It makes a bigger difference than you might think in sports and business alike.
Every sports franchise—like every company—has a distinct communication culture. Some, like the New England Patriots, keep a tight lid on everything: Less is more; no distractions.
This flows from Bill Belichick, their press conference loathing, internet averse head coach, who institutes a severe social media policy for his players. The day you see a Patriots player pop off to a reporter or post something inappropriate online is the day you’ll see him empty his locker.
Contrast this approach with Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who favors open dialogue and “new-age style communication” with his club. He’s been known to have his squad dress up for road trips and pull zany stunts to keep things light. He loves talking with his players, and he handles journalists with aplomb.
Both franchises have been successful, yet they couldn’t be more different in terms of their communications cultures. They do, however, have similarities when it comes to clarity regarding individual expectations and a single-minded focus on achieving specific goals.
Regardless of where your company falls in the communication culture continuum—with the Patriots and Cubs representing opposite ends of the spectrum—the challenge for internal comms pros is to keep their squad inspired and unified.
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A sports-minded approach may help, as noted by Harvard Business Review:
Sports-related internal communication programs can create cohesion, elicit pride in the company, and enhance perceptions of it as a vibrant “winner” or leader in its industry.
Here are tactics from sports teams’ playbooks that internal communicators can use to make messages resonate.
Enlist your star players. Not everyone on your team has the same clout. You will always have outspoken veterans, charismatic all-stars and respected role players who wield heightened influence.
If you want your messages to land, get these internal influencers to deliver your message, whether through email, via social media or by speaking to those they influence.
A message means more when it comes from someone you’ve been through battles with—especially when that person is a trusted star.
Segment members into affinity groups. Most sports teams are broken up into distinct factions. In baseball, you have pitchers, catchers and position players. They have different coaches, and they tend to flock together. Beyond that, you have relief pitchers, who are sequestered in the bullpen until called upon.
Football is even more segmented—into linebackers, offensive linemen, receivers, defensive linemen, quarterbacks, running backs and defensive backs. All those guys have different coaches and their own unit they spend time with. Naturally, bonds form and cliques emerge.
Departments are a logical way to segment people in an organization, but by no means the only way to slice the pie. Find where people are congregating online, and reach them there. Identify which platforms or channels your people use—perhaps Slack or texting—and meet them on their turf.Maybe you have subgroups who hang out together or people who bond over a certain activity? Tailor your messaging to established mini-tribes.
Don’t just guess, though. Ask your people how they’d like to be reached, and try to target key groups.
Work on pregame, in-game and postgame communication. Many companies are reactive with communications; they wait until something goes wrong to formulate a plan. That’s like showing up to a game without having practiced or reviewed strategies.
Take a cue from sports teams by regularly reviewing your staff’s personal goals, responsibilities and roles. Don’t forget the postgame speech, either. It’s important to do a postmortem once projects are completed to assess where you excelled and where you need improvement. Encourage and gently reproach as needed, so they’re more prepared for next time.
Then there is the vital exchange of information—especially when adjusting to circumstances—during events and campaigns.
Consider these examples of in-game communication:
- Catchers signaling pitches, and pitchers shaking them off.
- Third-base coaches’ intricate series of signs to the batters.
- Outfielders yelling “I’ve got it!”
- Offensive and defensive coordinators sending in plays from the sidelines.
- Quarterbacks and defensive captains huddling up—and then calling audibles at the line of scrimmage.
- Defensive teammates yelling “fumble!”
The success of each instance above hinges on how much preparation was put in beforehand. If pitchers and catchers don’t strategize together before a game, neither will find a rhythm and the team will suffer. If no one yells “fumble” in a timely manner, the guy right next to the ball might not see it and be able to pounce in time.
It’s the same for your staff: Communication before, during and after events and campaigns to delineate direction, responsibilities and strategy is essential for success.
You also must know when not to talk. Errors, strikeouts and dropped passes happen, and whether it’s your blunder or a teammate’s, don’t lash out.
If you find yourself seething in the heat of the moment, take a few moments to calm down before expressing yourself. Look ahead to the next play, rather than dwelling on something you can’t reverse.
Create a culture worth buying in to, and foster teamwork. This is where the Patriots and Cubs find common ground. Every winning sports franchise develops a specific culture that stands and strives for something. What constitutes your culture, and what are your goals?
If it’s some vague notion about fueling corporate success, good luck getting people on board, but if you foster an environment where people are treated with respect, compassion and genuine care, not even the Patriots can stop you.
We all have a profound desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Stoking and stirring that desire is what internal communicators have the power to do.
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