At SamSari we often work with creating innovative and inspiring change programs relating to corporate values, and how they can be put into action in day-to-day operations. Over the past months we have used our ideas on ourselves, working in 2 teams to create a change program for the other SamSari team, the purpose being to create energy, empowerment and good (and necessary) discussions. Yesterday, one team’s idea became clear…

Our values are professional, personal and innovative. But what do they really mean to us? One of the teams was interviewed by a journalist about how we work, how our customers perceive us and about one of our latest customer projects involving many exciting initiatives. What we didn’t know was that the interview was planned by our colleagues to find out what we really think about our values. Click on the document below to read some of what we told the journalist!

living_the_samsari_values.pptx (230.57 kb)

The social media landscape today is huge, and growing. It seems a new application or tool is appearing every week, making it hard for a regular person to keep up. But the fact remains that social media is a part of the communicative landscape today, and is changing the way we communicate. So how is social media connected to change projects and internal communication?

When talking about social media today people often think about B2C campaigns or tools for private use, but more and more people are looking into how social media can be used to enhance an organization’s internal communication. Traditionally, organizations have been afraid of opening up their communication channels internally, perhaps out of fear of letting negative comments and the like out in the open. But if organizations were to embrace that possibility instead (having people express their opinion is the only way for an organization to be able to comment on them, start up a dialogue and improve) they have a lot to gain.

From my perspective social media, in whatever form it may take, is an excellent tool to use in a change project. Whereas internal communication traditionally is all about 1-way communication from the top down (worst case), social media is all about 2-way communication – dialogue – feedback. In other words, all the things that internal communication should be characterized by. By using social media internally, you can for example:
• create a collaborative dialogue rather than a monologue, and thereby empower employees to action
• have an ongoing, alive communication rather than a static bank of information (compare to many traditional intranets)
• increase involvement and buy-in on the subject of your choice throughout the organization
• ensure knowledge-sharing takes place (make sure your organization is making use of all the talent you have internally!)
• create short-term wins by broadcasting internal heroes or ambassadors.

The possibilities are endless! Making use of social media such as wikis, podcasts, videos etc. internally is a huge change in itself for many organizations today, but I hope we see more of it in the future. At the end of the day, communication is a key success factor for making strategy happen.

Want to read more? Check out the links below for further inspiration:

Slideshow from Abi Signorelli: "Using social networks to engage employees"
Video from Melcrum featuring Abi Signorelli: "Using social media for internal communication"
Examples of groups on LinkedIn related to use of social media in internal communications: Social Media for Internal Communicators, Internal Communications: Getting Started With Social Media, and SMCC - Social Media in a Corporate Context.

During the last week of June, Cannes Lions 2009 took place – an international advertising festival gathering communication professionals from 90 countries. Awards were presented to companies in various categories, such as PR, Press, Design and Outdoor Media. This external communication is often, if not always, about building a strong brand. Companies are investing millions of dollars to make sure their brand is visible around consumers. But what really makes up a brand? Morgan Daloisio, a partner at CMG Partners, is one of many that writes about the importance of building the brand from the inside out (read the article here).

So how can you engage your employees and make them live the brand?

1)      Walk the talk
Employees won’t embrace a company’s brand just like that – it takes time. Most of all, they’ll want to see that it’s truly integrated into the way the company does business. This can be done in many ways, for example: making sure new recruits already possess the traits that make up the brand, clearly showing a connection between behaviors/performance and the brand – and making employees accountable for it, equipping employees with the tools and knowledge they need to live the brand through e.g. learning programs and other activities, and finally making sure management walk the talk. If top management isn’t living the brand, why should anyone else?

2)      Work across the organization
Make sure Brand Management and HR are on the same page. A partnership across organizational set-ups will result in a clearer message to all employees, i.e. much more effective communication.

3)      Prioritize internal communication
Make sure to engage your employees, so that they become good ambassadors of the brand. Review your current internal communication, how can you take advantage of it as it is today? What changes can you make to make it more effective?

Our experience tells us that all of the above is necessary. To be truly successful with your brand management, you need to critically review your own organization and how management communicates daily. A vital brand that stays true to its promise requires an organization that realizes the importance of the brand, and has an energized workforce of dedicated brand ambassadors that live the brand.

Many companies are beginning to realize the power of internal brand management and it’s thrilling to help them explore new ways of propelling their brand building strategies. I can’t wait for SamSari to compete in a future internal communications part of an equivalent to the Cannes Lions…