The CEO is dead, long live the ceo.  Ian Buckingham's weekly column.

The vultures are circling over the heads of cynics waving glasses half empty. Whether we’re facing an imminent global recession or are talking ourselves into one, the signs aren’t great when the marketing advice from commentators like the Harvard Business School professor, John Quelch* suggest that the cocktail hour is over and that companies, in troubled times, should focus on family values rather than appealing to conspicuous consumption. It’s pretty unpalatable stuff to stomach for a society with a taste for consumerism. But anyone who truly cares about internal communication should sit up and take note.

DNA of a brand

While researching Brand Engagement and the pending sequel, Brand Champions, my aim has been to expose the obsession with the material manifestations of brand and to identify and articulate the true behavioural DNA of a brand. I know that authentic brands are more than promises made to employees and staff. They’re about promises delivered. And I know from my own experience of running businesses that there’s nothing quite like tough economic conditions to sharpen focus as well as tongues.

Whatever the rhetoric of the internal marketing zealots may imply and despite what managers may sometimes believe, organisations have little choice other than to rely upon their people to give something of themselves if they’re to connect with the organisation, their peers and customers alike. This is tricky to achieve at the best of times but especially elusive when economic conditions turn sour.

Radio Caroline

Having worked across sectors in the internal communication and engagement fields for nearly twenty years, it’s as frustrating to listen to pessimism as it is to hear the persistent language of alignment as a means of managing employee engagement. The conviction that some form of corporate internal media is the way forward is depressing. It reminds me of the culture which dominated institutionalised post war media and led to the phenomenon of pirate radio which emerged as a reaction to the establishment stranglehold of state owned communication. In the UK, Radio Caroline has become the literal flagship for iconoclastic broadcasting.

Corporate engagement

It’s my firm conviction that corporate engagement can’t be conscripted. Internal media which is out of touch with the true culture of the organisation may dominate the internal airwaves but it's a fact that few people truly listen in. Perversely, however, one of the side effects of tough market conditions is that the language of corporate command and control increases as does the tendency to focus on “push” communication as managers struggle to cope.

Internal communication

Whether we’re faced with a prolonged economic downturn or not, the internal communication community has a pivotal role to play in ensuring that employees engage with the brand. Irrespective of market conditions, I would argue that clarity about brand can never be a bad thing especially if it’s based upon authentic dialogue and trust. After all, managers and styles come and go but the brand tends to remain as a rallying post, a beacon linking the legacy to the vision.

If you agree, why not give the following five tips for bridging the engagement gap a go:

1. Always role model an open door policy, especially in turbulent times. If in doubt, increase consultation. It’s an unfortunate fact that managers tend to adopt an insular, “laager mentality” when faced with problems. It’s the worst thing they can do. Ignorance breeds insecurity which in turn breeds misunderstanding - the sibling of poor performance.

2. Be honest with your people and really emphasise the personal qualities needed in tough times, the type of culture that is needed to thrive in adversity. I’ve consulted in a number of downsizing situations and this is a proven way of giving people some sense of control over their fate, in spite of the fact that culture development usually falls by the wayside when the discretionary spending pursestrings are tightened. Regardless of the outcomes of tough trading conditions, when people come out the other side of a downturn, whether they were directly impacted or not, they are always grateful for straight, empathic but honest talking

3. Take the temperature more frequently. Measure the impact of internal communication constantly via concentrated pulse takes rather than with cumbersome, seemingly expensive surveys

4. Seek out and promote positive role models and good news stories. Whatever the conditions, they will be there and there's nothing like appreciative inquiry to help people feel better about themselves.

5. Don’t underestimate the power of core values. A downturn is just the time to reflect on the reassurance of a legacy which implies that “we’ve been here before, we’ve survived and even thrived”

Quelch points out that “when economic hard times loom….we tend to retreat to our village….as uncertainty prompts us to stay at home and also stay connected with family and friends”. Clearly internal communication has a vital role to play in keeping those communities informed, in recognizing their core motivators, consulting with them and in setting the tone. But lose touch with the core audience and don’t be surprised if employees seize the airwaves themselves. Pirate radio anyone?

*Financial Times February 18, 2008

Ian Buckingham is the author of Brand Engagement – How Employees Make or Break Brands http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?PID=281268 and is currently working on the sequel Brand Champions.

Ian has almost twenty years consultancy experience in the communication, engagement, change management and organisation development fields. Formerly a partner at the Omnicom owned SDL, Ian was the founder of Interbrand Inside and currently runs The Bring Yourself 2 Work Fellowship www.by2w.co.uk