Non-hierarchical organization forms are gaining ground. Organizations that provide employees with direction as well as autonomy, prove more effective in finding answers to new challenges. What does this mean for the role of internal communication? In this blog I explore the environment of self-management and collaborative problem solving.
Flexibility and resilience
People are living longer, companies shorter. What seemed a sustainable business model yesterday, might – through the forces of “disruptive innovation” – already be obsolete today. It’s natural selection at work. Organizations are adapting by strengthening their flexibility and resilience. The new mantra reads: continuous improvement, constant innovation. A reassessment of the role of employees is a direct consequence of this trend. It is also the driving force behind the constant flow of innovative organizational models which invariably seek to increase the involvement of employees in organizations.
Distributing ownership
What started as The Toyota Way, an approach to make the most of scarce resources, has become a wealth of new organizational life forms. Lean, Agile, DevOps and Holacracy are well-known examples. What they have in common is the great emphasis they all place on communication and collaboration. They also stimulate employees to take ownership and strengthen their autonomy. The rationale: autonomy motivates and good ideas can come from anywhere.
Stop trying to sell top management’s messages
In hierarchical organizations communication mostly behaves as an internal spin doctor, “selling messages from the top”. The techniques, persuasive and seducing, are derived from PR and Advertising practices. Lots of sending, little or no listening. Easy enough to oversee but unrewarding. The result is often a wide gap between corporate story and the reality in the workplace. Add to that a persistent lack of authentic dialogue and the results are predictable. Messages from above rarely land in fertile soil. The reputation of the internal communication profession has suffered as a consequence. Fortunately, the changing landscape offers plenty of opportunities to do better.
Dialogue and collaboration
How can internal communication regain its relevance? By offering a helping hand with the priorities of today: a shared sense of purpose, real commitment and a “collaboration-oriented culture” (collaboration is more than just cooperating!). This trinity has everything to do with communication, in the true sense of the word. Dialogue and participation are key. It’s about being enabled to maximize the purpose you experience in your work, about being taken seriously and about experiencing a safe environment, which stimulates you to speak-up rather than look away and remain silent.
From spin doctor to moderator
All this implies a fundamental mind-shift for internal communication. Forget about spin doctoring and reinvent yourself to become a facilitator and moderator of the internal dialogue. By helping create an organizational culture based on dialogue and participation, internal communicators can make a crucial contribution. This is the road to shared meaning, commitment and collaboration. The success of the next strategic move or innovation in your organization depends on it. The choice is simple: evolve or become irrelevant.