A view from the top. Corporate communication from the perspective of senior executives

Table of Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1. Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2. Detailed Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Challenge and Importance of Communication . . . . . . . 10 Increased Demand for Communication . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Constituencies Demanding More Communication . . . . 12

3. Communication: A Leadership Competency . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4. The Senior Executive’s Role as a Communicator . . . . . . . . . 20

5. The Elements of Effective Communication . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6. How Leaders Communicate: The Tools They Use . . . . . . . . . 31

7. The Role of Communication Professionals Within the Organization . . 39

8. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 More Communication and More Options for Communicating . . 44 Diversifi cation of Audiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Skepticism of Business and Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Other Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Advice for Communication Professionals . . . . . . . . . . . 46 The Future of Corporate Communication . . . . . . . . . . 47

Appendix: Background, Methodology, Objectives, Limitations. . . . . . 48

About the Sponsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

About the Researcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

About the IABC Research Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Preface

Ask any group of communication professionals to tell you their biggest chal-lenges, and you’ll hear that senior management doesn’t value the communication function, that communication budgets are the first to be cut in times of belt-tightening and that communicators don’t have a seat at the strategy table. What it all boils down to is a feeling that “they just don’t get it.”

But what if they do? What if CEOs not only understand that communication is critical to organi-

zational success, but know they need expert help to get it right? What if they want to make communication a core competency throughout

the organization, rather than treating it as a specialized skill that resides in one department?

What if, in spite of their initial reluctance to embrace social media, they’ve come to the realization that the world has changed, that audience demands for authentic engagement have changed, and they want a guide to lead them into this new realm?

What if we asked them, and we found out that things had changed? Well, we did, and they have.IABC went to the source, interviewing CEOs from around the world, and we

heard what communicators have been waiting for leaders to say. They get it. They need us. They understand that communication is no longer about perfectly crafted scripts, delivered via controlled channels. They sense that the rules have changed dramatically, even as they don’t yet fully understand the new playing field.

So what are the implications for the communication industry? By asking questions of CEOs, what this research has uncovered is the need for more ques-tions—ones that must be directed inward, to the industry and to ourselves, as communicators. Are we ready, after years of bashing our heads against walls, to bash down the walls? Are we prepared to shift from the role of doing the commu-nication, into one of facilitating communication? If given the seat at the strategy table, do we have the strategic skills and the business knowledge to play at that level? Are we positioned to serve as guides through uncharted social media terri-tory, or have we left that to someone more technologically savvy? Will the same skills and knowledge that were necessary in the past be the ones that are needed in the future?

Although these questions and their answers have relevance at every level of our profession, the group most immediately and directly impacted are the senior communicators, those already closest to CEOs. If they haven’t already made the shift; are not already strategists; are still reluctant to embrace social media; or are still functioning as wordsmiths, editors, and filters between the company and its audiences, they may be at risk of finding themselves suddenly obsolete. While the sample of CEOs included in the research is small, and perhaps not

A VIEW FROM THE TOP 4

Preface

representative of your CEO, the findings suggest momentum. The shift that has come gradually, reluctantly, is now gaining speed. For senior communicators whose CEOs aren’t yet there, it may be time to take the initiative, to proactively push for change, rather than waiting for leaders to realize they need more from their communications and risk them believing you’re not up to the challenge. For those leading large, well-established communication teams, built on the suc-cessful models of the past, it may be time to re-evaluate the entire function, and begin developing new models that will better meet the needs of the business.

Reading this report—finding that CEOs want more from communicators than they may have in the past—should spur us to action. Let’s not let it be the CEO complaining that the communication team “just doesn’t get it.”

—Barbara Gibson, ABC

Forward

Successful leaders are defined by many qualities and characteristics. They cultivate a strong sense of culture and a clear vision, and they define and communicate the strategic direction while always looking ahead toward the growth of the organization.

From Fortune 500 companies to nonprofit organizations and start-ups, the degree to which corporate leaders embody and execute these strengths invariably determines the success of the organization itself. And, while each senior executive brings his or her own unique set of characteristics to the organization, a single core competency is critical to any leader in any environment: communication. Excellence in communication is directly tied to strong leadership and operational success. The power to inspire and motivate internal and external audiences—in good times and bad—unifying stakeholders in support of corporate goals and objectives is critical. Good communication should inspire action that aligns with the organization’s goals.

Marketwire is in the business of communication. Every day we enable conver-sations among media, investors and consumers, and across ever-expanding social networks. Technological change has increased the number and type of channels that are available to reach and engage different constituencies, yet the tenets of good communication remain today what they have been for decades: clarity, consistency and context of message.

Throughout this study, you’ll read about insights and best practices from forward-thinking business leaders whose companies represent such diverse indus-tries as consumer electronics, diamonds and groceries. What you’ll discover is that there are differences in the way CEOs and executive management approach and utilize various means of communication—from tweets to town hall meet-ings—but resounding similarities in their appreciation of the importance of communication as a driver of organizational success, and recognition of the keys to effective communication.

James C. Humes, author and former U.S. presidential speechwriter, once said, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.” This quote is an appropriate segue into the pages ahead because it relates directly to another of the study’s findings: that successful communication most often occurs when senior communication professionals are given “a seat at the table” and considered as strategic partners.

Marketwire and IABC share a commitment to communication excellence, and we are proud to support the IABC Research Foundation as sponsors of this valuable contribution in support of organizational effectiveness.

Michael Nowlan President & CEO Marketwire

1Executive Summary

The IABC Research Foundation contracted with Shugoll Research to conduct interviews with senior executives from large companies around the world to better understand the role of corporate communication from the perspective of chief executive offi cers (CEOs), presidents and managing directors. Study participants were primarily current executives, but three had recently retired.

Twenty in-depth telephone interviews were conducted between 10 March 2011 and 10 June 2011. Participants were:

4 From companies representing a mix of industries, including manufacturing, retail, fi nance, health care, technology and entertainment.

4From companies with annual revenues of approximately US$1 billion or more.

4Extremely involved in communicating with all key constituencies for their orga-nization.

Executive Summary


Study Participants

George BarrettChairman and CEOCardinal Health(Health care)United States

Philip BartonCEODe Beers Consolidated Mines, Limited(Mining)South Africa

Richard BowdenManaging DirectorBupa Australia(Health care)Australia

Ann BullerPresident and CEOCentennial College(Education)Canada

Ignacio BustamanteCEOHochschild Mining(Mining)Peru

John DerrickFormer Chairman, CEO and PresidentPotomac Electric Power Company(Energy)United States

Brian DunnFormer CEO*Best Buy(Retail)United States

Barry GriswellFormer Chairman and CEOPrincipal Financial Group(Finance)United States

Mahendra GursahaniCEOStandard Chartered Bank(Finance)Philippines

Christie HefnerFormer Chairman and CEOPlayboy Enterprises Inc.(Entertainment/Publishing)United States

Hans HicklerCEO, Asia PacificAgility(Logistics)Hong Kong

David HunkePresident and PublisherUSA TODAY(Media)United States

Anthony MarinoPresident and CEOBaytex Energy Corpora-tion(Energy)Canada

Eric MorrisonFormer CEO**The Canadian Press(Media)Canada

Kate PaulPresident and CEODelta Dental of Colorado(Health care)United States

Mark PriceManaging DirectorWaitrose(Supermarkets)United Kingdom

G.R.K. ReddyChairman and Managing DirectorMARG Group(Infrastructure development)India

Carlos SepulvedaPresident and CEOInterstate Batteries(Batteries)United States

Greg StewartPresident and CEOFarm Credit Canada(Finance)Canada

William Swanson/ Pam Wickham

Chairman and CEO/vice president of corporate affairs and communicationsRaytheon (Defense)United States

*At the time of the interview, Brian Dunn was still with Best Buy.**At the time of the interview, Eric Morrison was still with The Canadian Press.

Executive Summary


KEy FIndIngS

BackgroundWhen organizational leaders were asked to describe their top business challenges, four broad themes emerged:

1. Growth in uncertain economic times 2. Adapting to change 3. Attracting and retaining employees4. Communication

The Role of Corporate CommunicationSenior executives believe corporate communi-cation is a core competency that plays a critical role in supporting business strategy. All study participants viewed communication as a key component to both their organization’s overall success in the marketplace and to their indi-vidual effectiveness as leaders.

Developing, honing, communicating, and executing the organization’s image and busi-ness strategies are seen as the most important responsibilities of a corporate leader.

The Demand for Corporate CommunicationMost constituents demand more communica-tion today than ever before, in part due to rapid advances in technology. However, there is also an increased demand for communica-tion simply because there is more scrutiny of business and business leaders in general.

Some leaders say that employees are apply-ing the most pressure on them to communi-cate more effectively and more often. In fact, they find internal communication to be more important than ever before and think that it needs to be more frequent.

Keys to Effective CommunicationThe following are the most common themes that emerged in response to the question, “What are the keys to effective communica-tion?”

4Transparency, authenticity, honesty, consistency, clarity and credibility are the main-stays of effective communica-tion.

4Successful communication most often occurs when senior communication professionals have “a seat at the table” and are considered strategic partners.

4Communication should be personal, frequent and suc-cinct.

4Communication is a two-way process. It is important for leaders to solicit feedback from constituents, listen to it and act on it.

4Good communication is tai-lored to the specific audiences being addressed. A one-size-fits-all communication strategy is generally not effective.

4The most successful com-municators are knowledgeable about their specific business as well as the broader industry in which they work.

Executive Summary

Understanding the Role of Communication ProfessionalsThe primary responsibility of communication professionals is to help their leaders identify who needs to be informed, how they should be informed and who should inform them. Ultimately, the biggest challenge for commu-nication professionals is to do whatever it takes to thoroughly prepare senior executives for all types of communication in any setting. Addi-tionally, however, communication professionals should:

4Become familiar with their leader’s communication style and his or her priorities and expectations.

4Be proactive and knowledge-able about their industry, their company, their audiences, and related issues.

4Have a strong command of language (both verbal and writ-ten) so that they understand subtleties and how to help their leader convey complex thoughts simply and directly.

4Take initiative, anticipate issues and respond promptly.

4Be honest with the CEO/presi-dent/managing director when providing feedback on their communication abilities. Both positive feedback and con-structive criticism are needed.

The Most Useful Tools for Communicating with Various ConstituentsExecutives often prefer face-to-face communi-cation over other methods so that they can see and interpret body language, get a feel for the vibe of the room and create a personal interac-tion with constituents. Unfortunately, it is not possible for leaders to meet and communicate with all constituents in person. As such, other communications, such as videos and webcasts/podcasts, are necessary.

Although social media is still a relatively new tool for most large organizations, it is widely recognized as a powerful medium that has immediate impact. As a result, leaders think their peers should become comfortable with social media. However, social media can be burdensome to today’s corporate leaders, and executives think it must be used thought-fully. Social media needs to be carefully man-aged, and leaders tend to rely on the advice of their communication team when using it.


detailed Findings

The CEOs involved in this study were asked to describe their top business challenges over the next three to fi ve years. Four broad themes emerged from their answers:

1. Growth in uncertain economic times 2. Adapting to change 3. Attracting and retaining employees 4. Communication

THE CHALLEngE And IMPORTAnCE OF COMMUnICATIOn

Increased Demand for Communication Why do CEOs view corporate communication as one of their top business challenges? The number one reason is an increased demand for communication. As a result of changes in technology, information travels faster than ever before. For example, a message can be broadcast almost instantaneously via the Internet. This has led to a signifi cantly more informed audi-ence that tends to form its own opinions prior to the release of any offi cial corporate messages.

“It [communications] has changed dra-

matically. I think as we’ve changed

with technology, people are a lot more

informed of what is happening and have

formed their own perceptions and their

own ideas. You’ve got to be visible; you’ve

got to be there.”

—Philip Barton, De Beers

2

detailed Findings


“Whether you’re in politics, business, or

NGOs…the channels through which you

can communicate have become more

ubiquitous, so whether it be on the televi-

sion or social media through the written

or spoken word, there are more demands

on you being able to set out your position.

There’s an audience that’s now hungry 24

hours a day, seven days a week, to ques-

tion and to probe. You have to be pre-

pared to respond to that. The demands

have never been greater in terms of

expectations in you being able to deliver

a message and an answer.”

—Mark Price, Waitrose

The volume of information that is not only available to but also constantly bombarding peo-ple today often results in information overload. They need help parsing all of it. Enter the senior executive. These leaders have become arbiters of communication who help key stakeholders iden-tify which messages are most critical.

“There is so much information out there,

I think people struggle to know what they

should pay attention to and what really is

relevant and what matters. So the role of

leaders in communicating the issues that

matter, I think, has increased a lot.”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada

“In this world, where there is so much

information available everywhere, we

need to make sure that we communicate

appropriately to distinguish ourselves

from the rest. We need to ensure that

what they receive from the company are

the most relevant, and important, and

critical messages we want to convey.”

—Ignacio Bustamante,

Hochschild Mining

This increased demand for communication from CEOs is also due to an increase in scru-tiny of business and business leaders. As a result, constituents want reassurance, often in the form of more information.

“The demand [for communications] has

really increased because I guess there’s

more scrutiny of business and more scru-

tiny of leaders, so there’s a real expecta-

tion for you to be out and about and up

front.”

—Richard Bowden,

Bupa Australia

“Whether you like it or not, a CEO has

got to be on their feet more, got to be

available more. And I am finding as well,

got to have a variety of different ways in

which I communicate.”

—Richard Bowden,

Bupa Australia

detailed Findings


Another contributor to the desire for more communication is change. The rapid change in the world today leads to change in business, which leads to changes in strategy, which leads to the need for more communication.

“If there’s a lot of change in the indus-

try, there’s a lot of change management,

which means there is a lot of need to

communicate.”

—Eric Morrison,

formerly of The Canadian Press

Many leaders see the demand for more com-munication as a positive thing. It’s good for busi-ness when constituents want more communica-tion because it suggests they are more engaged with the organization. With regard to internal constituents, a more informed workforce gener-ally leads to a more engaged workforce, which, in turn, leads to better performance.

The Constituencies Demanding More CommunicationMost leaders reported that all of their constitu-encies are demanding more communication. Shareholders, in particular, want a great deal of information and continually seek confirmation that they have made the right decision to invest in a particular organization.

“Shareholders can never get enough com-

munication. They want to understand a

company’s leadership and where that com-

pany is going. They use this [information]

to decide whether or not they trust man-

agement. Strategic and frequent commu-

nication to shareholders helps reinforce

that you are a competent leader.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

Customers are also demanding more com-munication from leaders. Today, customers face increasing pressure due to the recent economic recession, and they constantly wonder what the future holds. They often look to corporate lead-ers for answers or solutions, if not reassurance.

“Customers today are experiencing the

same pressures and wondering what the

future is going to look like. They want to

hear from us. As a group of stakehold-

ers, they have a high demand for com-

munication.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

The economic recession has also driven reg-ulators and politicians to become more active in business issues than ever before.

“We are having to communicate regularly

with the regulators and the politicians

because they, in many regards, hold the

key to how we might be conducting busi-

ness in the future.”

—Mahendra Gursahani,

Standard Chartered Bank

detailed Findings


Some leaders suggest that employees are applying the most pressure on them to com-municate better and more often. In fact, inter-nal communication is considered more impor-tant than ever and needs to be more frequent. In a time of constant change and uncertainty as a result of a tough economy, employees are demanding more from their leaders. And because of advances in technology, employees are learning more from outside sources and looking to their leaders for confi rmation. In general, they have more questions and want more answers.

“The biggest pressure is probably coming

from the internal side. There is defi nitely

the need and the importance to commu-

nicate more at that level. With the new

communication channels and the social

networks, people have much more infor-

mation from the outside than they had in

the past. They know more about the com-

pany than ever before through the Inter-

net and other media. As a result, they

now have more questions and require

more answers.”


Hochschild Mining

“At a time of enormous change, with

an economy that has gone through just

tremendous pressure, I could probably

spend every day meeting with employ-

ees. And I think it’s necessary and it’s

appropriate.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

In conclusion, it is essential that key constit-uents be “on the same page” regarding the ulti-mate direction of an organization so that every-one can work toward a common goal. And the person these constituencies need to hear from the most? The CEO.

Communication: A Leadership Competency

The executives who participated in this study view communication as an essential leadership competency. Effective communication comes in many different forms via many different styles. Regardless of the form or style, however, the best and most successful leaders are also good com-municators.

“If you think about somebody [who]

winds up being chief executive offi cer,

what is it that gets them there princi-

pally? And I would say it’s the ability to

communicate, and so you develop that

over the years and it becomes part of

your persona, your personality, but that’s

really, I think, the fundamental role of a

chief executive offi cer.”

—John Derrick,

formerly of Potomac Electric Power

Company

“Communication skills are enormously

important, although I think they come

in very different forms. People commu-

nicate in different ways. And you have

probably seen equally effective com-

municators with extraordinarily different

styles. Being an effective communicator

is critical, regardless of your style.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

3

over the years and it becomes part of

your persona, your personality, but that’s

really, I think, the fundamental role of a

chief executive offi cer.”

Communication:A Leadership Competency


These leaders also view communication as a top business priority.

“…my role is certainly to be a leader in

communicating... And for us, communi-

cation is really a leadership competency.

At FCC it’s one of our five leadership prin-

ciples. Managers at all levels within our

organization and certainly the executive,

as well, are evaluated on how they com-

municate in their annual performance

reviews.”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada

“Yes [communication is a leadership

competency], and it will stop everything

in its place if not practiced. You’ve got

a lot of constituents. You’ve got external

customers. You’ve probably got investors.

In our case, we have the entire market-

place of audiences and the most impor-

tant of all are our co-workers, whose jobs

and livelihood are all tied to whether or

not you’re going to make the right bet.

So the linkage between all of this and the

pressure to be very open and honest is

enormous. It takes a lot of time.”

—David Hunke,

USA TODAY

“Communication is a huge part of lead-

ership. Communication is the dominant

gene of my leadership.”

—Hans Hickler,

Agility

“It’s [communications] going to be even

more front and center and even more

valued. Companies should not make the

mistake of thinking of it as a cost center

that they should try and squeeze in order

to improve margins because I really think

it’s a critical strategic tool.”

—Christie Hefner,

formerly of Playboy Enterprises Inc.

Communication is vital to an organization’s success in large part because it ensures that all constituents are aligned with the corporate strategy, goals and objectives.

“It’s very, very important, especially

because we are multinational across

70 countries, and must make sure that

everyone—roughly 85,000 people that

work with us around the world in those

70 countries—is aligned to the central

messages and to the central objectives.

It is the only way that people can get a

sense of belonging.”



“Employees need to know how they fit into

the bigger picture. We are a team-based

culture. I want them to be aware of and

knowledgeable and passionate about our

strategic initiatives and our company’s

priorities so they can implement them,

which, in turn, will foster good customer

relations.”

—Hans Hickler, Agility



“[One of our biggest challenges is] to

make sure that the company strategy is

understood from the factory floor to the

corner office.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

“The distance between what happens

when the customer walks in and the cor-

ner office can be great and vast. And it’s

so important for people in between those

two points to have the context…of how

we’re thinking about the business.”

—Brian Dunn,

formerly of Best Buy

“I’m lucky to be surrounded by people

that are wickedly passionate about what

we do, and I’ve got to tell them where

we’re headed, they’ve got to tell me

whether or not we’re doing a good job

of connecting and selling that, and God,

we’ve got to care.”

—David Hunke,

USA TODAY

“[It is my] responsibility to make sure

that all the stakeholders feel that they

are listened to and that they understand

the key messages.”

—Mark Price,

Waitrose

The need for all constituents to be aligned to a common goal, and working together to achieve it, makes it vitally important to com-municate effectively with different audiences.

“Effective communications…with busi-

ness partners, with consumers and with

our other stakeholders was potentially a

very important element of being success-

ful. If you’re going to effectively engage

any one of those groups of stakeholders

in a partnership model, then critical to

the success of that is a thoughtful com-

munications strategy.”

—Christie Hefner,


“People tend to underestimate the impor-

tance of communication. Once the com-

pany sets clear objectives or messages,

the more it communicates this objective

or message, the more effective it will be

because people will understand much

better what you are doing, where you

are heading. You will immediately have

all the resources that you can imagine

aligned with your goals.”


Hochschild Mining



Constituents tend to look to “the top” to get important messages; therefore, all CEOs must be comfortable communicating with both inter-nal and external audiences. CEOs must also be visible and available.

“The fact of the matter is, people look to

the CEO particularly in times of diffi culty

for stability, for a calm word, for the truth,

for reassurance, and you know it’s not a

time to…go into your offi ce and shut the

door and try to fi gure it out. You’ve got to

be out there with the troops. You’ve got to

be talking to them. They need somebody

there to help them understand what’s

going on. And I would say…it needs to be

that way during good times as well, not

just in diffi cult times.”

—Barry Griswell,

formerly of Principal Financial Group

“You, as the leader…can’t just sit in your

offi ce making these plans, you know, and

then hope that business is going to grab

onto this and run with it. People are look-

ing at you together with your leadership

team to get the message. They want the

message from the top.”

—Philip Barton,

De Beers

It is critical for a senior executive to be able to communicate at every level from the factory fl oor, to the investor, to the legislator/regulator, to the media, to the customer and to the general public.

“…my responsibility is to be able to com-

municate at every level. If I can’t go on

the factory fl oor and have a one-on-one

conversation on what they’re doing, I’m

toast…. And I have to be able to com-

municate with the engineers. I have to

be able to communicate with fi nance,

and contracts, and HR. For our custom-

ers, I have to be able to communicate

an understanding of our products and

services. I also have to describe what we

do to nontechnical people, for example,

‘boiling it down’ for investors as to why

they should invest in the company. So

the point of it is that I’ve got to be com-

fortable from the fl oor, to the investor, to

the customer.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

The leaders interviewed in this study under-stand that different stakeholders often pre-fer different methods of communication. It is important to consider both the preferences of the audience and the objectives of the organi-zation when deciding how best to communi-cate. Executives simply cannot default to their natural or preferred method of communication. Instead, they must adapt to individual audi-ences while continuing to be authentic.





“Well, you have to fi nd a way to get every-

body to hear what you’re trying to say.

And certainly everybody needs to feel that

they’re heard. So that means you have to

talk to all audiences…. You have to have

diverse methods and styles to make sure

that everybody gets a chance to hear. You

can’t just use your natural preference....

The audience is very diverse, in age, and

style…. But you still need to be who you

are…I need to come across as real and

authentic….”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada

According to the study participants, the most senior executive of an organization is the embodiment of the organization’s soul, voice and brand. Developing and honing an organi-zation’s image and strategy, and then communi-cating that image and executing that strategy, are some of the most important roles of a cor-porate leader.

“…my job description even says I’m the

principal spokesperson for the com-

pany.”

— Kate Paul,

Delta Dental of Colorado

“I am the offi cial spokesperson for the

company so my role as communicator

is a key part of my regular activities. It

is a very important role, and there are

two prongs to it. The fi rst one is the role

of internal communicator, to make sure

that we properly convey within our orga-

nization what our view is regarding the

future, our strategic plan, what we see

as the main challenges and opportunities

for the company. And the second one is

external communication, which involves

investors, analysts, and the press.”


Hochschild Mining

“I think that it’s one of my main respon-

sibilities. I think that forming a brand

for the company, forming an image, and

promulgating that image and message is

one of the most important things that I

can do.”

—Anthony Marino,

Baytex Energy

“I think the most important thing a CEO

does is communicate with people—every-

one who touches the company, inside

and out. I think communication matters

a lot. And I also think that as CEO, I set

the direction, the strategic direction for

the company. But I also better serve as

the key spokesperson, the chief morale

offi cer, and cheerleader, all of those

things because you’ve got to keep it mov-

ing. And oftentimes I see companies set

sail in a direction and then we don’t hear

from the CEO again for a long time. And I

think that’s not a good deal. But I’ve got

to also tell you, in a company the size of

mine, I rely on our team of communica-

tion pros. They live, breathe, eat it. And

I know I can’t talk to everyone, but they

help me reach just about everyone.”

—Brian Dunn,




“I am the person where it starts and

probably fi nishes in terms of the commu-

nications.”

—Richard Bowden,

Bupa Australia

Communication is also vital in creating an organization’s culture. The tone or attitude about communication for an entire organization is set by the CEO/president/managing director and other senior leaders.

“Communication is of paramount impor-

tance in establishing, monitoring and

enforcing that leadership culture.”

—Carlos Sepulveda,

Interstate Batteries

“Communications need to refl ect the cor-

porate culture I want to create.”

—Hans Hickler,

Agility

“The attitude about communications,

which in our case was one of openness

and proactive engagement, gets set at

the top.”

—Christie Hefner,


The Senior Executive’s Role as a Communicator

4

Senior executives believe that their role as chief communicator is to listen and then champion, motivate and simplify the messages that need to be conveyed to their audiences. Specifi cally, their responsibilities include:

4Communicating the values of the organization and champi-oning corporate priorities. It is a leader’s job to be the most vocal supporter of the compa-ny’s vision or mission. Cham-pioning corporate priorities in both good times and bad is an essential role for any leader.

“Leaders really need to create the condi-

tions for communication by, number one,

listening. And by speaking with clarity,

being authentic…they need to be encour-

aged to communicate about challenging

issues. And it’s critical that they cham-

pion the corporate priorities because

that’s really the only way you can get

everybody lined up behind [them].”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada

4Motivating people to achieve a common goal and present-ing a vision for the future. A CEO/president/managing director is the organization’s primary narrator. This execu-tive conveys the company’s story and is responsible for “connecting the dots” so that all constituents understand the broader context and are aligned to the future direction of the organization.

The Senior Executive’s Role as a Communicator


“It’s about vision and having your sights

on a future place. You have to demon-

strate an absolute resolve to do whatever

you have to do to get there.”

—David Hunke,

USA TODAY

“I think the CEO must be the storyteller

and I link that to the capacity to moti-

vate, inspire, listen and engage. I think

it’s critical. For me, sending out a memo,

an email, even doing a speech that sim-

ply lays out the facts, but doesn’t con-

nect the dots, doesn’t have everyone in

that room thinking, OK, based on what

I’ve just been told, what would I do dif-

ferently—fails. How do you engage? I’m

saying storyteller, not in a fictional sense,

but in the sense of connecting the dots

for people, helping them understand all

the different components of the insti-

tution, helping people understand the

broader context. I do think championing

change, and taking it to the streets is

absolutely key. Part of my role inside and

outside of the institution is to make sure

people are buying in.”

—Ann Buller,

Centennial College

“You must have a point of view about

where you’re going. People don’t want

you to just be smart or knowledgeable.

They want you to have a sense of the big-

ger picture: where are we going, what is

it all about? This is something I also want

from my leaders.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

“Provide the context of the messages.

I think putting context around why the

company is doing something or not doing

something, explaining it before you actu-

ally say the message is important.”



4Simplifying the complicated. Not every constituent is an industry expert. A leader must communicate using language that all audiences can under-stand.

“We come from a very technical industry

where there is a lot of technical jargon

that we speak all day long. We tend to

forget that not everybody understands

this jargon. We need to make a very con-

scious effort to ensure that we communi-

cate using words and messages that are

understood by everybody. Otherwise, our

messages will get lost.”


Hochschild Mining

“You have to be able to take highly com-

plex, technically challenging issues, policy

approaches, and you have to be able to

put them into clear language, making it

relevant for the people you’re speaking to.”

—Ann Buller,

Centennial College

5The Elements of Effective Communication

The CEOs interviewed for this study had a lot to say about effective communication. According to them, transparency, authenticity, honesty, consistency, clarity and credibility are the mainstays of effective communication. Leaders who deliver on these qualities when communicating with their constituents are generally trusted and successful. Those who also come across as approachable are even more respected. Executives believe that effective communication must be a two-way process. In addition to sending messages, they must also be able to receive them. This involves effective listening and providing a forum so that constituents can express their views and ask questions. Finally, effective communication is tailored to the audience to which it is directed, and is fre-quent, to the point, and timely.

“I think sometimes the emphasis will

vary depending on who you are commu-

nicating with and what the message is

that you want to get across, but I think

that consistency, transparency and cred-

ibility are the main key issues. Transpar-

ency and consistency will always aid you,

even if it is a diffi cult message you’ve got

to convey.”

—Philip Barton,

De Beers

“Communicate with clarity and also with

transparency.”

—G.R.K. Reddy,

MARG Group

The Elements of Effective Communication


“I think as much as possible; it [commu-

nication] needs to be unscripted and as

authentic as possible.”

—David Hunke,

USA TODAY

“What I fi nd very useful is to have a paper

aid and use that as a guide, but keep it

in a conversational manner rather than

reading. I put myself in their seat, and if

I listen to somebody speak from a script,

I get the feeling that it’s something that

is not natural. And I personally get bored

when I hear a person read for too long.

If it’s more conversational, with continu-

ous eye contact, it will be more powerful

for the audience. I think it comes across

much better.”


Hochschild Mining

“People know it’s unscripted, which

has another benefi t, because they know

somebody hasn’t prepped me for some

answer to a question.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

“For me, the more I use a script the less

genuine I feel. So I prefer to work from a

basic outline or maybe a few notes. There

are times where it is quite appropriate to

use a script, but I will labor over that

script to ensure it sounds authentic and

conversational.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

“Openness and honesty are vital. Some

messages that come from the heart are

far better than scripted messages, to my

mind. There is a place for scripted mes-

sages, but I think it is far better and far

more credible when you are able to com-

municate that you actually mean some-

thing.”



Most executives agreed that prior to any sort of communication with key constituents, it is impor-tant to prepare thoroughly, although unscripted communication is seen as more authentic. Many work from some sort of outline that they’ve developed with their communication team because it is important to have a message framework to reference. However, they tend to use these outlines simply as “talking points” in order to come across as honest, genuine and unrehearsed.

A VIEW FROM THE TOP 23A VIEW FROM THE TOP 23A VIEW FROM THE TOP 23A VIEW FROM THE TOP 23



To be effective, you must deliver a consistent message to all constituencies.

“I’m a huge believer in consistency in

message. I think people know. I mean,

you don’t realize just how much they

remember what you said the first time

and the second time. And once you start

wavering without good reason, I think

you’re in trouble.”

—Barry Griswell,


Though it may be necessary to communicate the same message using different communica-tion channels, it is important that the underly-ing messages be the same.

“Communicate in many ways. Under-

stand that not everyone likes to get infor-

mation in the same way. You might need

to communicate the same message in 10

different ways.”

—Hans Hickler,

Agility

Leaders agree that all messages must be cred-ible. They must also be clear, simple and believ-able. Without credibility, communication will not be taken seriously; therefore, leaders must be honest and knowledgeable about their sub-ject matter.

“Tell people the way it is. I think people

can deal with it. I think in that manner,

being consistent and being transparent,

you are now building credibility. I think

credibility is key to communication.”

—Philip Barton,

De Beers

“Everybody can pretty much identify

communication that is clear, as opposed

to the use of language to confuse or

obfuscate.”

—Christie Hefner,


“I believe at the end of the day, giving

the message that is honest and accurate,

and heartfelt, goes a long way.”

—Barry Griswell,


“You’ve got to have a clear message and

it’s got to be as simple as possible. Clar-

ity of the development of the message

[is important]. If you don’t have clarity

around the development of the message,

then the delivery is going to be hope-

lessly confused.”

—John Derrick,

formerly of Potomac Electric

Power Company





The CEOs said that it was important not to underestimate their audiences’ ability to see something as disingenuous. While transpar-ency should always be a priority, it is even more important to be open and honest when the mes-sage being communicated is a diffi cult one.

“Here in our company, people want to know

the truth, no matter how tough it might

be. And leaders have a tendency to sugar

coat. People don’t want that. They can see

through that in a heartbeat. I encourage

people here to get the hard message out,

get it out early, give people the facts, and

they’ll judge you based on that.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

“It’s got to be authentic. It’s got to be

something that I would actually say.

The strength is that I believe so deeply

in what it is I’m talking about. I have to

be authentic. I think in this day and age

of transparency, if it’s not real, it gets

thrown in the junk pile really fast.”

—Brian Dunn,


“Employees are people fi rst, and I want to

connect or come across as real to them.”

—Hans Hickler,

Agility

“I think it starts with trust, and I think

you can earn trust based on how forth-

coming you are with people. You know,

trust is rather like a brand, in that you

sort of have a bank of goodwill. If you’re

only withdrawing from it and never depos-

iting into it, you know you will empty your

bank account.”

—Christie Hefner,


Communication should be personal. Employees want to know their leader cares, that he or she is passionate about the business, and attempts to understand the issues they face. The same holds true for other stakehold-ers. It is important for a leader to be humble and to demonstrate accountability. The most respected corporate leaders tend to be those who are knowledgeable and competent as well as approachable. These senior executives are self-aware and willing to take responsibility for their business decisions.

“As the CEO you’ve got to be open,

you’ve got to be honest. People have to

know you care. They want to know you’re

human…that you understand the issues

that they’re facing. They’re looking for

some passion from their leaders.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon



“Managing change requires creating a

personal connection with your employ-

ees. It needs to feel personal to them. So

my role as a communicator is to make it

personal…to make the case for our orga-

nization about who we are, where we’re

going, and each person’s role in taking

us there.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

“Today it’s not only intellectual com-

munication, it should be communica-

tion which is able to infl uence and [you

should be] passionate about whatever

you are doing.”

—G.R.K. Reddy,

MARG Group

“[They want] humility. I think we want

our leaders to be incredibly knowledge-

able and confi dent. But we also look for

them to be human. I think humility is

part of that, and I think self-awareness is

a necessary ingredient.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

Good communication is tailored to the specifi c audiences being addressed. A one-size-fi ts-all strategy is not effective. For instance, employees don’t need the same information as investors or regulators. In addition, different people process information in different ways, and not all audiences have access to the same communication vehicles.

“Understand your audience. Have spe-

cifi c objectives. Tailor both your content

as well as the delivery style to that audi-

ence and what you think their needs and

anticipated expectations are.”

—Kate Paul,


“Once you have a clear message that you

want to convey, you need to make sure

that you communicate it in the best pos-

sible manner, taking into account who

the receiver of the message is. The way

you communicate that message, and the

level of detail that you are giving have to

be appropriate to each of the different

audiences.”


Hochschild Mining

“You’re trying to deliver to each of them

a product that meets their needs. So

you have to take the broad constituen-

cies separately, and even then you have

to break them down wherever possible,

all the way down to the individual that

you’re trying to communicate with. And

you have to look at the objectives of that

institution, that entity, that person, and

how can…we…meet their needs?”

—Anthony Marino,

Baytex Energy

“Managing change requires creating a

personal connection with your employ-

ees. It needs to feel personal to them. So

my role as a communicator is to make it

personal…to make the case for our orga-

nization about who we are, where we’re

going, and each person’s role in taking

us there.”

“Today it’s not only intellectual com-

munication, it should be communica-

tion which is able to infl uence and [you

should be] passionate about whatever



It is a leader’s responsibility, as the primary communicator, to be sensitive to cultural dif-ferences, and to use appropriate language. Often, company jargon and other messages do not translate well with diverse audiences that include people from various cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds. It is the lead-er’s role, in tandem with the communication team, to find a way to simplify and translate important messages so that they reach diverse audiences around the world, if necessary.

“We talk a lot about respectful communi-

cation; about understanding diversity of

verbal and written communication skills

of people from all kinds of linguistic,

ethno-cultural and socioeconomic back-

grounds.”

—Ann Buller,

Centennial College

Effective communication must be a two-way process. It is important that leaders solicit feedback from constituents, listen to it and then act on it. Many study participants stated that listening is one of the most important aspects of successful communication. Every organiza-tion should have mechanisms in place to solicit feedback from constituents, whether it be via social media, formal feedback processes (e.g., employee surveys), or more informal town hall question-and-answer sessions.

“Communication is a two-way process.

You are happy to give the message, but

you are also happy to listen. I think more

important is what you heard, to take that

back, listen to it, and then act on it.”

—Philip Barton,

De Beers

“The listening is more important to me

than the speaking.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

“What I find vitally important is to really

open up for questions because I know

I have things on my mind, my team

has things on their mind, but what’s on

everybody else’s mind is what you need

to get to.”

—Richard Bowden,

Bupa Australia

“…you’ve got to listen, to make sure that

people feel they are heard. And [lead-

ers] need to be clear in their response.

And that means that it may not always

be whatever everybody wants.... But they

expect and deserve to hear the truth in a

clear and straightforward manner.”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada



Effective communication is frequent but succinct. It is important to communicate often because key stakeholders can never get enough information. However, because everyone is busy and there is so much information already out there, it is important that messages are short and to-the-point so that they are not ignored. Additionally, it is important to get messages out early and in a timely fashion so that they are relevant, and so that the key constituents get important messages directly from “the top” as opposed to from other, less reliable sources.

“You can’t over-communicate. No matter

how often you think you are getting the

message out, you cannot over-communi-

cate. It’s just almost impossible, particu-

larly in times of diffi culty.”

—Barry Griswell,


“Do it. In other words, communicate more,

you can’t do it enough.”

—Hans Hickler,

Agility

“People are busy. They don’t have time

to read pages and pages, and they want

it succinct, they want it to the point, they

want it honest.”

—William Swanson (and Pam Wickham),

Raytheon

In general, the executives interviewed for this study agreed that the major elements of good communication are the same around the world. However, messages can have different meanings in different countries so success-ful international communication can be quite challenging. When communicating glob-ally, it is important to build alignment across disparate markets, create value with messages that transfer across countries and leverage best practices from one market to another.

“Communications is a unique challenge

as we start thinking about being an

increasingly global company. How do you

message your purpose? Does that have

different nuances in different markets?

How do you build alignment across dis-

parate markets? How do you create value

and transfer expertise from one place in

the world to another? How do you dupli-

cate best practices and educate others

on those best practices?”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

The most important aspect of global com-munication is to ensure that messages are rel-evant to each individual market. Many leaders suggest working with local managers or profes-sionals who understand the local people and environment to adapt messages.


“People are busy. They don’t have time

to read pages and pages, and they want

it succinct, they want it to the point, they

want it honest.”

—William Swanson (and Pam Wickham),



“Think global, act local.”

—Christie Hefner,


“You do want the consistency of the mes-

sage to be delivered across many geogra-

phies. [This is challenging because] they

all speak slightly different languages and

have slightly different interpretations to

issues [so it’s a problem] if you allow

too much fl exibility in the message. To

a degree, it has become regimented

because it has to work across very, very

different geographies and different cul-

tures. Within that, I think there is room

for managers in those countries who are

communicating that message to actually

draw the relevance of those messages

to the local environment. I think that is

vitally important.”



According to many of the study participants, an organizational factor that contributes signifi -cantly to successful communication is allow-ing the senior communication professional to have “a seat at the table” and considering him or her to be a strategic partner. When the com-munication professional is an integral part of the leadership team responsible for creating and implementing corporate strategy, he or she has a deeper understanding of the business and, therefore, can better assist the CEO/president/managing director in understanding the target audience, crafting appropriate messages and determining how to best deliver those messages. Additionally, leveraging the communication professional as a strategic partner means that he or she can be held accountable, in part, for the success and failure of the company’s communi-cation strategy.

“I think you have to let your communi-

cators inside…the tent and that they

shouldn’t be an afterthought. They

should be…part of the strategic discus-

sion all the way through because I think

it enriches the narrative that comes out

of it. I am very, very, very committed

to the notion that the communications

team doesn’t come in at the end and say,

‘Here, we’re going to communicate this.’

I think they need to be part of developing

the strategic plan and then the execution

and the communication around it.”

—Brian Dunn,




A VIEW FROM THE TOP 30A VIEW FROM THE TOP 30

“You’ve got to let them [communicators]

inside. They’ve truly got to know what’s

going on and it can’t be FYI or you know,

let’s dig down at the end of a process

and get them up to speed. They have to

understand fundamentally what’s going

on here.”

—David Hunke,

USA TODAY

“It’s very important for the leader of the

communications function to be involved

in pretty much every aspect of the deci-

sion-making of the company.… They’re

going to have to convey it, at some point.

And so having that voice at the table is

important. In order to capably articulate

messaging, you need to understand the

context around how the message or the

idea has been constructed.”

—Kate Paul,


“…The communications leads…have

a seat at the table so they are not the

second string. Communication can help

drive the strategy, not only in the busi-

ness, but with your customers, with your

branding. And it gives you alignment.

When they have a seat at the table, [Pam

will tell you] she’s held accountable.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon


6How Leaders Communicate: The Tools They Use

Most leaders agree that corporate communication has changed dramatically over the past few years, primarily as a direct result of advances in technology.

“The media by which you communicate

are much more numerous today. Places

you need to communicate are much more

numerous today than they were in the

past and much more messy. You can’t

package them up and you can’t under-

stand them in nice quanta like you used

to be able to. And so, consequently, you

have got to be prepared to play in that

messy new world.”

—John Derrick,

formerly of Potomac Electric Power

Company

“With technology, the world has become

a very small place, so whatever you say or

communicate, just accept that it is going

to be generally available to everybody.”

—Philip Barton,

De Beers

“I think the communication landscape is

changing very fast and it is a totally dif-

ferent world which we see as we move

forward.”

—G.R.K. Reddy,

MARG Group

Despite the new communication tools that have resulted from signifi cant technological advances, executives believe that nothing can replace face-to-face communication and that constituents still crave personal interaction. A leader must be visible to all key stakeholders on a regular basis. Additionally, the rapid advances in technology, which have contributed to a loss of face-to-face interaction, have encouraged audi-ences to look for a new sense of candor and per-sonal connection in conversation.

How Leaders Communicate:The Tools They Use


How Leaders Communicate:

“What has changed is that people both

inside the company and outside the com-

pany are looking for a new sense of integ-

rity and honesty in conversation.”



“…my preferred method is always face-

to-face. I think there’s an intimacy to

that…it’s easier to convey a shared sense

of purpose in my view.”

—Brian Dunn,


“Ironically, with all the technological

change I think we’re coming back to

people needing face-to-face interaction

and needing personal time. I think that

human interaction has been lost in so

many of the ways that we communicate,

that the need for personal interaction has

increased. I think the ability to use tech-

nology in new and innovative ways is a

good thing. The ability to reach the num-

ber of people you can reach as quickly

as you can—it’s just unbelievable. And

I think because truth is relative today

(which is a sad thing to say about our

society), the printed word is not always

trusted. And so, the ability to follow it

up with a sort of personal connection is

really important.”

—Ann Buller,

Centennial College

“People want to see you; they want

to hear it from you and not always via

recorded media or whatever. Of all the

technology, nothing beats face-to-face

communication.”

—Philip Barton,

De Beers

“I want to be face-to-face in a room

with virtually every group…. I want to

understand instantly the feedback and

the sense of chemistry or dynamics in a

room. A blog, a videocast, gives me none

of this. Also, if we’re not talking about

the right subject at the moment, raise

your hand and tell me what you want to

talk about.”

—David Hunke,

USA TODAY

“I enjoy people. When I get a chance

to talk with people, I want to be able to

see their faces. I prefer some personal

interaction, so I can meet eyes with an

audience, read them, and benefi t from

their visual feedback or body language.

I do this in a variety of ways at Cardinal

Health, from town hall meetings to big

strategy sessions, to going down to the

cafeteria and plunking myself down at

someone’s table and asking about life at

Cardinal Health. We also do these things

that we call ‘Java with George’ where we

invite small groups of employees to have

coffee with me and we talk.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

How Leaders Communicate: The Tools They Use


Face-to-face communication tools used most often by executives include the following:

4Town hall meetings

4Strategy sessions

4Lunch with the CEO (i.e., CEO eats with employees in the cafeteria)

4Informal coffee chats with the CEO

4Leadership forums (i.e., periodic gatherings of organizational leaders to discuss challenges and accomplishments, track progress, etc.)

“The best thing that I do as a CEO, and

I put a lot of time and effort into it and

it’s certainly worthwhile, is meet with all

of our staff. We have area sales meet-

ings once a year in groups of 150, 200,

500, and I talk to all staff. But I also

make a point over an 18-month period

to get to all staff in their small working

groups (between 20 and 50) to meet

with them face-to-face. And I talk about

a few issues at the outset, but I really

leave 45 minutes to an hour just to lis-

ten to them and answer questions. And

I honestly think it’s the best thing I do

as CEO with staff. It gets terrific feed-

back. It helps me understand what’s

really going on in our organization. And

people are much more comfortable in

those smaller groups in terms of really

talking about issues that are specific to

their teams and work groups.”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada

“I believe that the best was face-to-face.

And we did a lot of that…I had monthly

breakfasts with a random selection of

employees…we had quarterly meetings,

town halls every quarter or so, where we

got a cross-section of employees together

in a venue to let them ask questions.

Then you can start to layer on some of

the technology. So when you have those

town hall meetings that maybe have 100

people… then you start to videoconfer-

ence it into your remote location, so they

can kind of feel like they’re part of that

town hall. And maybe move that town

hall around to another location and then

you videoconference it back to your main

campus.”

—Barry Griswell,




“The fi rst thing I did was initiate an open

forum that I just called the CEO Connec-

tion. And that was an open invitation to

team members to come and to be able

to have any questions addressed, on any

aspect of anything. Really, totally unfi l-

tered, unregulated parameters on any-

thing they could ask. And when I started

doing that, I did it as a breakfast before

work hours, and we just kind of brought

a potluck breakfast, various people

brought things. But then I found out that

some people felt intimidated by asking

questions. And I said, ‘Great, no prob-

lem.’ Let’s enable them to also submit

questions in writing that they fi ll out right

there, put it in the basket, and the basket

gets passed to me and I don’t know who

wrote what.”

—Carlos Sepulveda,

Interstate Batteries

Unfortunately, it is simply logistically impos-sible for leaders to meet and communicate with all constituents in-person. As such, communica-tions such as video, webcasts and podcasts are necessary.

“We do some video and some telephonic

recorded messages. I think it can be a

very useful tool given that we have more

than 30,000 people scattered across the

world. Of course, it’s never as satisfying

as a personal interaction, but I know that

it can be useful and effi cient.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

“They [webcasts] work if they are fresh. If

they come off like a produced event, the

number of people dialing in and paying

attention to it is very, very, very low.”

—David Hunke,

USA TODAY

Other forms of electronic communication include:

4Informal “fi reside chats” (i.e., video segments that are unscripted and unrehearsed, and available to all employees via the company’s intranet).

4An internal TV channel.

4A CEO blog.

“Typically I’ve got a formula for it, I don’t

make them overly long, I do them once

every 10 days or so, and they’re often just

things that are on my mind or where I’ve

been or who I’ve spoken to, and I try to

mix a bit of personal stuff in it as well. If

you don’t exist online, you don’t exist.”

—Richard Bowden,

Bupa Australia

A VIEW FROM THE TOP 34A VIEW FROM THE TOP 34

very useful tool given that we have more

than 30,000 people scattered across the

world. Of course, it’s never as satisfying

as a personal interaction, but I know that

it can be useful and effi cient.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health



4Social media. In addition to external communication via social media, some organiza-tions have developed an inter-nal social media platform for employees only.

“We have our own social media site

called HumanRaceBook.com. It’s a play

on Facebook, but it’s a place where our

students who are engaged in global citi-

zenship work can get online and use it to

talk about key issues.”

—Ann Buller,

Centennial College

“We have all the regular social media tools

within our four walls. Our employees can

network, instant message, post a status

update, video call and access an app store

just like they would [outside of work]. We

actually have a portal, have all the tools

here that let us operate in an open envi-

ronment, yet in a classified environment.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

4Email. Email can be effective although it must be used with caution because it can easily be misconstrued.

“All 72,000 people in Raytheon have my

email address. They can and actually do,

send emails. My goal every night is to

have a ‘clean screen’ by responding to all

of the emails I’ve received.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

4Company website.

“We are trying now to make sure that our

website is meeting the needs of each of

our key constituencies, which need any-

thing from very basic to very detailed

information about our company.”

—Anthony Marino,

Baytex Energy

While a few organizations have embraced social media and are aggressively integrating these tools into their corporate communication toolkit, social media is still relatively new for most large organizations. Many of today’s cor-porate leaders find social media burdensome. They think that it must be used thoughtfully, and feel that there is a loss of control over the message when using social media as a channel for corporate communication.

“I think the challenging aspect of integrat-

ing social media into communication strat-

egy is it was one thing to move just online

and understand that in many profound

ways the Internet kind of democratized

communication, because it was many-to-

many, not one-to-many, the way publishing

or broadcasting is one to many. It’s another

thing to understand that in the social

media world, you really don’t have control

over your message, whether it’s your brand

message or other elements of your com-

munication strategy. And being able to live

with that degree of loss of control I think

particularly at the CEO level is a challenge

that’s still being worked through.”

—Christie Hefner,




“You’d better hug social media. You’d

better make sure that whatever you write

or whatever you do, you’re willing to have

it show up as a headline around the world

tomorrow.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

Social media must be used with caution because a company’s reputation can be nega-tively affected from just one misstep. Because of the viral nature of social media, messages can be amplified and spread quickly. For example, one post on Twitter can be retweeted thousands of times, and one YouTube video can instantly be viewed by millions of consumers. As such, social media should be used thoughtfully and strategically.

“I’ve got to be comfortable with all social

media. Everything happens instanta-

neously, and your reputation can be

soiled with just one blog…with bad infor-

mation. How do you react to that?…it’s a

different communication challenge, and I

think it puts more of a burden on CEOs

today, and they’d better be comfortable

with it.”

—William Swanson,

Raytheon

“I think for social media it would be a

mistake not to understand it. I don’t think

people fully understand the full nature

of it, that it is completely public. It’s

not private, and you need to have some

policies around that. You’ve seen a lot of

examples of unintended consequences.”

—Eric Morrison,

formerly of The Canadian Press

Even with the potential drawbacks, social media is widely recognized as a powerful medium with immediate impact. Executives believe that “it’s definitely here to stay” and think their peers should become comfortable with it and embrace it in all of its forms.

“Well, social media, it’s here to stay, for

sure. It’s amazing the impact that it’s had.

And as an organization, we’re really just

in the midst of trying to figure out how

to position ourselves with social media.

We do some monitoring, and we certainly

have an internal policy on its use. But we

do need to do some work on how to lever-

age it for the benefit of our customers,

and certainly our stakeholders, and make

sure that it’s timely.”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada





“For us this is a relatively recent phe-

nomenon. I think it is a relatively new

and untested media, and at an experi-

mentation stage. We know that perhaps

in the future this is going to be widely

important. At the moment, we are dab-

bling with it.”



“We recognize that we have to be increas-

ingly open and transparent. You can’t

close down businesses now, you can’t

bunker up if there’s a problem. You’ve

got to go the other way; you’ve got to be

more open, more transparent than you

would have been historically. So people

are more exposed, individuals are more

exposed, companies are more exposed.

You’ve got to be able to embrace that

and see benefi ts in it rather than close

it down.”

—Mark Price,

Waitrose

Social media needs to be carefully managed. Leaders tend to rely on the advice of their com-munication team when using it. When used correctly, executives often fi nd social media to be an effective tool to communicate both inter-nally and externally, particularly with Gen-Xers and Millennials. They believe that social media is a powerful communication tool largely because it allows for immediate feedback and encourages interaction.

“They [social media] are a fantastic tool.

They are still in the initial stage, and they

have a lot of potential to grow and to

represent a very important way to com-

municate for business purposes. Within

our company, we are still at a very early

stage. It’s something that we are moni-

toring and even taking some steps for-

ward, but, for us it is still more a poten-

tial source for business communication,

rather than a reality.”


Hochschild Mining

“I mean I’m personally a big fan of social

media. I’ve embraced it. You know I think

my view of that is that it’s a generational

thing that your Millennials are really in

tune to that. And I think it’s important for

companies to try to communicate both

with Millennials and below and above,

both employees and customers…I tend to

embrace it and think it’s something that

has…it probably has some negatives, but

it also has some huge advantages.”

—Barry Griswell,




“Now, with social media everybody is a

communicator and so you get this great

opportunity for incomplete off-target sort

of stuff from the corporate perspective,

let’s put it that way, so how do you over-

come that? Well, the only way you over-

come that in my judgment is just to have

a very strong CEO leadership that can

personify the company and do his or her

utmost to ensure that the messaging that

the company wishes to have out there is

just constantly reinforced.”

—John Derrick,


Power Company

“When you’re dealing with tweeting and

blogging and other forms of social media,

there are different kinds of risks that

you need to think about. It’s a powerful

medium with instant impact, so I think

it has to be done thoughtfully. I think

it’s going to be increasingly part of our

future, but I still approach it with a little

bit of trepidation because I know it needs

to be managed carefully.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

Of all the executives interviewed in this study, Brian Dunn, formerly of Best Buy, is the biggest champion of social media. He does it all—Facebook, Twitter and blogging. Dunn’s advice for other CEOs is to just “jump in” and “talk about something you care about.” He often blogs about his personal interests such as baseball and basketball because he believes it “has a wonderfully humanizing effect.”

“I’ve got 5,000 Facebook friends, prob-

ably 4,600 of them are Best Buy employ-

ees. I have 10,000 followers on Twitter,

and they’re largely employees. It allows

me to have quick exchanges with them.

I find it very, very energizing and infor-

mative. It provides me with great context

about how the folks I work with are feel-

ing. I’m getting much more than I’m giv-

ing in these places.”

—Brian Dunn,


Regardless of the audience, a combination of technology and face-to-face communication is usually ideal.

“A combination of high-touch and high-

tech is optimal. So, obviously, technology

allows for everything from videoconfer-

encing of meetings to an internal, effec-

tive website and digital communication

strategy.... At the same time, I believe

that none of that in the aggregate is a

substitute for the power of face-to-face

communications.”

—Christie Hefner,


7The Role of Communication Professionals within the Organization

The primary responsibility of communication professionals is to help identify who needs to be informed, how they should be informed and who should inform them. Most of the time, impor-tant messages should come from “the top” or the CEO/president/managing director, but that is not always the case. It is the responsibility of the communication team to keep a pulse on each constituency and know who needs to hear what, from whom, when, and how they need to hear it. Ultimately, a communication professional plays a key role by assisting the senior executive in fi nding the best forums in which to communicate, crafting messages and keeping them simple, and ultimately getting the maximum value out of the communication effort.

“We always look at what the best mecha-

nism is for getting the message out, and

consider who the best person is, because

it’s not always the CEO and I think the

CEO has to understand that.”

—Ann Buller,

Centennial College

The Role of Communication Professionals Within the Organization


“They [communicators] play a key role. It

really is the role of assisting me in what

is, number one, the best forums to com-

municate…and to get maximum value

out of the time and effort. They assist

me greatly in terms of what is the correct

media to use for that particular commu-

nication. Do you get down to that par-

ticular operation and do it face-to-face?

Do you go and see the regulator? Do you

use the telephone? Do you write a let-

ter? They are often key in helping me to

formulate what the right media is. It is

also packaging the messages so that we

all ensure that we remain consistent in

terms of what we are saying. Just keep it

simple. They also do a lot of work around

who are the key stakeholders that need

to be informed and updated. They assist

us in keeping a diary on who should be

communicated to in which point in time.

Often we do a lot of work in the commu-

nities where we work. We’ve got to share

that news. You’ve got to not only build

your brand externally, but you’ve got to

build your brand internally as well for the

people—of the companies that they work

for. They play a big role in branding the

company internally and building ambas-

sadors out of our employees.”

—Philip Barton,

De Beers

“I would expect my communications man-

ager to be…the person that is closer to

understanding what the company is feeling

at a particular time and what sort of mes-

sage they would benefit from hearing.”



“They [communicators] challenge me to

communicate often and well. They push

me. They give me real feedback when I

think I’ve been effective or when I haven’t

been as effective as I need to be. They’re

looking for new ways to reach new audi-

ences.”

—Brian Dunn,


“I was very fortunate through the years to

have communications advisers who were

creative, who understood me, knew how

to, you know, do scripting that I would be

comfortable with, and were very effective

in dealing with the constituencies that

are important to us.”

—John Derrick,


Power Company



“They convey to us what people want to

know about, where there is more need for

information in the different instances in

which we communicate. Another impor-

tant role is that they tell us the best way

to communicate our messages, how to

make sure that people in these different

instances understand the message in the

most effective manner.”


Hochschild Mining

To be successful, communication profes-sionals must become familiar with their leader’s style of communication and his or her priori-ties and expectations. A senior executive and his or her communication professionals must be in alignment and must speak the same language. Additionally, successful communication profes-sionals develop messages and other communi-cation materials that their executive will value, and they use specifi c language and nuances that their executive would use.

“We work together to make sure that it

comes out as me...that it doesn’t sound

like somebody else or something that I

wouldn’t say.”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada

“I advise my communications staff to

know me. Know the person you’re advis-

ing and help capture my voice, tone, and

belief system.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

“Even if someone is drafting something

for me, the joke is that we Ann-ize it so it

has a certain approach.”

—Ann Buller,

Centennial College

In some organizations, the communication team is the fi lter for all communications. Often-times, organizations want communication to be centralized so that there is one entity controlling all outgoing messages. This is meant to ensure that constituents do not hear inconsistencies. In general, companies don’t want audiences receiv-ing multiple different messages from several sources.

“Because so much is going on out there,

and we want to make sure that the peo-

ple in all divisions don’t get bombarded

with 40 different messages from 10 dif-

ferent groups…we really try to centralize

the communication function at FCC and

make sure our communications group is

the fi lter [to bundle messages/determine

what should go out].”

—Greg Stewart,

Farm Credit Canada


“I advise my communications staff to

know me. Know the person you’re advis-

ing and help capture my voice, tone, and

belief system.”



Additionally, communication professionals are expected to be proactive and to be knowl-edgeable about their industry, their company, their audiences, and the related issues. The most successful communicators are those who are experts in their specific business and in the broader industry in which they are a player. They are curious and constantly hunger to learn more. According to George Barrett of Cardinal Health, “you have to have command over your subject matter. I think that people need to believe that you are not only genuine and authentic, but that you’re competent, know your subject, and have command.”

It is a well-known fact that often employees most respect and listen to their direct manag-ers. Therefore, a strong internal communication strategy should provide the tools and resources (e.g., training) for all managers to communicate effectively with their direct reports.

“…I think [for] employees, the person that they respect the most and listen to the most is their direct manager. So we work pretty hard at giving our manag-ers the tools to be able to communicate effectively with their employees.”

—Greg Stewart, Farm Credit Canada

Communicators are expected to have very strong command of language (both verbal and written) so that they understand subtleties and how to help their leader convey complex thoughts simply and directly. Part of their responsibility is to respond promptly and to provide construc-tive feedback to help their leader improve his or her communication abilities.

Communication professionals must:

4Be experts in the organiza-tion’s specific business and the broader industry within which it functions. Expert knowledge of the business is important for developing the right messages—ones that are accurate and relevant to the target audience.

“…I think the ability to understand the business is really important, and it’s probably underrated. It’s very important because the messaging is not just about the words. It’s about understanding the business context.”

—George Barrett, Cardinal Health

4Be sensitive to and perceptive of the nuances of language.

“It’s about understanding the nuances of language, someone who gets the differ-ence between innovation and inventive-ness. These are shades that I think are really important.”

—George Barrett, Cardinal Health

4Simplify complex messages.

“They need to be really, really skilled at delivering complex messages in a simple way. Try to figure out how to communicate in a way people can understand…this is what their job is.”

—Kate Paul,






4Take initiative, be proactive, anticipate issues and respond promptly.

“Be proactive. Make it a habit that when

something’s coming up, you’ve already

gotten the [communications] plan half

written when you go to the CEO. You

know, make it almost idiot proof for him

or her. You’ve got to earn your stripes, so

I think you’ve got to make sure that when

you’re at the table you’re contributing like

others at the table as well.”

—Barry Griswell,


4Be honest with the CEO/president/managing director. They rely on their commu-nication experts to tell them when they are doing a good job communicating and when there is room for improvement.

“You’ve got to have a corporate communi-

cations group that’s got the confi dence to

come in and be honest with you and go,

look this just isn’t translating, you’re not

doing a good job. I know you don’t want

to hear this, but don’t do this again.”

—David Hunke,

USA TODAY

“You need to have a team that feels com-

fortable being frank with one another and

talking about what it is that needs to be

communicated or needs to be dealt with

or how it should be dealt with.”

—John Derrick,


Power Company

Ultimately, there are many attributes that defi ne a successful communication profes-sional. The biggest challenge and responsibility, however, is to do whatever it takes to prepare a senior executive thoroughly for all types of communication in any setting.

“Good communicator, good writer, good

organizer, the person who is thorough,

the person who can anticipate the issues

…can write a great Q&A for you so that

you thought of most every question that

could possibly be asked.”

—Barry Griswell,


8Conclusion

The executives who participated in this study believe communication is a core competency that plays a critical role in supporting business strategy. They all view communication as a key component to both their organization’s overall success in the marketplace and to their individual effectiveness as leaders. This is welcome news to communicators, but what are the implications of these fi ndings for communicators in their day-to-day roles and for the profession as a whole?

MORE COMMUnICATIOn And MORE OPTIOnS FOR COMMUnICATIng

Information now travels faster than ever before. As such, communication professionals must assist their senior leaders in disseminating and prioritizing the many messages they have to deliver, quickly and succinctly. It is critical to ensure that important messages reach con-stituencies directly from the top, as opposed to from other, less credible sources.

Technological advances have increased the number and type of communication channels that are available. Communication profession-als must not only be aware of these channels, but also be able to decide which of these vari-ous channels are most appropriate. They must

understand the information needs of diverse and increasingly sophisticated constituencies, and be experts in helping their senior execu-tives identify the best ways to reach different stakeholders most effectively.

Ironically, one of the results of technological change is an increasing, rather than decreasing, reliance on face-to-face communication. Senior leaders prefer this method of communication above all others, largely because they can see and interpret body language, and can forge a personal connection with important constitu-ents. For these reasons, communication pro-fessionals need to be students of their leader’s personality and style in order to support their leaders’ in-person communication initiatives. They must also become experts in new technol-ogies so they can train their executives on how

Conclusion


to integrate these new communication tools into the company’s media mix. This is neces-sary to create the most balanced and effective overall communication strategy.

All senior executives recognize the power of social media; however, few are completely comfortable using these media at the current time. Communication professionals must work together with senior leaders to better understand how to communicate effectively via social media, and to implement appropri-ate monitoring techniques so that they can respond to constituents as necessary.

dIVERSIFICATIOn OF AUdIEnCESAudiences are now more diverse in terms of cul-tural, linguistic, age and socioeconomic perspec-tives than ever before. It is no longer enough for communication professionals to be experts in the nuances of the English language or in the business/industry in which they work (although having this expertise is still critically important). To succeed in business today, communication professionals must also be able to determine how best to communicate with an increasingly diverse base of constituents.

Due to globalization, communication pro-fessionals have to communicate in a way that translates across countries, cultures and time zones. Along with senior executives, they must understand the different needs of constituencies all over the world and customize communica-tion for the local market. This is more impor-tant than ever before as businesses expand into new markets and leaders rely on their commu-nication professionals to engage local country managers/experts.

A one-size-fits-all communication strategy is

not viable. Communication must be tailored to specific target audiences, and leaders must adapt to a variety of communication channels and styles. Therefore, communication profession-als must be prepared to encourage executives to reach outside of their comfort zones so they can communicate messages to a broad variety of audiences in the most effective way possible.

SKEPTICISM OF bUSInESS And LEAdERSTough economic times, as well as corporate scandals, have contributed to a climate of increased distrust of big business and corporate leaders. As a result, key constituents are con-stantly demanding more and better communi-cation, if not reassurance, from the top. Senior executives want communication professionals to be sensitive to the increased demands being made on their time and would like guidance on the most efficient and effective ways to get their messages across to each group of stakeholders.

The recent economic recession has driven executives to rely more heavily on their com-munication professionals for advice when com-municating:

4Difficult news.

4Complex messages.

4How their organization is different from and better than the competition.

Conclusion


OTHER IMPLICATIOnSCommunication is the lynchpin to ensuring that all constituents are aligned with the cor-porate strategy and objectives and are, there-fore, working together toward a common goal. Effective communication starts with listening, and communication professionals should ensure that the company has a myriad of mechanisms to solicit feedback from both internal and external constituencies. Two-way communica-tion is a tool that can ultimately help create stronger engagement within an organization and with outside stakeholders. Communication professionals must help their leaders leverage corporate communication as a tool to unify and engage key constituencies as necessary.

The best communication professionals promptly counsel and advise senior leaders on how to best improve their communication without sacrifi cing the leader’s voice and style. Communication professionals should famil-iarize themselves with a leader’s communica-tion style, priorities and expectations. Strive for all communications to legitimately sound like something the senior leader would say or write, and reinforce the need to be transparent, authentic, clear, honest, simple, and credible with the message and the delivery. Communi-cation professionals need to adequately prepare senior executives with answers to the who, what, where, when and why types of questions.

The most effective collaboration between communication professionals and senior lead-ers often occurs when the communicator is given a “seat at the table.” Senior executives must welcome communication professionals as strategic partners, and communication profes-sionals must proactively carve out this role for themselves and be prepared to be held account-able for the success or failure of their organiza-tion’s communication strategies.

AdVICE FOR COMMUnICATIOn PROFESSIOnALSThe leaders involved in this study offered the following tips and advice:

4Be amazing listeners.

“My sense is that the best communica-

tors are probably spectacular listeners….

Effective communication is really about

listening to your audience, or someone

you’re crafting a speech for, and getting

a sense of who they are to better shape

your messaging.”

—George Barrett,

Cardinal Health

4Be open and honest; don’t underestimate your audience’s ability to see through obfusca-tions.

4Provide context for every communication; give reasons for why things are being done a certain way.

4Communicate often; there’s no such thing as too much communication.

4Look for new ways to reach new audiences.

4Be proactive and anticipate the issues.


write, and reinforce the need to be transparent, authentic, clear, honest, simple, and credible with the message and the delivery. Communi-cation professionals need to adequately prepare senior executives with answers to the who, what, where, when and why types of questions.

The most effective collaboration between communication professionals and senior lead-ers often occurs when the communicator is given a “seat at the table.” Senior executives must welcome communication professionals as strategic partners, and communication profes-sionals must proactively carve out this role for themselves and be prepared to be held account-able for the success or failure of their organiza-tion’s communication strategies.

Conclusion


“We live in incredibly volatile times...,

incredibly fast-changing times. You know

in the old days we had kind of incremen-

tal change. We now have exponential

change. And I really don’t know of any-

thing that’s much more important than

trying to communicate with people dur-

ing periods of uncertainty…. [Commu-

nicators] should understand the impor-

tant role they play and they should…be

proactive and expect a seat at the table

and operate as if…they have a seat at

the table.”

—Barry Griswell,


THE FUTURE OF CORPORATE COMMUnICATIOn And what about the future of corporate com-munication? Executives offered the following advice for their peers:

4Get comfortable with social media because it’s not going away.

4You can’t be afraid of communi-cation; you have to embrace it.

4Stay ahead of the spread of messages so that you can man-age them.

Some of the CEOs also said that in the future, there will no longer be a division between internal and external communication; there will only be communication (i.e., a mes-sage to employees could very well show up in public the next day).

“I think the top challenges that face us

from a communications standpoint are

the fact that the lines are blurred between

external/internal communications, to the

point where I don’t believe there’s any

such thing as a purely internal commu-

nication anymore. Any time we issue an

internal memo, it’s counted in hours or

minutes when it’s posted somewhere. I

think there’s two ways you can go after

this, right? You could sort of rage against

that and try to lock everything down. Or

you can embrace that and say, you know

what, we’re in a very transparent world.

It’s really an era of radical transparency.

So we’re going to make sure that what we

communicate, what we craft are messages

that work for all our constituencies.”

—Brian Dunn,


The bottom line is that communication is not just a competency for professional commu-nicators. CEOs must be skilled at communica-tion and must give their communicators a seat at the proverbial table. Without either, any busi-ness will be at a great disadvantage.

Conclusion

Some of the CEOs also said that in the future, there will no longer be a division between internal and external communication; there will only be communication (i.e., a mes-sage to employees could very well show up in public the next day).


media because it’s not going away.

4You can’t be afraid of communi-cation; you have to embrace it.

4Stay ahead of the spread of messages so that you can man-age them.

Appendix: background, Methodology, Objectives, Limitations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the role of chief executive offi cers (CEOs)/presidents/managing directors in corporate communication and determine how communication professionals can assist these executives with their communication responsibilities.

Shugoll interviewed CEOs/presidents/manag-ing directors:

4From companies representing a mix of industries, including manufacturing, retail, fi nance, health care, technology and entertainment.

4From companies with annual revenues of approximately US$1 billion or more.

4Who are/were extremely involved in communicating with all key constituencies for their organization.

Seventeen executives were male, and three were female. Study participants represented a variety of industry sectors and locations. Study par-ticipants were primarily current executives, but three had recently retired.

Once the in-depth telephone interviews were completed, the interviews were tran-scribed. Shugoll Research conducted a content analysis of the interviews to identify, describe, and interpret the key fi ndings and trends articulated by study participants.

Appendix: background, Methodology, Objectives, Limitations


STUdy ObjECTIVES4Identify the top business chal-

lenges for the next three to five years.

4Determine if these challenges are unique to individual com-panies or if they affect busi-ness more broadly.

4Determine whether communi-cation is considered a leader-ship competency.

4Describe the senior executive’s role as a communicator.

4Determine if corporate com-munication has changed in recent years.

4Understand the keys to effec-tive communication.

4Determine the impact of globalization on corporate communication.

4Understand the role of com-munication professionals within the organization.

4Describe successful collabora-tion between senior executives and communication profes-sionals.

4Determine if senior executives perceive an increased demand for communication from key stakeholders.

4Identify the tools senior execu-tives find most useful when communicating with various constituencies.

4Describe the role of social media in corporate communi-cation.

4Obtain advice for communica-tion professionals.

4Consider the future of corpo-rate communication.

LIMITATIOnSA qualitative research methodology seeks to develop directions rather than quantitatively precise or absolute measures. The limited number of participants involved in this type of project means the study should be regarded as exploratory in nature, and the results used to generate hypoth-eses. The nonstatistical nature of qualitative research means the results cannot be generalized to the population under study with a known level of statistical precision.

Every day, Marketwire plays a critical role in shaping the conversations that happen in newsrooms, corporate boardrooms and social networks around the world, helping communicators move mar-kets, change public opinion and affect consumer behavior.

Marketwire is a social communications company that provid es everyone, from Fortune 500 enterprises to start-ups, with powerfully simple solutions: global press release distribution, indus-try-leading social media monitoring and analytics, and a fully integrated marketing communica-tions platform for content creation, optimization, distribution and measurement.

About Marketwire

About the Researcher

Merrill Shugoll is president and a principal of Shugoll Research, one of the top 100 research companies in the U.S. according to Advertising Age. A widely respected market researcher, she has 30 years of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research that helps to shape the strategic planning of corporations, nonprofi t organizations, trade and professional associations, and government agencies.

Ms. Shugoll has contributed to a number of industry groups. She is a past president of the Marketing Research Association, a past president of the Metropolitan Chapter of the American Marketing Association and a founder of the Health Care Division of the AMA’s Washington chapter. She is also currently active in the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA) and the Washington Ad Club, and was the 1991 recipient of the prestigious Frank H. Weitzel Award for her dedication of corporate resources to the American Cancer Society’s research needs.

About the IAbC Research Foundation

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation serves as the research and development arm of IABC. Founded in 1982, the Foundation is dedicated to contributing new fi ndings and knowledge to the communication profession, and to helping organizations and communicators maximize contributions to organizational success. For more information about the IABC Research Foundation, please go to http://www.iabc.com/research-foundation/.

FoundationFoundation

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation serves as the research and development arm of IABC. Founded in 1982, the Foundation is dedicated to contributing new fi ndings and knowledge to the communication profession, and to helping organizations and communicators maximize contributions to organizational success. For more information about the IABC Research Foundation, please go to http://www.iabc.com/research-foundation/.

The IABC Research Foundation would like to thank our sponsor, Marketwire, for supporting the “Conversations with CEOs ” study and the resulting report. This support speaks to Marketwire’s strong and enduring commitment to empowering and advancing communication in an ever-changing world.

The Foundation would also like to thank Merrill Shugoll for her work on this project. She developed a groundbreaking report and informative podcasts that have implications for both business executives and communication professionals.

Special thanks go to Heather Turbeville for her talent and skills in the editing, management and production of this report. Thanks also to Mari Pavia and Natasha Nicholson for their leadership and to the IABC Research Foundation trustees for their vision in supporting a project that serves to benefi t and enlighten the communication profession.

Acknowledgements