thinkBox 2013

PROVOKING THOUGHT GENERATING DISCUSSION ENGAGING EMPLOYEES DELIVERING RESULTS

The art of infographicsGreat tips and good practice for using infographics in employee communication

The ‘employee journey’ editionFrom induction to exiting a business: how organisations can build and maintain engagement

edition five: 2013

KARIAN ANDBOX

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2818Welcome aboardUsing creative ways to induct employees into a business provides a solid foundation.

Recession causing doubtsHow a flatlining economy is affecting employee mood.

The only way is ethicsAre ethical businesses really the ones which can draw, motivate and retain the best employees? Find out why.

Seeing is believingAs the use of infographics grows, what does good practice look like and how can you make sure your use of visuals really makes an impact?

thinkBoxwhat’s inside

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Applauding great performance Recognition and reward doesn’t necessarily mean more money. Find out ways to help employees feel more valued for their input.

3What’s inside

36The art of letting goRedundancies are often a time when motivation falls. Can businesses let people go and keep morale high?

A word from the editorGhassan KarianFounder, Karian and Box [email protected]

A word from the editorGhassan KarianFounder, Karian and [email protected]

thinkBox is a publication from Karian and Box Ltd, 14 Clifford Street, York Y01 9RD. Tel: +44 (0)1904 654 454 www.karianandbox.com

© All thinkBox content is the exclusive copyright of Karian and Box Ltd

44Book reviewsGood reads on how to lead and engage employees.

All in it togetherEmployee ownership and involvement is the only route to real engagement, argues Ghassan Karian.

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Welcome to the latest edition of thinkBox. Our focus for the articles in this edition is on how HR and communication professionals can contribute to improving the experience employees receive, from the day they join to the day they leave a business.

This ‘employee journey’ edition of thinkBox provides insight and case studies into how organisations can both induct employees and make redundancies while maintaining or improving levels of engagement.

We look at innovative techniques used in a range of UK and international blue-chip businesses, from BP and British Gas to Kelloggs, John Lewis Partnership and Warburtons. What’s the common thread that binds all these examples?

I believe it is organisations that are prepared to challenge the preconceived ways of doing things. Those organisations are also ones which have leaders willing to involve their people in defining different ways of working and communicating.

Indeed, I go on to argue (Lastword, page 46) that it is through this involvement that businesses can secure the performance required to achieve strategic goals. Furthermore, organisations which have the solid involvement of their employees and/or customers in the decisions made within the business, have a platform for longer-term success.

As a business, we continue to grow; not through aggressively pestering and selling. We have doubled in size as a business through continual client advocacy and referral. Our reputation as a business which has the expertise, creativity and passion to deliver a great service means our customers are our only sales team.

As such, every few months, we write and provide thinkBox as a way of reaching out to professionals in communications and HR.

We hope the articles in this edition provide you with both interesting and useful insights that help you in your role.

It is for this reason that our business, Karian and Box, has evolved into being employee owned. We are now the only business of our

kind, in both the employee engagement and research fields.

Ghassan

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The recession is having a palpable impact on the attitudes of workers in Britain. A new survey of over 2,500 workers conducted by the ADP Research Institute suggests that the recession has caused a significant amount of uncertainty about the future in the UK workforce.

This uncertainty is having a considerable impact on employee engagement and motivation. Many workers feel pessimistic about their future in the workplace, and are concerned that they will not have the skills required to measure up to global competition.

Concerns about job security, and a lack of prospects for job progression, seem to be driving this trend. Only half of all employees believe that they will be

working in the same job at the same company in ten years from now.

Workers were also asked what motivated them at work, and the responses are some cause for concern. Forty-three per cent of unskilled and manual workers, and nine per cent of workers between the ages of 45 to 54 feel that they cannot be motivated by anything. This represents a significant challenge for managers.

However, these responses suggest that organisations should be making employee engagement a key priority. Aside from pay, one of the most significant motivators for employees is recognition and praise. It is also helpful to nurture an environment of collective responsibility where employees feel they have some control of their future and feel involved.

Recession is causing doubts about the future

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‘‘Many workers feel pessimistic about their future in the workplace, and are concerned that they will not have the skills required to measure up to global competition

thinkBoxin the news

FactsEmployee engagement

and individual performance.

+20-28%is the gap in performance

between engaged and disengaged employees.

80%of employees with a high degree of trust in management feel committed to their

organisation.

17 hoursof productivity per

employee per week are lost through disengagement,

on average.

2.5 fewer sick days

are taken by engaged employees per year

on average.

Sources: www.briansolis.com, www.torbenrick.eu

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The role of the CEO is changing. Increasingly, organisational leaders have to negotiate with expectations that are in a constant state of flux. Modern CEOs need to navigate a variety of challenging roles – they need to be team builders, individual coaches, set strategies, and embrace innovation and creativity.

A recent report from the Mullwood Partnership found that organisations are coming under increasing public scrutiny. Shareholders also have higher expectations of the organisations they invest in.

Corporate leaders are expected to not only possess leadership skills, but also demonstrate strong personal and professional values.

The public’s need for transparency, along with the expectations of shareholders, are increasing the pressures faced by CEOs. Leadership is no longer comprised of business sense and knowledge – today’s leaders need people skills, integrity, the skills to build the best team possible, and the ability to embrace creativity and innovation in addition to the more traditional skills required of the role.

Despite the increasing breadth of experience required to fulfil them properly, most CEOs have a background in finance, rather than a profession based on people leadership. This tendency stems from the fact that leaders with a financial background are better equipped to speak the language of business, and thus communicate well with the board and shareholders. Nonetheless, 43 per cent of CEOs rate people leadership as the most important aspect of their role.

In the news

A recent survey from Time-Effective has exposed the skills and strategies that business leaders feel are their weakest and strongest.

The Time-Effective survey, which questioned 600 business leaders, suggests that financial management and marketing are the areas in which most leaders feel they are lacking skills and expertise. Strategy, people management and sales were among the skills in which managers had the most confidence.

Almost a quarter of those surveyed disclosed that the financial aspect of running a business was an area in which they perceived a weakness in their skill set and less than four per cent identified this as a strength.

On the other end of the spectrum, forty per cent of those surveyed claimed that strategy was one of their strengths, followed by people management.

The survey was very revealing. Just over one in eight of respondents believed managing people was the area in which they were weakest. However, the ability to motivate and inspire staff and knowing how to delegate tasks at the appropriate time should be central to the success of any organisation.

The changing role of business leaders

‘‘ ‘‘Leadership is no

longer comprised of business sense and knowledge – today’s leaders need people skills

Weaknesses of business leaders exposed

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Welcome aboard!Innovative ways to help new recruits find their sea-legs

Well-planned inductions increase retention by 25 per cent and present a great opportunity for organisations to build and foster engagement among new staff. With creativity and some investment of time, it’s possible to harness the enthusiasm of new recruits and make that first impression count.

Inductions lay the groundwork for new employees to become familiar with the ethos and core values of the organisation. They represent a process that begins before the recruit starts their new job and which should extend over a long period of time as the employee gradually assimilates into the organisation. The most successful induction programmes are dynamic and interactive, and include follow-up systems which ensure that new recruits are adapting to their new jobs and environment effectively.

How does a thorough induction help to increase retention and employee engagement?

In the book Dynamic Induction, Susan El-Shamy suggests that, rather than holding just a single one-hour or one-day induction, it is more effective to plan a longer-term programme that spans the first few months of the job.

Holding an intensive one- or two-day orientation, with follow-ups throughout the first few months of employment, enables managers to monitor and deal with problems and concerns as they arise, to address a broader range of issues and to build commitment to the business in new members of staff.

Innovative inductions

Andy has been in communications for around 17 years. He started in PR with Weber Shandwick Worldwide, before moving in-house as Head of Communications for Hilton International’s UK business, subsequently joining IHG as Head of Global Internal Communications. He is currently Head of Corporate and Internal Communications for Heathrow. He has long experience of driving employee engagement, promoting strategic alignment and crisis communications.

Andy Collingridge [email protected]

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Induction begins at interviewExperts agree that induction should start before the employee even begins working for the company. Talent and recruitment expert Angela Heyroth recommends it should begin at the interview stage. Prospective employees should be introduced to key concepts about the business during the interview. This is also a good time to discuss company values, philosophy and culture – a step which can also help interviewers determine if the candidate is a good fit.

It can also be helpful to provide pre-orientation materials to new hires before the induction so that they can come prepared for the activities that will take place, as well as with key questions that they want to raise.

Ensuring new employees have a thorough knowledge of the workings and intricacies of the organisation they are joining means they integrate more quickly and efficiently into the workplace, and are more likely to remain with the company in the long term.

In the book Dynamic Induction, Susan El-Shamy suggests that, rather than holding just a single one-hour or one-day induction, it is more effective to plan a longer-term programme that spans the first few months of the job.

Holding an intensive one- or two-day orientation, with follow-ups throughout the first few months of employment, enables managers to

thinkBox8 Innovative inductions thinkBox8 Innovative inductions thinkthinkthinkBoxBoxBox

The impact of effective induction

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Create positive first impressions and

educate new organisational advocates

A positive first impression helps foster long-term commitment. So it’s in the

best interests of management to demonstrate immediately that their company

is warm, caring and efficient. The induction is a crucial opportunity to instil

the core values of the organisation in its new members. If employees feel

confident in their knowledge of the values and goals of the company, they’ll

better understand how they should guide their work from the outset. They’ll

be more likely to speak positively and knowledgeably about the organisation

and to become successful company advocates.

Cut back on trial-and-error learning

Mistakes and misfires should be expected with any new employee, but a good

induction will help minimise these. Providing employees with a thorough

knowledge of policies, procedures and how things work will reduce the

likelihood of errors, and help build their confidence.

Mobilise the inherent

enthusiasm of the new employee

Most new employees are eager to start their new job and make a good

impression. An effective induction can foster this enthusiasm and channel it

into productive work and pride in the organisation.

Increase employee connections

throughout the organisation

Getting to know other staff members, what their roles are, and where to go

for help can be difficult to learn. If an induction introduces new staff members

to their colleagues and provides information about access and services, new

employees will function more productively and integrate into the organisation

more quickly.

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One of the most interesting ways to introduce employees

into an organisation is through a ‘Boot Camp’ or ‘University’. A well-known flagship of this type of orientation is that of the American software company Trilogy. During its intensive three-month orientation programme, Trilogy University, recruits undertake an orientation that gives them all the skills necessary to perform their jobs effectively as well as instilling them with a deep understanding of the vision and values of the company.

Recruits are assigned to a section with a leader – an experienced employee from the company – who helps to guide them through their tasks. Each

cohort of recruits is given assignments mirroring those that they are likely to undertake when working at Trilogy. The difficulty of the assignments increases over the course of the three months, and the recruits are measured and evaluated throughout the process. These exercises help to build teamwork and problem solving, as well as instilling company values.

Throughout the process, new recruits also attend lectures, conducted by senior staff members, that further underline company values and philosophies. Following the lectures, small groups of recruits are asked to discuss the concepts covered – much like a university tutorial. This helps to ensure that the recruits have a clear and cogent understanding of the material discussed.

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Three effective induction techniques

A long-term approach

‘The University’

An intensive approach

‘The Boot Camp’For many companies this style of induction will be

too intensive and time-consuming to be practical. But key elements can easily be integrated into a less lengthy process. For example, small groups of new recruits can be given projects that simulate those they will work on when they begin their new job. This is a good way of familiarising new employees with the work they will be expected to complete and they will forge connections and build relationships with the employees who are their team leaders for these simulated exercises.

Combining traditional induction practices, such as presentations and lectures, with more interactive and hands-on activities is a great way to break the ice and prime recruits for their new jobs. Discussion groups and games, for example, are good ways of familiarising employees with the values, ethics and behaviours of the organisation. Many companies also have mentorship programmes for new recruits, ensuring that there is a network of support while they adjust.

Arranging scheduled meetings between new hires and their mentors is also beneficial – at Keane

Consulting Group, mentors are asked to get together and check in with their assigned new hire three times over their first six months with the company.


break the ice and prime recruits for their new jobs. Discussion groups and games, for example, are good ways of familiarising employees

ethics and behaviours

Many companies also have mentorship programmes for new recruits, ensuring that there is a network of support

Arranging scheduled meetings between new hires and their mentors is also beneficial – at Keane

the company.

Recruits undertake an orientation that gives them all the skills necessary to perform their jobs effectively, as well as instilling them with a deep understanding of the vision and values of the company.

thinkBox10 Innovative inductions

Key themes driving the content of an

orientation programme will make it more interesting and engaging. A continuous theme throughout the process helps to create cohesion and can also make the induction more stimulating and fun.

Ideas for themes are endless but some that work well include: journeys (such as a safari induction), sports (team themes can be very effective – getting ready for the big game, pre-game warm ups, and previews of the approaching season), or themes that reflect the processes or structures of the organisation itself – a publishing company might have inductees put together their own induction book, for example.

Inductions are a key component in the development of new recruits and a valuable opportunity for organisations to foster engagement and motivation. The most successful induction programmes are interactive and are informed by the understanding that new recruits need time to become comfortable and confident in their new job. An innovative induction does not need to be expensive or elaborate – organising group activities, games, and involving experienced employees in the induction can have a significant impact. Taking time to develop an interactive and engaging induction is worthwhile since doing so is proven to increase retention and productivity.

Themes and Games

‘Making inductions fun’3

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‘‘The most successful induction programmes are interactive and are informed by the understanding that new recruits need time to become comfortable and confident in their new job.

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Case Study

While, on the surface, these two organisations appear to have little in common, both employ similarly innovative induction programmes.

At Land Rover’s ‘Dipped in Green’ induction, each new recruit is given the opportunity to drive or be driven around a test track in one of the car manufacturer’s vehicles. This experience helps new recruits to get a sense of what Land Rover is all about – the thrill of the driving experience.

Hackney Council employs a similarly symbolic approach. New recruits are taken on a double-decker bus tour of the borough, where they are shown the highlights of the area and the places for which the Council is responsible.

An executive from the Council’s team acts as the tour guide, which allows new recruits the opportunity to have early – and informal – access to the organisation’s leaders.

The tour gives employees a sense of perspective, as well as pride in the services offered to local people by the Council. This facilitates an understanding of the responsibilities of the role and its impact in a relatively short space of time.

On the road – Land Rover

and Hackney Council


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Applauding a great performanceHow does employee recognition and reward work best?Recognising and rewarding employees for their hard work is vital but it can be difficult to determine what really makes people feel most valued and, more importantly, what will increase engagement. Here we examine the recognition techniques with the most significant impact.

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Management guru Frederick Herzberg suggested that the chief motivating factors in the workplace are: achievement, recognition for achievement, the work itself, responsibility, and growth or advancement. Herzberg argued that the things that motivate employees most are intrinsic in the work itself – whether that be the successful achievement of an assigned task and proper acknowledgement of that achievement, the challenge of certain tasks, or responsibility and accountability for work. Reward and recognition play into these motivators in a significant way. The sense of individual satisfaction that a person feels when they have done their job well is further consolidated when their accomplishment is publicly acknowledged. They are also encouraged to continue excelling.

While achievement, growth and responsibility are key aspects of recognition, it is also important to use more tangible forms of reward in the workplace. Simple acknowledgement of hard work can have a significant impact, and most employees appreciate being thanked when they have worked hard to achieve an assigned task.

A recent survey carried out by Globoforce found that 90 per cent of UK employees claim that recognition is an important motivator for them, and 86 per cent appreciate having their efforts and successes acknowledged formally at their workplace.

Transparency and clarity are essential in the successful use of recognition. When implementing a recognition and reward programme, it is important to be clear about the types of performance and behaviour you are trying to encourage, and it is useful to seek views from employees about what they would like to see rewarded and how. This will help avoid ways of implementing recognition programmes that might actually create unhappiness among employees, and it helps drive a culture in which people feel they are being listened to, involved and respected.

Employee recognition

The most usual form of recognition is financial – in the form of bonuses and compensation. But is this the most effective way of increasing engagement? While financial incentives may be necessary, they are not the only or even the best way of increasing engagement. Financial reward can be perceived as ‘seducing’ employees into being more motivated. But because the impetus is driven externally it does not have a lasting effect.

Money isn’t everything

After graduating, Gav joined Karian and Box with a BSc in Mathematics. He has strong interest in leadership behaviours and the effect leaders can have on a workforce. Since joining Karian and Box, Gav has worked on a number of engagement consultancy and research projects for businesses such as BP, HSBC, lastminute.com and Warburtons.

Gavin Loftus [email protected]

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Rather than relying entirely on financial reward, businesses should consider job enrichment programmes as a way to maintain and increase motivation. Studies show that these have a longer-lasting impact on engagement levels because they enable personal achievement, growth and responsibility, which are the types of reward that are most valued by employees.

Power to the people

What are the key components of job enrichment programmes? Recognising people by

giving them more autonomy. Implementing programmes that increase employee involvement with a focus on aspects such as job autonomy, self-managed work teams and empowerment.

Providing employees with the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills and to apply these to different situations. This can be achieved through advanced job training, continuing education or tuition reimbursement, for example.

Introducing programmes and policies that help individuals balance their work and non-work lives, such as flexible working arrangements, provision of childcare benefits and allowing friends and family to use company recreational facilities.

Removing some control while retaining accountability and granting additional authority to employees in their job are forms of recognition that increase engagement.

Empowerment is hugely motivating and, as well as encouraging people to feel they are providing a meaningful contribution to the company, they are being provided with more opportunities to advance in their careers.


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When recognition is implemented fairly, through a transparent process, employees will value it more highly and it will increase their trust in leadership.Recognition and reward are valuable tools for creating and maintaining engagement, and, when implemented correctly, can have a lasting effect on employee motivation and satisfaction. Recognition can be direct: acknowledgement and tangible rewards for achieving goals are both useful forms of recognition. But less direct forms of recognition, such as giving employees more responsibility and the opportunity for advancement, are equally useful in driving engagement.

To do or not to do

DO:Align recognition with business goalsIf it’s not part of a larger organisational goal, there is a risk that your programme will become another ‘flash in the pan’ initiative that will lose support relatively quickly. If the recognition programme has a clearly defined strategic purpose, it is also easier to develop and carry out.

Seek the views of employeesSince recognition programmes are for the benefit and motivation of employees, it makes sense to involve them in the design process. Ask people what they would like to see in the programme. How do they think employees should be selected? How would they like to be acknowledged? What would they consider to be the most meaningful rewards? Doing this ensures that employees are satisfied with the programme and will actively want to take part.

Measure the effectiveness of the programmeIt’s important to know whether it’s having the desired effect on engagement and motivation. This can be done through surveys and focus groups, as well as informal feedback from managers and employees themselves.

Focus on the impact of ‘micro’ recognition One leader in a large FTSE 100 always sought individuals he could verbally acknowledge when he visited operational sites every week. Asking his PA to source from local managers the names and achievements of individuals, he would use this information to walk up to the employee and thank them personally for their efforts. More than any other activity, this helped improve perceptions of recognition for individual contributions among employees.

DON'T:Allow it to become a popularity contestMost companies implement recognition programmes with good intentions. However, there is a real danger that employees will view these programmes as formalised favouritism. To avoid this outcome, it is important to define and communicate clearly the criteria that determine the awardees, and to form a selection committee of people from a broad range of business functions in order to escape any perceived or real bias.

Let it become stale Recognition programmes can easily be forgotten or put on hold when things get busy. It’s important to keep the programme in the minds of both managers and employees and make individual recognition timely.

Allow formal recognition to replace regular informal acknowledgementFormal public recognition for a job well done is appreciated by most people, but research shows that one of the key drivers of engagement is simple acknowledgement from someone the employee respects or looks up to. It is important to acknowledge successes on both a formal and informal basis.


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Enterprise has introduced a system called ‘The Vote’ as part of a strategy to make their employees feel valued. The goal is to support and encourage the development of exceptional customer service.

Employees provide assessments of themselves and each other. All staff in rental branches rank everyone in their team, including themselves, for their customer service efforts. They also provide constructive explanations of the rankings given. The results are then presented to all employees.

The names of the best performer and the most improved employee are communicated to all employees in the region. This is a way of recognising those employees who are delivering exceptional service and identifying those who may need additional motivation.

Case Study

‘The Vote’ is an excellent example of a successfully integrated recognition programme which involves employees in every step of the process. It is successful because everyone is involved, only constructive feedback is allowed, and improvement is valued as much as overall performance. Additionally, progress reports are given out regularly so that employees are kept up to date about how they are performing.

The training that managers receive at Enterprise also enables them to consider how they can motivate employees in non-management roles. It provides a checklist of actions that managers can take with employees. This might be something as simple as saying ‘thank you’ in public or formally publicising exceptional effort for customers.

‘The Vote’ is an excellent example of a successfully integrated recognition programme which involves employees in every step of the process.


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Case Study

”With support from her manager, Laura made the transition from sales to marketing as assistant brand manager on Rice Krispies and Frosties. In 2009 she was promoted again to manage the marketing plans for Kellogg’s Cornflakes. The company has helped motivate her to climb the hierarchy of needs and achieve her career ambitions.”

The Kellogg’s sales team meets every Friday morning to share the week’s success stories. Every month individuals who have worked above and beyond the K-Values are recognised. They receive public recognition for their hard work, as well as awards such as cash prizes, vouchers and holiday entitlements.

Motivators within the Kellogg’s company reflect the different personal aspirations of employees. The working environment provides the opportunity to move forward and take on responsibilities with clear recognition and reward for achievements and performance.

Everyone at Kellogg’s is encouraged to live by K-Values, a philosophy that promotes a culture of continuous improvement where employees can take ownership of projects and work toward industry-leading results. Kellogg’s is focusing on fostering a positive and productive workplace environment and recognition programmes are an integral part of this.

Kellogg’s gives employees the opportunity to take on responsibilities that they find challenging and interesting, enabling them to choose to work on projects that develop and improve their individual skills.

“Laura Bryant joined Kellogg’s right after finishing university in 2002. She joined the field sales team initially, which involved visiting up to ten supermarkets every day, to develop relationships at a local level. After two years her hard work was rewarded and she was promoted to customer marketing manager at head office. This helped to raise her profile as she wanted to move into marketing.

The Kellogg’s sales team meets every Friday morning to share the week’s success stories. Every month individuals who have worked above and beyond the K-Values are recognised.


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Seeing is believingThe power of infographics in communicating business messagesOur brains can process visuals up to 60,000 times faster than text. More than 65 per cent of us are also ‘visual learners’, responding more effectively to pictures than words.

Hence the rise of the infographic in business communications, rapidly decoding complex strategies and data for us in powerfully appealing ways.

Jenny joined Karian and Box with a Masters from Manchester Business School, specialising in Marketing. Jenny has worked on a range of strategic and creative projects for clients such as Aviva Investors, BP, HSBC, Manchester Airport Group, TUI Travel, Sellafield and Warburtons.

Jenny Hill [email protected]

The art of infographics 19

The information graphic, or ‘infographic’ has emerged as an increasingly popular tool for presenting data and information. But it is not a new concept. The visualisation of information in this communication form has been used for millennia – examples range from Egyptian hieroglyphs to signs, charts, maps and diagrams.

There are many good reasons for their recent popularity, especially within the realm of internal communications.

They allow you to present a rich amount of information without intimidating the viewer, and they help with the understanding of otherwise complex text-based or statistical content. Infographics are generally defined as the graphic visual representation of information, data or knowledge, but the best definition in relation to their use in business comes from graphics creator Nigel Holmes, who calls them “explanation graphics” because they use a combination of visual and textual elements in order to develop context, meaning and understanding.

The visual presentation of data is a useful communication tool because it allows people to interpret and understand information more quickly and effectively than if it is presented to them in writing or as a spreadsheet.

A study carried out in 2007 by IBM researchers Martin Wattenberg and Fernanda Viégas demonstrated that when data was presented through visualisation it generated a significant increase in the amount of conversation among viewers.

They asked more questions, made more comments and were generally more engaged with the information than when more traditional communication techniques were employed.

In the media-saturated culture in which we now live, where we are constantly bombarded with information, the ability to attract and engage an audience is increasingly difficult. Infographics can encourage participation and interest among audiences – welcome news, especially for business leaders who want to improve the resonance of their messages.

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The Way We LearnAccording to The Visual Teaching Alliance, more than 65 per cent of people are visual learners, responding more effectively to information that is presented visually. Infographics are therefore more likely to reach audiences, since many people find it easier to learn when information is presented to them visually.

Some learning benefits associated with infographics:

Improved comprehension of information, ideas and concepts

Improved retention and recall of information

Enhanced ability to think critically and develop and organise ideas

The Way We InterpretThe speed with which we can interpret visual information is one of the key reasons why infographics are such an appealing way to communicate. Infographics enable us to condense a significant amount of information onto a single page, which the viewer can then ‘read’ and interpret quickly and efficiently. This has tremendous applications in a world where there is an ever-increasing demand on our time.

Infographics also encourage the representation of data as a story or narrative which, in turn, allows the audience to better understand the connections between different ideas or data (e.g. a comparison of gross profits and expenditures) and the way they fit within the bigger picture. Because they are a concise visualisation of data in a narrative format, they are the perfect tool to communicate messages about strategy, business performance and annual reports.

The Way We SeeResearch on sight and the way in which we process visual information presents some compelling reasons for the use of infographics in business communications. Around 50 per cent of the brain is dedicated – directly and indirectly – to visual functions.

So the way we ‘read’ images as opposed to text is much more straightforward because our brains are hardwired to interpret images more directly and quickly than the written word. Each letter of a written word is a symbol that

the brain needs to decode before its meaning becomes clear.

From there, the brain has to decipher how the letters fit together to form words, how the words fit together to form a sentence, how the sentences form paragraphs and so on. Conversely, the brain interprets images all at once, rather than in a linear fashion, so that our understanding is much quicker. Visuals are processed up to 60,000 times faster than text.

Why infographics are so usefulThe art of infographics

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Dana Petroleum developed an interactive infographic to help their employees understand the business priorities planned for the coming year.

The interactive online tool used infographics which enabled employees to explore the challenges, opportunities, options, plans and performance that underpin the business priorities.

The Dana ‘stratnav’ employed multiple infographic techniques – statistical, timeline, geographic and narrative – to create a compelling visualisation of Dana priorities that employees would find interesting and relate to, personally and emotionally.

In particular, the format allowed the viewer to work through the information in a step-by-step and interactive way. It reinforced the narrative and underlined the idea that the next 12 months would be a journey for both the wider business and employees. The result also created a balance between the big picture and spotlights on key components of strategy.

Case Study

Dana Petroleum ‘Stratnav’

Note: The above example has removed any real data to ensure client confidentiality.

The art of infographics

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When infographics can helpInfographics vary in form and style and, depending on the context, some are more appropriate than others. Generally speaking, infographics are best used to present a large amount of information in a way that is concise and easy to understand, to reveal the data (e.g. discovering cause-effect relations, knowing what’s happening), and to periodically monitor the evolution of certain parameters. Here are some examples of types of infographics and the context[s] in which each type is most appropriate:

StatisticalThese are the infographics we’re most familiar with. Purely statistical infographics tend to be focused on presenting large amounts of data in charts, diagrams, graphs, tables, maps and lists. The most common visual devices used are horizontal bar charts, vertical column charts, and round or oval pie charts.

In an organisational setting, statistical infographics are very useful when delivering annual reports to stakeholders, communicating messages about industry safety standards (and how you measure up to competitors), company growth and expansion, and any other type of content that has a significant statistical basis.

Statistical infographics are particularly useful when presenting messages about change, since they can help employees or investors to understand how the statistics affect the organisation and their role.

Location or GeographicThis type of infographic highlights information related to location. For example, plans for business expansion into new areas are best represented in a geographic context. Location infographics are also a good way of presenting change.


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PictorialInfographics that are largely image-based can illustrate a narrative theme that does not necessarily have a significant statistical basis. Using symbolic images can be useful when you are using an infographic to illustrate a message about employee engagement scores or reward systems.

TimelineTimeline infographics are used to represent information and events that happen over a period of time. They present events in a chronological sequence and enable the viewer to understand temporal relationships. Timelines are useful when you want to reveal organisational changes that have happened over a significant period of time.

For example, a timeline might be used to demonstrate the growth and development of your business to stakeholders or decreasing levels of workplace accidents – as a result of increased safety standards – to employees.

This is a useful way to look at engagement scores over a long period, and can provide insight into the effectiveness of employee engagement programmes.


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Avoid information overloadInfographics are useful as communication tools precisely because they enable you to deliver a concise representation of complicated data in a format that is easy to interpret. If you crowd the page with too many different images and too much text, your message might get lost in translation. Keep things simple, clear and straightforward. For example, in the image to the right, the designer has kept their infographic very simple, relying on minimal text and a straightforward Venn diagram to deliver their message.

Several factors drive the design of an effective infographic: the idea and data it needs to communicate, where and how it is to be used, and the profile of the intended audience. The content of the infographic is key to its success. Otherwise, you are simply creating an illustration in which you are trying to include some data or idea within. The idea should drive the design, not vice versa.

Creating a visualisation or infographic is a very similar process to writing a convincing essay. In order for it to be effective, it needs a compelling thesis and strong supporting evidence. If, for example, you want to create an infographic that shows how much your profits have improved in the last quarter, then you need to be able to demonstrate a significant profit increase. If you cannot do this, then you may have to reframe your initial idea to accurately represent the data that you have available to you. For example, you might create an infographic that represents the ways in which your business is making changes to increase profitability.

When an infographic is done well, it is an excellent tool for delivering business messages and is a wonderful alternative to more formal and traditional presentation methods. But if they aren’t designed well, and with care, they have the power to detract from, rather than reinforce, the message you are trying to get across. So, what do you need to do to secure a ‘good’ infographic? Here are some tips to ensure that your infographic is an effective communication tool.

Top ten tips for using infographics effectively:

Since the ultimate goal of an infographic is to enable your audience to understand an idea, story or set of data quickly, your design should have a clear visual theme and narrative that illustrate the idea(s) that underpin it. Visuals enhance your narrative and help people to get from A to B. In this infographic, there are several visual signposts – images of employees and symbols such as traffic lights and light bulbs – that help to direct the narrative.

Have a clear visual narrative


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4Focus on a single topic or themeRelated to #2. Your infographic will be more forceful if it is focused on a single topic or theme. Knowing the single message that you want to convey at the outset makes it easier to create clear visualisations. In the infographic to the right the theme – the costs and benefits of Obamacare – is clearly portrayed using a simple combination of graphics and text.

Keep it simpleCrowding your infographic with too many images will make it appear messy and your message might be obscured or misinterpreted. A crowded image can also appear unattractive and drive viewers away. In this infographic, the designer has used a very basic colour scheme and simple graphs to illustrate their data. As a result, the design is aesthetically appealing and easy to comprehend.

Good design is criticalThe design of your infographic should be aesthetically appealing to attract more attention. Colour, font, layout and the use of white space are important considerations. The infographic to the left is an example of good design – the designer has used a clear sans serif font, a complimentary colour scheme and simple, visually pleasing graphics to create a balanced, attractive infographic.

Have a clear visual narrative


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Data is at the heart of it

6Choose attractive and complementary coloursChoose colours that complement each other and which fit the theme of the infographic. You don’t need to use a lot of different colours to make a strong visual impact – some infographics only use two or three different colours but still stand out. This infographic is both visually appealing and explains colour theory and how to use colour combinations effectively.

The goal in making an infographic is to present information in a way that is concise, comprehensible and compelling. Data is the driving force behind your design. Avoid overdoing the design to the point where it will dissolve the information – it should emphasise the facts and figures, not overpower them. For example, in this infographic used by John Lewis Partnership, the data is emphasised by various graphs and charts and it is clear that this is the most important component of the design.

Keep text to a minimumInfographics are primarily a visual medium. While it is necessary to use text to explain the data and guide the audience, it is best if sentences and bullet points are kept concise. The text should support the visuals, not overpower them. It is also helpful to use clean, readable fonts. The infographic below has a minimal amount of text but still delivers a clear and comprehensible message about the nutritional content of milk.


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10Last thought...Infographics are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, especially in the context of business communication. This is because they are a wonderful tool for representing information and ideas in a way that is both compelling and easy to understand. They have many uses in both internal and external communications and are an excellent method of delivering messages about change, strategy and business performance.

Use repetitionVisual repetition is very useful since it creates harmony within the design. Repetition creates a familiar system that people will pick up on right away, which makes it easier for them to understand and interpret the infographic. This is especially appropriate for infographics where the same data points are shown repeatedly in different contexts. For example, in the infographic to the left, the designer has used repeating geometric shapes (rectangles and circles) to create a cohesive and appealing design.

Use visual hints to help convey your message

For example, if you include flags that indicate the value of each bar on a bar chart (as in this example), it not only adds visual interest to a somewhat staid design, but also reduces the amount of work it takes for the viewer to interpret the data.

9The art of infographics

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The only way is ethics

In an era of corporate scandals that have led to dramatically increased scrutiny of companies, the subject of ethical business practices remains high on the agendas of consumers and employees.

With evidence that a majority of people prefer an ethical culture to higher pay when choosing which companies to work for, Jane Mitchell looks at the impact that ‘walking the talk’ on business standards has on employee engagement.

Ethics and engagement

But what is an ethical culture and how does it impact engagement?The ethical culture of an organisation can be assessed through many interconnected activities, but key to defining whether it is on the right track are:

ethical leadership (the tone at the top)

the consistent reinforcement of an organisation’s ethical standards by supervisors and managers

employees openly supporting each other to do the right thing

a culture of openness and speaking up

transparent decision-making.

Leaders are becoming increasingly conscious of the strong link between the perceived ethical ‘health’ of their organisation and the engagement of employees. Trust and respect for leaders, confidence to speak up without fearing the consequences, pride in working for the company and a vested interest in the job are all drivers of engagement.

Jane Mitchell [email protected]

Jane is a director at Karian and Box. She has worked on major employee strategy, ethics and research programmes for organisations including BP, Rolls-Royce, lastminute.com, BAE Systems and Ladbrokes.

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A recent survey by the management consultants LRN found that 94 per cent of employees feel that it is ‘important’ or ‘critical’ that the company they work for is ethical in its practices.

Unsurprisingly, these factors can also demonstrate whether an organisation is acting to embed an ethical culture or simply talking a good game. Most employees arrive at work wanting to do the right thing and a good job but the behaviours and perceived ethical actions of their leaders have a direct impact on how engaged they remain and whether they believe that their leaders take espoused company values and behaviours seriously.

A recent survey by the management consultants LRN found that 94 per cent of employees feel that it is ‘important’ or ‘critical’ that the company they work for is ethical in its practices. In addition, 82 per cent of those surveyed claimed that they would choose to work for less pay at a company with ethical business practices over a company that offered higher pay but had questionable ethics. These facts suggest that an organisation’s perceived culture has a considerable impact on the choices and actions of employees, and that most employees value higher ethical standards in their workplace.

thinkBox30 Ethics and engagement

Embedding an ethical cultureIf employees see that ethical standards are a priority in ‘the way that we do things around here’, are held accountable for their behaviour and encouraged to live their values at work, the organisation is then likely to be on its way to embedding an ethical culture. Increased regulation, such as the UK Bribery Act and the US Federal Sentencing Guidelines, together with a focus on reputational risk, mean that organisations are ever hungrier for data that shows a correlation between ethical culture and employee engagement. But this type of data gathering is in its infancy and requires an organisation and its researchers to have a clear picture of all of the elements that constitute its ‘culture’. All of these dots are rarely joined.

The actions of leaders and perceptions of their ethical behaviours are certainly evidenced as having a critical impact on employees and are strong drivers of engagement. If leaders are setting the right tone, employees will be more confident to do the right thing and be more inclined to speak up.

However, sometimes doing the right thing at work is not due to basic humanity or altruism but employees’ self-interest. Generally speaking, employees believe that the stability and ethical health of the organisation they work for are key factors in its sustainable success which serves their continued employment. Misconduct and a lack of ethical behaviours are viewed as negatively impacting the

health of an organisation, leading to the perception that the business is at risk, particularly if this misconduct is linked to leaders. In an increasingly global and interconnected world, employees will not want to dedicate themselves – or their futures – to a company without the confidence that it is well managed. Without evidence of a sustainable future, employees become fearful about the prospects of their employer and, in turn, become disengaged.

If leaders are setting the right tone, employees will be more confident to do the right thing and be more inclined to speak up.

1 2Ethics and engagement

Start with the small 1Start with the small 1stuff and be mindful 1stuff and be mindful 1of your own behaviours:1of your own behaviours:1Encourage openness and transparency. Welcome bad news. Do not explode on hearing something that is either inconvenient or difficult to manage. Take action on verified unethical conduct and communicate the action that has been taken. Be transparent about decision-making processes and encourage everyone to adopt a values-based decision-making framework.

Practise being a good listener. Listening to the concerns of others and acting on what you have heard is absolutely vital to being an ethical leader. A culture of listening will not only encourage employees to speak up about concerns, it will also encourage them to speak up with great ideas.

Be brave. Showing courage to maintain corporate ethical standards when you are faced with difficult decisions and dilemmas and doing this consistently reinforces that you take ethics seriously. This will inspire the same behaviours in your peers, supervisors and employees.

Embed an ethical 2Embed an ethical 2culture within your 2culture within your 2organisation:2organisation:2Have a clearly defined and consistently communicated ethics programme that connects words with actions, and performance with reward, as well as bringing together internal and external stakeholders, people, training and communication strategies.

Encourage a common language for ethics and company values to develop the ‘hearts and minds’ of employees, with consistent messages, ethics training programmes and values-based decision-making.

Consider how your reward systems can celebrate ethics by inclusion in performance evaluations, bonus and compensations systems and 360 assessments. This will help to reinforce that ethical behaviour is seen as critical to the organisation’s success.

Ensure that leaders ‘walk the talk’ by demonstrating a consistent and visible commitment to ethics as individuals. This has more impact on employee perceptions and behaviours than any other single factor.

Embedding a strong sense of values Embedding a strong sense of values and putting them at the heart of and putting them at the heart of

your organisation’s purpose will your organisation’s purpose will not only improve employee not only improve employee

engagement, but also financial performance. financial performance. The positive reputation of The positive reputation of

your organisation will be your organisation will be upheld as stakeholders upheld as stakeholders

begin to trust that begin to trust that you will behave you will behave

as you say as you say you will.you will.

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This research and supplementary work done on Fortune 500 companies in the USA tells us that where ethical cultures reinforce workplace integrity, valuable employees will not only stay but

will make extra efforts to ensure that they and their company are as successful as possible. With the phenomenal rise of social networking and speed of information

flows in the 21st century, episodes of misconduct in corporations quickly become public. This has an adverse effect on the attitudes, perceptions and loyalty of employees within the organisation. It impacts the way in which an employee thinks about their organisation and has a significant effect on their workplace behaviour and attitude. The recent scandals at Stafford General Hospital, News International, Barclays and RBS are just a few examples of the damage that can be done.If we accept that success in embedding ethical cultures will come from the top, how can leaders demonstrate that they not only believe, but actively promote, an ethical culture in their organisations?

Publicenemies


If we accept that success in embedding ethical cultures will come from the top, how can leaders demonstrate that they not only believe, but actively promote, an ethical culture in their organisations?

CONFIDENTIAL

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The 2011 National Business Ethics* Survey, makes a very clear case for business leaders to prioritise ethics in their organisations. The research suggests that it will have a ‘dramatic’ influence on employees’ behaviour at work.

A key finding identified that companies behave differently during a recession. Leaders are seen as being more focused on and committed to ethical behaviour, leading employees to become more mindful of their own conduct. Conversely, however, as the economy improves and organisations become more optimistic, misconduct is likely to rise.

During times of plenty, the annual survey has found, people are more willing and ready to take risks. Organisations tend to be diverted by acquisitions and growth strategies, rather than focusing on ethical standards and values. When the going gets tougher, individuals are more scrupulous about their behaviours – naturally they are keen to hold on to their jobs. This is a warning sign for all business leaders and if the trend for an improving economy continues they will have to be ever more careful of the culture they are encouraging through the example of their own behaviours and leadership.

The survey found 45 per cent of employees had witnessed unethical behaviour but only 65 per cent of those people reported the misconduct. This relates directly to concerns about retaliation – almost one in four people felt there would be retribution for speaking up. Pressure and retaliation are two of the four leading indicators that the study uses to assess the health of an ethical culture and incidents of these two in particular have risen dramatically in the 2011 study from previous years.

In spite of the fact that most organisations with a Code of Conduct/Ethics state very clearly that they will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who raises an ethical concern, the NBES study found use of some subtle and not-so-subtle forms of retribution is becoming more widespread.

These figures correlate directly with employee research carried out by Karian and Box, which shows that drivers of engagement in organisations relate to feeling a sense of ownership and responsibility, as well as the relationships employees have with their managers.

Employers could be counting the cost of the growth of retaliation that the NBES Study has identified because the study also found that seven out of ten people who experience retribution will leave their current workplace within five years, compared to the four out of ten who have not. This also relates to employees who feel pressured to compromise their organisation’s ethical standards.

Where there is felt to be increased pressure from managers, there are increased levels of misconduct. The study also shows that this trend is on the rise.

Business ethics in numbers


business leaders to prioritise ethics in their organisations. The research suggests that it will have a ‘dramatic’ influence on employees’ behaviour at work.

A key finding identified that companies behave differently during a recession. Leaders are seen as being more focused on and committed to ethical behaviour, leading employees to become more mindful of their own conduct. Conversely, however, as the economy improves and organisations become more optimistic, misconduct is likely to rise.

During times of plenty, the annual survey has found, people are more willing and ready to take risks. Organisations tend to be diverted by acquisitions and growth strategies, rather than focusing on ethical standards and values. When the going gets tougher, individuals are more scrupulous about their behaviours – naturally they are keen to hold on to their jobs. This is a warning sign for all business leaders and if the trend for an improving economy continues they will have to be ever more careful of the culture they are encouraging through the example of their own behaviours

with a Code of Conduct/Ethics state very clearly that they will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who raises an ethical concern, the NBES study found use of some subtle and not-so-subtle forms of retribution is becoming more widespread.

These figures correlate directly with employee research carried out by Karian and Box, which shows that drivers of engagement in organisations relate

Of people who had voiced concerns:

• 64% were excluded from

decisions and work

activity by supervisors or

management

• 62% were given the ‘cold

shoulder’ by other employees

• 62% were subjected to verbal

abuse by their supervisor or

someone else in management

• 56% almost lost their job and

• 55% reported that they were not

given promotions or pay rises.

* Ethics Resource Centre

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Most businesses understand that their continued financial success and licence to operate is dependent on their readiness to assume responsibility for the social and environmental impact of their operations. This has resulted in the emergence of the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which encompasses the actions that an organisation takes to minimise its negative impact, while also upholding strong economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic standards.

Corporate Social Responsibility also plays a significant role in engagement because it emphasises elements that are central to achieving an engaged workforce. The examples of the ways in which CSR promotes engagement include:

1) Employees witnessing the company they work for living up to the standards expected of it. They are therefore more likely to want to engage in supportive behaviours.

2) Employees taking greater pride in their organisation, if it is perceived to be honest and ethical in its practices. This pride can translate into better workplace co-operation and commitment.

For CSR programmes to succeed, employees need to be moved to participate and have a clear understanding of the values, behaviours, common purpose and potential long-term benefits that are driving the programme.

There is an increasing body of thought and research to support this view. The quotation below, from the study Firms of Endearment*, articulates a vision of what an ethical organisation looks like. For those of us involved in helping organisations to engage more effectively there’s no doubt that this is a compelling picture we should all be confidently aiming to create.

As well as becoming more aware of the links between perception of ethics in leaders and employee engagement, companies are also increasingly assuming more rigorous and ethical corporate standards – both social and environmental.

Case Study

On CSR, ethics and employee engagement

‘‘

‘‘It is common to see executives, managers and frontline workers working shoulder to shoulder, forging unshakeable bonds through shared service to others in all stakeholder groups. This fosters a sense of co-operation and support within the company. It gets employees to help each other rather than view each other as rivals for advancement… We should rejoice in their success and spread their message of caring...


*Firms of Endearment: Raj Sisodia, Jag Sheth, David B Wolfe

‘‘

‘‘Waiting a year or two for the next engagement survey to form an opinion on employee attitudes is not enough. At a time of change, you need to know what people are saying: do they understand your priorities and do they support them? What are they doing to deliver them? That’s what’s critical.

This is why pulsecheck® is an important tool for any organisation going through change right now.

Andrew Moys, Director of Communications, John Lewis Partnership

pulsecheck®

www.employeepulsecheck.com

to deliver them? That’s what’s critical.

is an important tool for any organisation going through change right now.

Director of Communications, John Lewis Partnership

www.employeepulsecheck.com

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Making people redundant is one of the most difficult aspects of managing an organisation. Redundancy programmes can be emotionally shattering for everyone involved. They can wreak lasting damage on morale, trust in management and productivity. They can also create huge harm to a company’s reputation. But, if carried out with care and integrity, this unavoidable part of running an organisation need not cause damage. Effective communication is key.

Maintaining engagement in redundancy programmes and through difficult change

The art of letting go

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Kirstie Hills [email protected]

Your communication programme will be determined by the nature of the change your organisation is going through. Here are just a few scenarios.

50 shades of change


In the first two examples, change is determined by the organisation’s own leadership team and communications are more straightforward to plan and deliver. In the second two scenarios, the change is determined by external forces and a whole host of ‘known unknowns’ and ‘unknown unknowns’, to quote former US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. This is much harder to manage.

Cost cuttingThere are times in a business’s life cycle when the Finance Director looks at the income trajectory, overlays it with the costs trajectory and says to the Chief Executive, ‘We have a problem.’ The analysis triggers cost-cutting programmes, which may involve extensive organisational change, including the outsourcing of whole functions. This change is driven by a sense of ‘tightening the belts’.

Business failureAnyone working in Financial Services can testify that the unthinkable happens. Businesses fail, and sometimes on a massive scale. Six months into my very first internal communications role for Andersen, the news broke that someone had confessed to shredding documents relating to Enron. Over the following months, we shifted from reporting the fast-developing news story, to crisis communications as the accountancy giant, with 100,000 employees worldwide, collapsed.

New strategic directionAt other times, organisations either want to take the lead by forging a new strategic direction, respond to changes in the market by changing tack, or manage a declining business. This may create new opportunities for developing new skills (for example when companies digitise their ways of working), but make other skills or functions redundant. This kind of change can be very energising for those who want to learn with the company if there are opportunities for growth, but destabilising for others.

Changes in political, social and economic environmentThis is particularly relevant for public sector organisations or private sector companies providing services to Government. Some organisations have to live under the shadow of uncertainty for years, knowing that the outcome of a change in leadership, a policy review, an enquiry or an election could fundamentally upend ways or lead to major change or layoffs.

Kirstie has 20 years’ experience in communications and marketing. She has a track record of working with leaders to define communication strategies and corporate narratives. She has been Head of Corporate Communications for the Environment Agency, Head of Internal Communications for the National Trust and led internal communications for Arthur Andersen during the Enron Crisis.

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This is the physical and psychological impact that redundancy programmes can have on employees who stay behind. It is one of the most significant issues that organisations face following redundancies.

It is broadly divided into four stages:

Relief (‘Thank goodness, I still have a job.’)

Guilt (‘Did I deserve to keep my job?’)

Envy (‘That is a great severance package. I wish I’d left.’)

Resentment (‘I’m frustrated that I have to do all this extra work for the same pay – this company is going down the drain.’).

A recent survey carried out by IRS Employment Review found that Survivor Syndrome can significantly impede the potential cost savings of a redundancy programme by reducing the attendance and performance of remaining employees.

Survivor Syndrome

What can go wrong?

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Throughout any kind of change, the risks of mismanagement and miscommunication are high. Here are a few common symptoms of a bad redundancy culture and the effects it can have on productivity, engagement and performance.


The art of letting go 39

InertiaWhen people know there are changes afoot, it’s not just morale that can go through the floor; it’s productivity. When the future is uncertain, there’s an understandable reluctance to make decisions or to plan ahead, which leaves people swimming in a stagnant pool of inertia.

Radio silenceWhen management teams are in the midst of change or a huge crisis, it’s easy to a) be too busy to communicate, b) not want to communicate anything if there’s nothing concrete to say. Avoid this pitfall at all cost because where there is silence, people will fill it with their own views and speculations.

Insensitive leadership behaviourThe attitudes and responses of departing and remaining employees will be hugely influenced by leadership actions. Make sure what they say and do matches the tone of austerity and avoid any actions that will send out mixed messages or smack of hypocrisy. Think about the timing and communication of investment programmes or senior manager bonuses, for example.

Lack of honestyWhile it’s tempting to soften hard news (‘it’s not you, it’s me’), being disingenuous or indirect in your communications can be costly in the long term. People feel more respected when their leaders are not afraid to address the difficult questions head on – even if they don’t know the answers at the time.

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Your communications plan will be the product of close collaboration with the change team, the HR team and the communication team. As you put it together, bear a number of critical lessons in mind...

1Present the road mapDraw the timeline for change, detailing what to expect when. This is useful even when the path ahead is uncertain – you can present the external events or the meetings that will trigger decisions and present alternative scenarios. Once you’ve published a timeline, use it as a device to report updates and progress.

2Explain the rationaleWhen leaders announce layoffs, everyone in the company should understand the reason for it. As Matt Shlosberg, author of Letting People Go explains, employees who understand why and how their company is ‘downsizing’ or eliminating particular roles will feel that knowledge can inform their own future choices and are less likely to be confused and personally affronted if they are let go. Painting a clear and compelling picture of the future is equally important for the employees who are remaining with the company. They should understand the logic of the change, have faith in the steps being taken to move the organisation on, and want to be part of the future.

3Lead from the frontThe rationale for change should be presented by the leadership team, ideally in person or in a format that enables the audience to ‘see the whites of the eyes’. The style and tone of these communications means everything: one badly phrased email or one mechanically delivered presentation can do irreparable damage, so make sure the leaders are fully on board with your approach to communications and you can exert quality control. Give coaching if necessary: in situations where managers have to deliver a standard script, help them understand how to deliver these communications with sensitivity and empathy.

Getting it right


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5Focus on the future Many organisations will offer the services of specialist outplacement companies as part of the ‘exit packages’, or offer shop-floor ‘job fairs’ inviting in companies recruiting, or surgeries offering employees expert advice on a range of practical matters, from CV-writing to financial planning. The communications plan should highlight these opportunities and tales of people moving on to new opportunities. Communications can also support networking and alumni events. Once the redundancy programme is over, make sure there’s an event planned to lift the sights of the remaining team to the future.

6Early warning In most cases, people should be prepared for the prospect of a redundancy programme before it happens because the scene has been set in advance of any announcements. It is very difficult to recover from the physical shock people experience when a redundancy programme is announced without any warning. It provokes extreme reactions and means employees are much more likely to take legal or industrial action. It will also almost definitely create a climate of fear and mistrust amongst all employees – whether they are leaving or staying.

‘It’s not goodbye, it’s adieu’Setting the right tone is essential. A recent article in the Harvard Business Review suggests taking the ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ approach to redundancy (‘until we see you again’). Working on the assumption that any departing employee may join the organisation again at some point in the future, it’s a mindset that preserves goodwill and dignity and makes it easier to re-recruit high-performing alumni. 4


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7Keep the wheels on the busAn important message in your communications is to appeal to everyone’s sense of professionalism so that people remain focused on the core business activities and maintain good relationships with customers and other stakeholders. It’s often necessary to provide simple scripts to explain the impact of the change programme or respond to media coverage.

8Communicate regularlyEven if there is no news, keep communicating with people by setting up bulletins and briefings sessions dedicated to updating people on the changes. Repeat key messages, especially in the initial stages of the programme, when people may have missed or not heard some of the detail because they are dealing with their own emotional reaction. Ensure that people feel they are able to get their questions answered and voice their concerns by setting up Q&A sessions and phone and email helplines. Set up a fast news channel if one doesn’t exist, so in situations where there is intense media interest you can get news to employees before it hits the media.

9Support managersManagers often have the most difficult job during a redundancy programme: they can be faced with the prospect of managing the change for their own team at the same time as facing an uncertain future themselves. Make sure they understand the change curve, so they are prepared for changes in behaviour as people sink from shock to denial to anger and resignation, and then gradually move into acceptance (and, if people are staying on, commitment). Also, provide regular opportunities for managers to be thoroughly briefed on the change process so they can answer their team’s questions, air their own concerns and discuss any issues.


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As part of a wide-ranging review, the business made a decision to offshore its back-office operations to India. This had a direct impact on nearly 3,000 employees delivering this service in the UK. With the offshoring planned to take place in two years, there was a major debate about whether employees should be told immediately or for the business to wait a year or more. The rationale for waiting was that informing employees sooner would affect the operations as employee morale would fall and critical employees would start to leave.

However, a brave and moral decision was made to tell employees sooner and provide the maximum of support, retraining and redeployment opportunities to employees threatened with redundancy. In-depth, open and honest communication, regular updates and a significant amount of employee involvement from an early stage in the difficult changes meant that the effect on morale and retention was minimal.

Case Study

Talk about the elephant in the room When organisations face uncertain threats – the impact of a new competitor for example – it’s tempting for the management team to publicly ignore the ‘elephant in the room’ until a strategy has been fully formulated. This can make management seem passive or on the back foot, even if they are in full control. A wiser approach is to openly address the difficult questions when they become apparent. Use forums to explain it and, if the organisation’s analysis of the issue, the steps being taken to address it, and if appropriate, invite views on solutions.

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As part of a wide-ranging review, the business made a decision to As part of a wide-ranging review, the business made a decision to offshore its back-office operations to India. This had a direct impact offshore its back-office operations to India. This had a direct impact on nearly 3,000 employees delivering this service in the UK. With the on nearly 3,000 employees delivering this service in the UK. With the offshoring planned to take place in two years, there was a major offshoring planned to take place in two years, there was a major debate about whether employees should be told immediately or for debate about whether employees should be told immediately or for the business to wait a year or more. The rationale for waiting was the business to wait a year or more. The rationale for waiting was

elephant in the room When organisations face uncertain threats – the impact of a new competitor for example – it’s tempting for the management team to publicly ignore the ‘elephant in the room’ until a strategy has been fully formulated. This can make management seem passive or on the back foot, even if they are in full control. A wiser approach is to openly address the difficult questions when they become apparent. Use forums to explain it and, if the organisation’s analysis of the issue, the steps being taken to address it, and if appropriate, invite views on solutions.

Make the ending matterLeaving a job, especially if someone has put in many years of service, is a significant day in someone’s life. Some redundancy programmes result in a regular trickle of people leaving a business and it can feel hard to keep up the personal, but meaningful, rituals such as buying cards or going for lunch. Make sure that managers have the opportunity to think about the approach they will be taking with their team, and support them in the efforts to make sure people feel recognised and valued. The ultimate measure of success? For people to leave the company saying ‘Auf Wiedersehen’, not goodbye.

thinkBox44 Book reviews

Achieving Success Through CommunicationBy Alan Barnard and Chris ParkerThe book Campaign It!: Achieving Success Through Communication by Alan Barnard and Chris Parker examines the way in which people communicate and presents a new and innovative approach to

communication. Their goal is to improve the way in which people communicate and provide them with the tools to achieve their aspirations. The concept that underlies their approach is that if there is a goal or outcome that people need to achieve, they will need to first inform, convince and win the support of others.

Barnard and Parker’s writing style is clear, concise and accessible and this is a good book that provides a jumping-off point for anyone interested in learning more about communication strategies and how to use them effectively. The book provides the reader with a clear and easy-to-execute communication structure and strategy that can be used in many different contexts.

One of the central components of the Campaign It! model is telling a compelling story. Barnard and Parker believe that the central component of a

successful communications campaign is a powerful story that compels and motivates those involved.

This concept is based on the simple precept that stories are at the centre of “…what makes us human…” and should therefore be central to any campaign. They also assert the need to focus on basic conversational skills – attentive listening, building rapport and being curious. While this may seem obvious, it is an aspect of communication that is often underemphasised and ignored.

The book draws on Barnard’s expertise as a lead member of the Labour Party election-winning team under Tony Blair. It is both informative and entertaining and a must-have for anyone involved in communications.

book reviewsthinkBox Campaign it!:

The Organization in Crisis: Downsizing, Restructuring, and Privatization Edited by Ronald Burke and Cary CooperThis anthology, edited by Ronald Burke and Cary Cooper, combines the expertise of a number of the leading international researchers and practitioners in an effort to examine the way in which downsizing, restructuring and change impact organisations. The book not only provides the reader with an analysis of the issues related to change, but also includes recommendations for how change management can be improved in the future.

In particular, it focuses on ’the new employment relationship and its implications for careers, how organisational changes are affecting managers’ views of their working lives, ethical issues in downsizing, and best practices for organisational renewal and revitalisation.’ The book includes a collection of case studies that present international examples of the way in which leading-edge firms are tackling these issues.

This book comes at a time when many organisations are facing significant changes, and offers useful insights into the issues associated with large-scale organisational transitions and how to navigate them. The authors do not gloss over some of the more worrying aspects of the employment trends we are faced with today, which – while sometimes disturbing and difficult to swallow – is a nice change from the overly optimistic tone in many of the other texts on this topic.

Downsizing,

45Book reviews

In this book, Annette Simmons suggests that storytelling can revolutionise how we communicate in a corporate environment. Simmons presents a number of storytelling techniques that can be used by communications professionals and business leaders to improve the way they present ideas. In particular, Simmons emphasises that stories are effective because they have an emotional effect on people – using a narrative to link an idea to a human context helps people connect with, and better understand, your vision.

Simmons includes basic concepts – for example, she explains what a

story is – but she also goes into more complex ideas, such as the psychology that underpins the persuasiveness of a good story. There is a useful chapter on storytelling Dos and Don’ts, and her advice on how to influence people who are unwilling, unconcerned and who lack motivation is particularly useful.

Although the idea that a good story can have a powerful impact on people is not new, Simmons’ lucid analysis of how to use this technique effectively within a professional context is worthy of consideration. Her statement ‘People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care’ is one

that should be taken note of by anyone who wishes to be an inspirational leader.

The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence and Persuasion Through the Art of StorytellingBy Annette Simmons

Persuasion Skills Black Book: Practical NLP Language Patterns for Getting the Response You Want By Rintu Basu

The Language of Leaders: How top CEOs communicate to inspire, influence and achieve results By Kevin Murray

This book provides an excellent introduction for anyone interested in using neuro-linguistic programming to improve their persuasive power. Rintu Basu would like you to believe that hypnotic language powers can have a profound impact on a person’s life, and the book description promises that using hypnotic language patterns can help you “…make more money, attract more people, get promoted, turn angry customers into

best friends…”. While this might be a significant overstatement, the book does make a good argument for using language more effectively and persuasively in our day-to-day interactions.

The book is broken down into simple and understandable sections and makes the quite complex theory of neuro-linguistic programming easy to understand and adopt. This is a good introduction to NLP and is useful to anyone wishing to become more persuasive writers or public speakers.

Drawing on interviews with over 70 business and public sector leaders (including the likes of Sir Stuart Rose, Dame Fiona Reynolds and Damon Buffini) Kevin Murray’s new book delineates the powerful role communication plays in securing exceptional leadership performance.

As such, this book is an indispensable atlas for leadership success, all the more so for being grounded in the granularity of real-life stories taken from the highest levels of experience. These case studies mean that theory is closely linked to examples throughout, in a very actionable way. Because they are based on interviews with the author, the examples feel detailed and alive, avoiding the stale and generic feel such case studies can sometimes have. Best of all, Murray’s brief sections mean the book is great for dipping into from time to time for snippets of insight – very valuable for future leaders with busy schedules!

consideration. Her statement ‘People that should be

This book provides an excellent introduction for anyone interested in using neuro-linguistic programming to improve their persuasive power. Rintu Basu would like you to believe that hypnotic language powers can have a profound impact on a person’s life, and the book description promises that

likes of Sir Stuart Rose, Dame

book delineates the powerful

thinkBox46

That’s what I and many believe. It is a belief built upon common sense, and study after study substantiates it. Involving employees in a business endeavour underpins the engagement employees have with their employer.

Some will argue that factors such as leadership direction, line manager communications and relationships, as well as reward and recognition are just as important to drive employee engagement. But they are tools that enable employee involvement and

engagement. Involvement does not happen in a vacuum. Businesses need the right culture, built on the actions of leaders and managers and embedded through processes which reinforce behaviours.

In practice, different forms of involvement can be used to maximise the engagement of employees in their everyday work (see edition four, 2012 of thinkBox). But the most fundamental way of involving employees is by giving them a stake

in the organisation of which they are part. Securing a collective endeavour requires a collective interest in its achievement. That stake, emotional and intellectual, is heightened and deepened by giving it a more tangible, financial form.

So the ultimate form of employee involvement – and arguably the purest and most effective – is based upon employees co-owning the business which employs them.

thinkBoxLastword

We’re all in it together

Why employee ownership is the purest form of involvement

Ghassan Karian [email protected]

Employee involvement is the fundamental driver to securing engagement of staff and, as a result, the performance needed to achieve business goals.

47

“ The personal stake each of our employees has in the business becomes sharpened.”

Margaret Thatcher rightly espoused the benefits of a shareholding democracy and launched a wave of privatisations in the 1980s. But there was a fatal flaw in the execution of her vision. Few of the shares in the privatised utilities ended up for any length of time in the hands of either consumers or employees. Some did, but the individuals who bought into the share – owning revolution of the 1980s and did not sell quickly for profit are now outweighed and outvoted by the large pension funds and investment banks.

The current Coalition government is moving in the right direction. Its plans to privatise Royal Mail give its employees the opportunity to own a stake in the new business. That stake is limited to 10%. There is speculation about the terms of the share scheme, as the Government wrestles with the problem that blighted privatisation in the 80s – how to prevent employees immediately cashing in, defeating the objective of providing them with an incentive for the longer-term success of the company.

Employee ‘hearts and minds’ need to be won so that they share the vision for the company and want to be part-owners of it. There is speculation that the employee shares will be placed in a trust for a period of time to avoid the possibility that many workers will immediately sell an allocation that could be worth around £2,000.

Successful share-owning democracy is possible. It comes from large-scale ownership and involvement

in businesses by both consumers and staff. Think the Co-operative movement; think mutual building societies such as Nationwide; think John Lewis Partnership.

Shared stakes mean shared, pooled responsibility. This can have its downsides with slower decision-making, consensus-based cultures and bureaucracy as the potential price of more stakeholders having their say in a business.

But the global financial crash of the past five years has highlighted the benefits of businesses making decisions for the long term and for a wider pool of interested parties. This contrasts with the narrow decision-making that is driven by a need to satisfy corporate shareholders looking for a quick return.

Long-term decision-making is not the only reason why the mutual or employee-ownership model is arguably a better one. Consumers are better off when a service is more directly geared to their needs. When employees benefit directly from offering customers a better service, through improved financial returns, they are more likely to make sure that service is exemplary.

A virtuous circle is created. When customers and the community from which they are drawn benefit from the actions a business takes, they keep coming back. Loyalty by customers can help secure a business’s future financial success. This, in turn, secures the longer-term reward of employees.

It is for this reason that Karian and Box is transforming itself into an employee share-owning business. The personal stake each of our employees has in the business becomes sharpened. The imperative to deliver great products and outstanding service at reasonable prices becomes more than an abstract goal. It becomes hard-wired into the emotional and financial relationship an employee has with their employer.

In a way, the existing Karian and Box culture, with high levels of personal responsibility and accountability, means we are partly there. By giving employees a long-term stake in the business, we are taking the next logical step. It will not be an easy step, and many challenges lie ahead. However, I believe it is in the collective, long-term interests of our people, our customers and, ultimately, of the business.

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That’s why we’ve recently helped the following businesses engage their people…

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That’s why we’ve recently

We combine logic and magic to deliver communications which help change employee thinking and behaviour.

KARIAN ANDBOX

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thinkBox 2013