Chapter 17Genuine Engagement with People at all Levels of the Organisation
‘Effective two-way communication demands that we capture both content and intent and learn to speak the languages of logic and emotion … Of the two, the language of emotion is far more motivational and powerful …’
Stephen R. Covey, ‘Principle Centred Leadership’
By ‘genuine engagement’, I mean the full gamut of (a) communications and (b) stakeholder engagement. I will discuss each of these separately. I use the word ‘genuine’ deliberately.
Your communications may be ‘professional’ but if your employees don't believe they are genuine, they will have very little impact. In fact, they will be damaging to your cause. Disingenuous communications can be worse than none at all.
The same is true when it comes to stakeholder engagement. Superficial engagement with stakeholders is disrespectful, counter-productive and a waste of everyone's time. Genuine engagement involves listening and acting upon the insight you receive.
Effective Communications
Communications departments that are staffed by spin doctors producing professional but superficial outputs are completely ineffective. Some external communications departments I have stumbled across appear to go out of their way ...
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