Effective Strategic Communication Is a Leadership Imperative

COVID-19 has led to changes in work patterns, and both management and employees have been opening their eyes to the benefits. With millions of employees now working offsite, Gallup reported that the majority would prefer to continue working remotely once restrictions ease, as they appreciate both the flexibility and balance that remote work can bring to one’s life.

One survey found that 70% of offsite employees felt at least as productive, or even more so, than they did in the office. In large part this has occurred because bonds of trust were already formed among work teams, so videoconferencing and other technologies became effective replacements for physical proximity, allowing their work to continue successfully.

Yet, as time goes on and distanced work continues, leadership must tackle the challenge of developing effective strategic communication to ensure the maintenance of a healthy culture within this new workplace reality. Leaders must maintain or exceed pre-pandemic levels of trust that drove engagement. And they must do so when many traditional approaches to engagement that relied on proximity and contact are not available.

Human connectivity is a continuum catalyst for trust. Innovation and creativity happen naturally when people interact serendipitously. Eye contact and body language transmit information that’s essential for collaboration, understanding and empathy. These important proximity-related conditions do not always appear when people are in a home silo. Videoconferencing does not always fill the void. New offsite hires and newly-formed teams are at a disadvantage when they cannot access these insight-producing opportunities that proximity brings.

Nonetheless, to arrive at a place that creates a healthy culture requires myriad decisions, more communication and much more individualized attention. An engaged culture is key to maintaining organizational capacities, innovation, creativity, employee satisfaction and the customer experience going forward.

This is an iterative process for leaders to understand. Having smart, ongoing and strategic conversations is critical. Leaders need to share and communicate the organization’s vision, mission, core values and progress being made around key strategic drivers. These important conversations need to be had whether they’re with your board of directors, the senior leadership team or every department within your organization. Everyone needs to understand the organization’s aspirations – its vision, mission, purpose and core values – what holds your employees and teams together.

This all begins with the CEO dashboard that creates a framework for accountability throughout the organization. Whether it be member growth, improving the member experience, strengthening talent or improving communication, it’s up to leaders to understand their role in ongoing strategic communication. When boards and team members are connected, trust and alignment is created, which leads to the achievement of strategic goals and an engaged culture throughout. Without this engagement, it’s impossible for people to bring their hearts and minds to work.

Decisions about who will work from home, and to what extent, must be tailored to each employee’s responsibilities. The roles, tasks and processes of distanced personnel should be well-defined, and have clear timelines and measurable results. The individual must be properly prepared with required technological and knowledge support. Job designs for new employees or newly-formed teams may include both on and offsite work to optimize integration into the organization and foster collaboration.

The quality and frequency of senior leadership’s communication also becomes exponentially more important, as the tone for the culture is established at the top through words and actions. Communication with employees must be ramped up. Leaders must address what it means to be a manager and an employee in a vastly different workplace environment. Their messages must inspire trust and strive to create a unified culture. Every message from senior leadership must resonate with clarity, honesty, authenticity and humanity. Leadership must embody the values and purpose that the organization stands for. Leadership’s reasoning, intentions and expectations must come through in a way that is easy for everyone to understand.

Senior leaders must assure that a heightened level of communication flows throughout the management chain. The work of managers at all organizational levels is fundamental to creating a unified healthy culture, as 70% of employee engagement is related to the person’s supervisor. Managers must interact with distanced staff more frequently.

Strategic communication that shares your organization’s values, mission and strategic plan on an ongoing basis will allow your organization to emerge from this lengthy pandemic crisis both strengthened and unified by a strong, aligned organizational culture that can achieve strategic goals and make a positive difference in your employees’ and members’ lives.

Stuart R. Levine is Chairman and CEO for Stuart Levine & Associates LLC in Miami Beach, Fla.