CHA has just published a report called, ‘Talking in the dark’, looking at what factors limit management communications.

An earlier study by them showed engaged employees were more productive, self motivated and motivated others. To become engaged employees have to understand an organisations mission and strategic goals, the plan, their role in this, what they have to do to achieve that and their reward for success.

Is that so hard? No but with the statistics below is it any wonder so many companies are less productive that then should be?

Middle managers:

• 36% don’t understand the purpose and plan of the organisation
• 60% don’t understand their own and their teams role in achieving the plan
• 70% say the company does not celebrate success

Some other notable statistics:

• 21% look forward to going to work (does this really mean 79% are de-motivated!)
• 25% say they have time to do a proper job (does this really mean 75% are falling below TQM standards?)
• 33% say their efforts are acknowledged (67% do not?)
• 48% of managers do NOT think it is their job to communicate
• 35% of managers do NOT share explanations of the plan to their teams
• 52% of managers do NOT understand the role of communication to help solve issues

Note: The above scores are for private and public sector combined. When

         analysed separately the public sector satisfaction scores are less than then

         private sector.

What seems to be the issue?

Middle managers consistently rate their relationships and communication with their own teams as being higher (but this is self rating – wonder what their teams would say?) than that from their own senior management. The feeling by middle management is that they are isolated. Why hold staff meetings if all you get are awkward questions you cannot answer?

How do managers say they want help from senior managers?

·         51% - tell me clearly the organisations plan so I can understand and pass on

·         50% - give me the time to do it

·         41% - give me a feedback mechanism to senior managers for employee

               comments

·         25% - coach me to be a more confident communicator

·         24% - give me a messaging/Q&A communications toolkit so I can handle

               employee feedback.

My personal observation.

This latest research leaves me with a terrible feeling of déjà vu.

Survey after survey over the last 20+ years shows the same key issue. Was it ever thus? Senior management and employees disengaged from each other and middle management seemingly caught in the middle.

What a fantastic opportunity!

If UK PLC is performing as well as it is with what the surveys suggest is in effect half of its work force de-motivated and disengaged just what would be the upside performance if another 10% or 20% of the team were brought on board?

What we need is a clear message, delivered highly effectively with a clear feedback process loop. Let’s call it 360 Engagement Communication!

In our work with senior managers on communication strategies and programmes we always complete a formal brief. What is the message and who are the target audience are two of the questions we ask? It is usually quite hard to get senior management to articulate this in a single agreed document. If we asked each board member to write down the company mission and what each departments key goal is in helping to achieve that I bet we would get multiple variations.

Maybe we should not be surprised. The board members have been appointed because they are smart, decisive and have their own minds. The only problem is that the rest of the workforce is not mind readers. They need it spelt out so they can see the big picture, the overall objectives and then understand how they can personally become engaged.

The new mantra for Corporate UK should be engagement – employees and customers. The tool - cascade communication