Breaking Barriers.....Communication in the Marketplace Series - Part II

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Contaminated Marketplace : Fear, Anxiety, Paranoia

©AR_HRComatrix_BreakingBarriers

It is amazing how morale can be affected by the mode of internal communication. And the reverse is true: internal communication defines employees' morale.

The less employees know, or the more filtered the information they receive, the more distorted that information is going to be. People do not hear any longer. They "hear" themselves, they "hear" their own thoughts and fears, and they are going to think it out loud to the next co-worker, the next customer, and maybe their family members and friends. Worse, they could post it on Facebook and Glassdoor.

You could fire them, if you please, but the damage will be done. Actually firing them might be a bad idea if one of your supervisors has sought the information on their Facebook page. And there, down goes your organization.

So, all programs for boosting engagement is a waste of effort. It could be a temporary bandage but the bottom line is that you might be just fooling yourself. Nothing will change really as long as company behavior is not altered.

A Change of Mindset: Let it Flow!
©AR_HRComatrix_BreakingBarriers


You got it! We are talking culture, employer branding, change of mindset all across the board. Collaboration, transparency, communication. Go for it!

I just came across this amazing article on Entrepreneur about the Office of the Future. Absolutely wonderful and so revealing! The design of the office of the future evolves around transparency, collaboration, and sustainability. They just got it right! Beyond images and architecture, one has to see and seize communication opportunities. Let communication flow, alive and well. It is the fountain of engagement, productivity, results, and metrics.

Have you ever noticed that whenever you walk into an office building and see the configuration of their office space, it tells a lot about the organization? A conservative approach of business is going to be reflected in the working environment: closed doors, large enclosed office spaces, very conservative furniture...This is where branding becomes significant. Also, this is how company culture transpires.

A controlling environment? Ah! The first point of contact communicates to you through a glass window and you may just well forget about any access to the waiting room unless she/he unlocks the door to you. And you know that I am not talking about hospitals, research labs, NASA, the Pentagon or the like.....The best yet? This visitor/business partner was literally stopped in the hallway by an executive who happened to pass by and was told that the person sought (a senior executive) was not in the office that day (true) and that emails were exclusively for internal use (?!?). Wow!

It is not always and only a matter of budget with the call for big open spaces. Rather, it is a question of self-branding and company culture: letting the walls down, opening doors, sitting around the table to get to solutions and setting a common plan for reaching metrics. Somehow, there is always room for renovation, innovation or mutation, as needed. It is also sending a welcoming message to visitors, partners, external stakeholders: come in, sit down, among us...


It is about civility, approachability, openness to opportunities. Breaking barriers is all about a balancing act of communication....a balancing act of managing people and communication...

En Synthèse....

En Synthèse.....

Faux Bruits

C'est effarant combien l'on ne réalise pas toujours l'impact de la fluidité de la communication sur l'entreprise. Il y a deux endroits ou vous entendriez le plus des dernières évolutions du business, des derniers échos, des fausses vérités, des chuchotements et des éclats de rire: l'ascenseur et le cafétaria. Qu'ont donc ces endroits de commun? Il n'y a pas de murs visibles entre les interlocuteurs! Voyons, les plantes vertes de la cafétaria ne sont pas des murs, cela contribue à l'ambiance... Et parlons-en de l'ambiance! Amicale, conviviale, animée, hostile? Cela dépend des jours et des gens, peut-être? 

Je dirai surtout que cela dépend de l'ambiance interne de l'entreprise, du mode de communication interne, de la gestion des RH. Les grand bureaux où l'on se cloisonne, les cubicules, cela fait partie du passé!. Pensez un peu: quand est-ce que vous produisez le plus? Dans la solitude sans contacts? Oui, peut-être après que vous ayez compilé toutes les infos possibles et imaginables. Mais encore? En brainstorming session! Autour d'une table quelconque...Et pourquoi les diners d'affaires? Eh bien, voyons, pour produire un contrat d'une sorte ou d'une autre. Eh oui! Voilà! Si simple que cela!

Eh bien, l'autre jour je suis tombée sur un article fantastique sur l' office du futur! Alors, je peux vous dire que cela m'a vraiment emballée! Les photos sont trop cool, l'approche est holistique. Ne vous trompez surtout pas: ce n'est pas seulement une question d'architecture et d'intérieur design. C'est surtout une question de transparence. Quoique moi, j'avoue avoir un faible pour tout ce qui est sleek design...

Faites Tomber Les Murs


Car sleek, c'est aussi une question de "sustainability" ou de viabilité. Qu'est qui fera la différence de l'office du futur? Que pensez-vous fera votre différence d'avec l'autre entreprise d'en face ou d’à côté qui est prisée par les jeunes diplômés? Salaire? Avantages sociaux? Non, ne parlons pas le langage de vingt ans passés! C'est très beau tout ça, mais la génération Y, ces Millenials, ils voient les choses autrement! Si vous pensez qu'ils vont passer la majeure partie de leur journée entre quatre murs sombres, vous vous trompez! Non, ils ont besoin d'une ouverture sur le monde, non seulement virtuelle mais aussi en temps réel, "ici et maintenant".  Agnès Duroni nous  donne un clair schéma de ce que l’employé de demain cherche. Du reste, pourquoi dire employé? J'opterais pour un mot plus "vibrant". Quid de partenaire de travail, associé, talent? Car c'est une génération qui pense à l'avenir de l'eco-système et qui veut contribuer. Ce sont des engagés quand ils travaillent!

Alors, laissez tomber ces murs qui inhibent la recherche, l'innovation et la communication. Eh oui! tout est marque employeur, branding, communication. Mais qui dit marque employeur dit aussi communication et RH. Eh oui! c'est avancer la main dans la main...

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