How to keep track of your stakeholders OR The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Research

1. How to keep track of your stakeholders ORThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to Research Dr Amanda Hamilton-Attwell Business DNA IABC Conference October 2006

2. Research – it is not new • The early Phoenicians did it • Marco Polo did it • Moses did it 8/24/2014 Financial & Information Management

3. Sun Tzu wrote in the Art of War: “Therefore measure in terms of five things, use these assessments to make comparisons and thus find out what the conditions are . The five things are: • The way • The weather • The terrain • The leadership • The discipline”

4. What shall I cover? • Why do we as communication practitioners need research? • Who should conduct the research? • What is the cost of research? • When to research? • What do we need to research? • How to research? • How to communicate the results?

5. Why do we as communication practitioners need research?

6. To improve our ability to communicateeffectively and efficiently

7. Effective communication? • Relevant knowledge • Positive attitudes • Productive behaviour

8. In a 2004 study Watson Wyatt found that a significant improvement (15%) in communication effectiveness was linked to 29,5% increase in market value of the organisation(Best Practices in Employee Communication)

9. 2. Who should conduct the research?

10. A research house • DIY research • Internal resources

11. Advantages of using a research house • Objectivity • Professional skills • Resources • Focus • Confidentiality, independent and unbiased

12. Build a sound client-researcher relationship on… • Realistic time schedule • Detailed research budget • Specified research outputs • Scheduled feedback process

13. 3. What is the cost of research?

14. Can I afford research? Good starting point – 10% of your annual budget

15. The cost of research is determined by… • Research process • Characteristics of the respondents • Number of the respondents • Nature of the organisation • Nature of the research reports • Feedback process

16. 4. When to research?

17. Annually • Before revisiting the strategic document conduct a communication audit • Before a campaign, during and after a campaign • Before, during and after a merger

18. 5. What to research?

19. The organisation • The environment • Change!! • The stakeholders • Profile them • The communication process • The impact of communication

20. The organisation • Communication practitioners are not taken seriously because they do not understand the business environment • Understand the life cycle of your organisation

21. The stakeholders • Their demographic characteristics • Their psychographic characteristics • Group orientated (Group sessions) • Power driven (Informed, document) • Inward focused (Structured meeting, printed newsletter, notice board for minutes) • Fun and fast (E-media, noisy get togethers, fun notice boards, lively newsletters) • Caring and concerned (Participative structured meetings, people orientated newsletters • Strategic orientation (Longer articles, e-media)

22. INFORMATION NEEDS • Task • Organisation • Personnel • People • QUALITY OF MESSAGE • Understandablity • Accuracy • Usefulness • Timeousness • Value added • COMMUNICATION MEDIA • Verbal • Paper • Electronic • Social events • CBWA • Informal communication The communication process • COMMUNICATION CLIMATE • Leadership style • Openness • Trust levels • Change readiness • ORGANISATION OUTCOMES • Integrated efforts • Engagement • Healthy workplace relations • Informed decision-making • NETWORKS • Upward • Horizontal • Downward • Project specific network

23. The Integrated Information System PAPER-RELATED MEDIA: VERBAL NETWORK: CBWA PROGRAMME • Typed briefing documents STRATEGIC Top management • Posters Senior management FUNCTIONAL • Notice boards Departmental head • Newsletter Section leader TACTICAL ELECTRONIC MEDIA • Web page Operational OPERATIONAL • E-mail • Telephones INFORMAL COMMUNICATION PROJECT MEETINGS • Talks with direct • senior SOCIAL EVENTS: • Conversations with • colleagues • Social days COMMUNICATION FORUMS Downward flow by means of minutes and briefings • Awards Upward flow by means of minutes and suggestions Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually As and when required

24. Izzo and Whithers found that “organisations with engaged and committed employees show a 44% higher employee retention rate and were 50% more productive …”

25. A multiple regression analysis (Guy, Mahoney, Graves, 2001) indicated that the four drivers of engagement that collectively explained 72% of the variance in alignment were: • Employees’ understanding of how they can help achieve the business strategy • Commitment to the business strategy • Leveraging communication technology to help employees understand the business strategy • Trust between leaders, managers and employees

26. 6. How to research

29. Focus groups • Use to • include illiterate groups • obtain information from key groups • engage stakeholder groups

30. Projective techniques • Story telling • If XYZ was the scene of a story, who would be the hero and who the villain • Cartoon completion • Sentence completion • “If you were the CEO of …” • If XYZ was a human being/ an animal… • Comparisons • “Think of five similar organisations…”

31. Questionnaires • Standardised • Standardised and customised • Customised • The importance of the coding page

32. The questions you ask will determine the answers you get • To convince management • If management complains • Measure campaign effectiveness

33. Using a semantic differential scale to evaluate engagement

34. Informed Engaged Active Advocate Passive “I understand how I can contribute?” “I understand I need to contribute” “I understand my role to deliver the brand” “I understand how to impact the brand and the company “I understand the brand” Understand “I believe in trying to deliver the brand” “I believe there are tools to help me deliver the brand” “I believe I make a difference when I contribute?” “I am accountable for delivering the brand” “I am passionate about the brand, the company” Believe “I know what it takes to deliver the brand” “I know how to use tools from the company to deliver the brand” “ I take proactive steps to make a difference when I deliver the brand” “I deliver the brand … and make a difference … every day, every customer” “I am the brand” Deliver

35. Selecting your sample • A saturation sample • The smallest sample possible

36. Smallest possible sample

37. 7. How to communicate the results

38. Communicating the research results • As quick as possible • Thank participants for their co-operation • Apply all the guidelines you have for clear and concise communication • Be honest

39. The feedback process

40. Feedback process Management level Group leader level Team level Identify & prioritise improvement areas Identify & prioritise improvement areas Identify & prioritise improvement areas Action plan per improvement area Action plan per improvement area Action plan per improvement area Send document to Communication specialist

41. Presenting the results

42. Communication in CDE • INFORMATION NEEDS • Work • Organisation • Personnel • General • QUALITY OF MESSAGES • Understandable • Accurate • Relevant • Timely • COMMUNICATION MEDIA • Paper • Electronic • Road shows OVERALL COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS • COMMUNICATION CLIMATE • Pride in the organisation • Brand strength • Workgroup relationships • Relationships with direct senior • Relationship with senior mngmt • Trust between race groups • ORGANISATION OUTCOMES • Integrated efforts • Commitment to vision • Healthy workplace relations • Informed decision-making • Employees feel like stakeholders • COMMUNICATION NETWORK • Upward • Downward • Meetings • Union network Green = >70%Blue = 50% - 69% Red = <50%

43. Communication in GHI • INFORMATION NEEDS • Work • Organisation • Personnel • General • QUALITY OF MESSAGES • Understandable • Accurate • Relevant • Timely • COMMUNICATION MEDIA • Paper • Electronic • Road shows OVERALL COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS • COMMUNICATION CLIMATE • Pride in the organisation • Brand strength • Workgroup relationships • Relationships with direct senior • Relationship with senior mngmt • Trust between race groups • ORGANISATION OUTCOMES • Integrated efforts • Commitment to vision • Healthy workplace relations • Informed decision-making • Employees feel like stakeholders • COMMUNICATION NETWORK • Upward • Downward • Meetings • Union network Green = >70%Blue = 50% - 69% Red = <50%

44. Acceptance of change

45. The impact of a strategy

46. A comparative analysis of three organisations

47. Did I address everything? • How to measure • Audience needs • Media preferences • The impact of campaigns • The communication culture • The effectiveness of communication • Dealing with research challenges • When is the right time • What if you do not have the funds • Choosing a research house • Diverse stakeholders • How to convince management about the ROI of communication • New trends

49. Thank you!