IMC Intuition

Three things resonated with me in the current issue of Communications World, Changing Course because I’ve learned from practical experience that how we communicate change has everything to do with successful execution and audience engagement.  Building bridges from emotion to logic (Nicholson), King III Communication management principles in South Africa (deBeer & Rensburg), and internal communication to deliver brand promises (Munslow) are the articles that I bookmarked, no matter how much change you have endured or championed, there is always something new to learn and consider.

Executive Editor Natasha Nicholson states it best[1]:   “Your story, rich with purposeful thinking, unfolds with the potential that this change will bring.  It shows what possibilities lie ahead if an obsolete approach is replaced by fresh ideas and innovative thinking.  So your story forms a bridge from emotion to logic.  It’s only in respecting emotion as we present logic that we can blend these two powerful forces to meet the demands of a new world.”

In “Playing the Rules”, Estelle deBeer and Ronel Rensburgh, PhD describe South Africa’s King Code III which must be observed in principle by companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange:  “Corporate governance is concerned with holding the balance between economic and social goals and between individual and communal goals…the aim is to align as nearly as possible the interests of individuals, corporations and society [Cadbury][2].”  The authors hold up this model of 6 guiding principles as a guide for global adaptation.  In view of the political situation currently in play in the Middle East and the role of social media in the unrest, these principles bear further examination.

An interview Daniel Munslow, Chief Communication Officer at Talk2Us in South Africa was a great read on internal communications, but this quote really resonated with me as an IMC person:  “Ultimately, public relations, marketing and advertising serve as tools to raise awareness and create an expectation in the minds of consumers.  It is the vital role of internal communications, irrespective of where the function sits in the business, to engage employees to deliver the promises of the brand.[3]”

Both personally and professionally I have experienced a great deal of change in the past 10 years and learning how to respond and adapt graciously and efficiently is my idea of cogent change – what’s yours?