Beyond the Babble

Discover how to connect with and inspire employees throughout an organization.

Improve your leadership skills -- even if you aren't a "natural" communicator -- with a specific communication strategy that anyone can use. Authors Matha and Boehm present research showing that all managers can improve performance by using the principles outlined in Beyond the Babble. They explore why communication is crucial, how and when to do it, how to embed it in an organization's culture, and how to measure results. They also show how internal communications professionals can improve an organization's communication to the outside world.

Foreword ix

The Authors xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction 1

1. The Power of Communication 9

On Strategy Communication Cuts Through Babble 14

Effective Communication Gets Results 16

Why Communication Makes a Difference 19

Summary 23

2. On Strategy Communication: An Overview 25

The Action Equation 27

The People Channel 34

Summary 43

3. Do: What Do You Need Employees to Do? 45

The Elements of On Strategy Direction 47

Setting a Clear Path for the Land of Oz 57

Summary 61

4. Know: What Do Employees Need to Know to Take Action? 63

They Need to Know Why 64

Who Needs to Know? 70

The Land of Oz Knows 74

Summary 74

5. Feel: What Do Employees Need to Feel to Take Action? 77

Be an Organizational Psychologist 82

Getting the Insights You Need 83

The Land of Oz Gets Emotional 84

Summary 85

6. The "Why Nots": What’s Getting in the Way? 87

The Behavior Chain 88

Addressing a "Why Not" 92

Be an Organizational Archeologist 95

The Land of Oz Confronts Its Demons 98

Summary 100

7. Package: Turn the Action Equation into a Conversation 101

Conversations Are "In the Moment" 103

The Memory Issue 104

The Conversation Platform 105

The Land of Oz Gets Ready to Roll 108

When Issues Are the Issue 108

Summary 114

8. Align: Make Sure All Leaders Are On Strategy 117

Don’t Be Fooled 118

Start at the Top and Work to the Front Line 120

Promote Open Discussion at Multiple Levels 122

Include Informal Leaders in the People Channel 125

Summary 126

9. Equip: Give Leaders the Tools They Need to Communicate On Strategy 129

Train Leaders as if Strategy Depended on It 130

Support Local Leaders and the People Channel 135

Recognize and Strengthen the Weak Links 139

Complementary Leader Assignments 141

Summary 143

10. Drive and Support: Orchestrate and Sustain On Strategy Conversation 145

Create a Drumbeat 146

To Raise the Volume, Run a Campaign 154

How Communication (the Function) Can Help 158

Summary 165

11. You: The Top Leader's Role 167

Expect a Lot 167

Measurement 169

Reward, Recognize, and Hold Accountable 174

Prioritize 175

Lead by Example 176

12. "How to" Resource Guide 179

Conducting Discussion Groups 179

The Memory Game 186

Alignment Interviews and Snapshot 187

The Consider-Dialogue-Solve Process 191

Conducting a "Red Face" Test 193

Identifying Informal Leaders 195

Selecting Vehicles: Opportunities Abound 196

Glossary of Terms 205

Notes 207

Index 209

"... offers a compelling approach to enable communication to drive results." (Supply Management, December 11th 2008)

"... all managers can improve performance by using the principles outlined in Beyond the Babble." (Public Net, Tuesday 5 August 2008)

Bob Matha and Macy Boehm are principals and cofounders of Basics 3, a leadership communications and employee engagement firm headquartered in Chicago, and they also provide counsel to clients of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. Matha and Boehm have applied fifteen years of experience to develop the philosophy, processes, and techniques outlined in Beyond the Babble, and they have been featured speakers at the Arthur Page Society and the Advanced Learning Institute. In addition, Matha serves on DePaul University's College of Communication Dean's Advisory Council.

Praise for Beyond the Babble

"Beyond the Babble is a significant contribution to the practice of employee communications ?very pragmatic and useful in crafting a communication program that really works."?
—Harlan Teller, chief knowledge officer, Financial Dynamics

"This book explains in practical terms how to leverage and rally an entire organization, from the board room to the shop floor, around a common set of goals. Beyond the Babble is an important book for leaders looking to drive real change."
—J. Steven Keate, consultant and former president, International Truck Group

"Bob Matha and Macy Boehm have created a very readable book—without the puffery and exaggerations—that gives managers a logical and original framework for organizing their company's strategic communications and actions. Their On Strategy approach also smartly integrates the power of measurement into several steps in the model."
—Clarke L. Caywood, professor, integrated marketing communications, Northwestern University

"Matha and Boehm show CEOs, managers, and communications professionals how to engage employees through effective internal communications to produce real business results.Their approach benefits employers, employees, and yes, even customers."
—Gary Ross, general manager, corporate communications, CDW Corporation

"Today's leaders increasingly find themselves working at a pace that is some combination of a sprint and a marathon just to get things done.?Organizations of all kinds, not-for-profits and Fortune 500 companies alike, have experienced an incredible increase in both the velocity and number of issues that must be managed, and that trend is only going to accelerate in the future. Effective leaders find ways to help their organizations be successful in this challenging environment and Beyond the Babble is clearly one of those ways."
—Edward A. West, former senior vice president, corporate communications, WellPoint

"A must read for business leaders and their communication and HR advisers. The approach in Beyond the Babble makes strategy tangible and actionable for employees up and down the organization—and it gets results."
—Greg Elliott, senior vice president, human resources, Navistar International