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December 27, 2005
6 recommended resolutions for 2006
#1: Conduct more research. Really.
I’ve been using this wonderful post-holiday downtime (This is my favorite workweek of the entire year. It’s so quiet that you can actually think.) to reflect on my clients’ triumphs and struggles during the past year. In which areas were they successful? Where did they keep beating their heads against the wall?
Based on this reflection, I’ve compiled a list of 6 resolutions I would recommend that employee communicators consider for 2006. I'll cover the first one in this weblog and we'll provide all 6 in the January 5 issue of Smart Tips.
Remember that you can still resolve to eat more vegetables and clean out your closets—but these are professional resolutions that will help you accomplish more next year.
Number 1 is to get more serious about research: actually build it into your program, not treat it as a perennial afterthought. I know there are at least three reasons why research gets short shrift in employee communication: A) It’s expensive to do well. B) Measurement and math do not come naturally to communicators, and C) In many organizations, senior management doesn’t really care whether communication is effective—they just care that their message was sent.
But, despite the obstacles, research is a powerful tool. It gives you real-life perspectives you can’t get in the rarified atmosphere of Headquarters. It puts you in touch with your audience in a meaningful and profound way. It provides you with ammunition—empirical evidence—to make your case. And it demonstrates the value of your work, through metrics (an important concept in results-driven organizations.)
The bad news is that research is not easy or cheap to do well. The good news is that, as long as you follow sound research principles, even “a little research” has value. Distribute and collect comment cards after the town hall meetings. Conduct five focus groups to get employee feedback about communication vehicles. User-test your intranet. Involve a percentage of employees in an online survey.
As with exercise (another resolution?), you don’t have to conduct research perfectly—but you do have to do it. You’ll be glad you did.
For more inspiration about the value of research, I invite you to read this article, "The Consumer: Don't Fear The Research"—while it’s about consumer research for marketers, you’ll be amazed how many of the same principles apply. (You have to log in to link in, but it’s worth it). http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm
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Posted by Alison Davis at December 27, 2005 09:48 AM
Comments
And what were the other 5 resolutions???
Posted by: Les Landes at December 28, 2005 01:56 PM