Benchmarking study illustrates how best-in-class achieve alignment, communicate change

Communication World, Dec, 1996 by Vicki J. Powers

To begin this comprehensive benchmarking effort, 16 organizations from the U.S. and Canada partnered with APQC to sponsor this study and delve into the process of internal communication. Together they identified 50 companies that they believe were "best practice" in this area. All 50 companies received a screening questionnaire. From these responses, the study sponsors identified 10 companies that fit the term best practice. The group planned half-day site visits to closely examine these companies.

Question topics were generated by the sponsors and formatted into three parts:

* A structured rating questionnaire on the use and effectiveness of communication vehicles and measurement techniques.

* An information request asking for copies of communication plans, questionnaires and measurement result, and

* A questionnaire for guiding the four-hour, in-depth interview for the site visit.

Best practice: This management term refers to the "edge" that your organization has over other companies similar to it - or even in other industries. A best practice is a process that your company has perfected and serves as a model to others who want to improve. Through benchmarking, organizations search for best practice companies and find information that can be adapted to fit their own company's culture.

Take, for example, internal communication. The Houston, Texas-based American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC), in conjunction with Gelb Consulting, conducted a consortium study on benchmarking this area. How do best practice companies communicate restructuring and change? What enables best practice companies to achieve effective internal communication? How do the best communication departments achieve alignment with the corporate vision? The answers to these questions would thrill any professional communicator.

It's Right Under Your Nose

APQC identified and visited 10 organizations that already were doing fascinating things with internal communication - and achieving remarkable results (see study methodology at left for details). These best practice companies included Florida Power & Light, Hallmark Cards, Levi Strauss & Co., Motorola, Owens-Corning, Texas Instruments, 3M Corporation, Weyerhaeuser Corporation, Xerox Corporation and one company that requested confidentiality.

APQC analyzed the data to identify several key findings. These are divided into three categories:

* Enablers of effective internal communication

* Processes for achieving alignment

* Communicating restructuring and change

Enablers of Effective Internal Communication

One finding from the benchmarking study identified four enablers for effective internal communication. They are:

* The roles and responsibilities for CEO/top management

* Internal communication

* Middle management

* Employees

This article will discuss only top management's role in creating a "culture of communication."

Top Management Support

Most of the benchmarking partners believe their CEOs fully support the internal communication department by being accessible, serving as a model for communication, trusting employees with the strategic mission, and expecting other managers in the organization to be strong communicators.

CEOs at best-practice organizations have many common qualities. Five specific terms popped up during interviews with the different companies.

First, the CEO is the visionary for the organization. This position is responsible for creating and defining a clear strategic direction and vision for the company.

Second, the CEO is a champion for communication. As a champion, the CEO must be a strong supporter of, and believer in, employee communication. Nearly all of the benchmarking partners rated their CEOs as strong champions of communication.

Third, the CEO, along with top managers, serves as a role model for the organization. Communication gains credibility within an organization when top management exhibits a strong commitment to it and models the communication behaviors expected of all managers. Seventy percent of the benchmarking partners rated their CEOs as strong role models.

Fourth, without trust in top management, employees are less likely to internalize and act in accordance with the corporate vision, mission and values. Many benchmarking partners believe the CEO can only gain credibility and trust by being a visible and open communicator.

And finally, CEOs at successful organizations empower employees to make decisions to achieve strategic objectives. They also share the ideas behind the objectives, which contribute to employees' sense of involvement in reaching the company goals.

Processes for Achieving Alignment

A second finding involved processes for achieving employee alignment. In the context of this study, "achieving alignment" is the method of creating employee agreement and trust with the corporate vision, mission and values. The benchmarking activities in this study focused specifically on internal communication planning, innovative methods and measurement/feedback systems.

APQC identified three core communication processes that help achieve alignment: planning, deployment and feedback.