Only 13% said line managers have the necessary skills for effective team engagement, yet barely a third say their organizations insist on line managers having communications or engagement in their performance target.

Lack of employee involvement in strategyEmployees feel excluded from shaping their organizational strategy according to the majority of respondents, as only 9% strongly agree that employees feel included. Nor is two-way communication an apparent priority for organizations, with 42% of respondents refute the claim that communication channels genuinely enable interactive communication with staff.

Leadership say/do gapCommunicators also perceive a strong say/do gap in their organizational leaders. While 45% of respondents believe their leaders are committed to engaging the workforce, 34% said their leadership engaged in face-to-face communication once every 6 months or less. The report summarizes: “In short, it is a picture where leaderships have the intent to genuinely engage employees — but not the will, the wherewithal or the time to actually deliver on that intent.”

The IC Survey 2006 is based on survey responses from 639 communicators, predominately from UK-based companies of which over 56% were based in London or the South East. Only 8% were based outside the UK (3% in Australia, 2% in the US and 3% in the EU). The survey took place in January and February 2006.

Source: The Hub, Melcrum Publishing