November 21, 2005

Evidence: The Secret Weapon of Strategic Communicators

Are you being perceived as an implementer in your organization? Are you struggling to gain respect and recognition for what you do? There’s a simple way that you can get noticed as a strategic communicator: Use evidence to gain credibility and make your case. Here’s how.

Evidence, which we define as factual information that helps in forming a conclusion, is a powerful tool for:

• Providing insights on how to approach a communication challenge
  
• Developing the knowledge of colleagues to help them put issues in context to the “big picture” and not get stuck in the minutiae
  
• Making a case to senior managers who tend to respect facts and figures

Many communicators associate evidence with “research”—they think it takes considerable time and significant budget to gather the facts. But it doesn’t have to. There are many different ways to get the information you’re looking for: from formal research, to leveraging data from other sources. To help you be more strategic, try these methods for collecting evidence:

• Existing Research—Reports and white papers published by consulting firms and research organizations are the easiest and least expensive way to get your hands on findings. Take advantage of what’s offered free online (if it’s from a reputable source), or pay a modest amount for this information. Also, newspapers and business periodicals frequently have articles summarizing research on different trends affecting employee communications. For example, if a large percentage of your employees are in their 20s, you can access research on this demographic’s technology preferences to bolster your argument about why, for instance, it’s so important to invest in your intranet.
  
  
• Observation—Watching how employees experience communication is a simple way of getting to know your audience better. For example, for decades retailers have been using “Mystery Shoppers” where an observer assumes the role of customer to collect information on the "shopping experience" as it relates to selection, environment and customer service. You can employ the same methods to get information about distribution, access, the value of communication displays, consistency of messages, or just general communication value.
  
  
• Quantitative Research—Many communicators associate qualitative research with tedious, all-encompassing surveys. But it’s possible to conduct a small, manageable survey, using an online tool like Zoomerang or Survey Monkey, by selecting a representative sample of employees and asking them targeted questions.
  
  
• Focus Groups—An old favorite, focus groups can explore an issue in depth, allowing for expressive dialogue about the topic being studied. As a result, they yield valuable insight into what employees perceive and believe. Although focus groups do not result in statistical data, verbatim responses captured during focus groups are a powerful indication of what employees think and feel.

Are you a strategic communicator or an implementer?