Comments on: Diary of An Intern: Learning How to Communicate Change http://www.thechangebase.com/2009/06/23/diary-of-an-intern-learning-how-to-communicate-change/ Creating, Promoting and Leveraging Communities of Change Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:50:24 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Monica http://www.thechangebase.com/2009/06/23/diary-of-an-intern-learning-how-to-communicate-change/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Monica Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:25:47 +0000 http://www.thechangebase.com/?p=252#comment-43 It appears you are well underway to developing a highly successful program! I'm excited to read more regarding the employee participation and future outcomes. As for reading the Changebase, that is easy, it's very interesting. Thank YOU for sharing. It appears you are well underway to developing a highly successful program! I’m excited to read more regarding the employee participation and future outcomes. As for reading the Changebase, that is easy, it’s very interesting. Thank YOU for sharing.

]]> By: Ashley http://www.thechangebase.com/2009/06/23/diary-of-an-intern-learning-how-to-communicate-change/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Ashley Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:40:22 +0000 http://www.thechangebase.com/?p=252#comment-39 Hi Monica, I think you are so right, especially about the question "What's in it for me". At the end of the day, people are motivated to participate or be active in something when they can identify the basic benefits that come to them through that involvement. I think it's really just human nature to look at things that way. In corporate giving, the answer to this question gets a bit muddled - I know that when I volunteer or donate, I feel good. And that in itself is my "selfish" reason for being involved. But not everyone is open to that or willing to only receive that kind of emotional satisfaction in return, which is why buy-in and promotion of these programs on the part of senior leadership and management is so crucial to spurring employee engagement and interest. I also really like what you wrote about involving employees and other constituents in the process so they feel ownership of the program. That's one thing that we haven't quite gotten down at ABC, although some of my projects this summer do focus on ways to integrate employees and their ideas into the fabric of the current program. I'll keep you posted on how things go. Thanks for your insightful comments, and for reading The Changebase! Hi Monica,

I think you are so right, especially about the question “What’s in it for me”. At the end of the day, people are motivated to participate or be active in something when they can identify the basic benefits that come to them through that involvement. I think it’s really just human nature to look at things that way. In corporate giving, the answer to this question gets a bit muddled – I know that when I volunteer or donate, I feel good. And that in itself is my “selfish” reason for being involved. But not everyone is open to that or willing to only receive that kind of emotional satisfaction in return, which is why buy-in and promotion of these programs on the part of senior leadership and management is so crucial to spurring employee engagement and interest.

I also really like what you wrote about involving employees and other constituents in the process so they feel ownership of the program. That’s one thing that we haven’t quite gotten down at ABC, although some of my projects this summer do focus on ways to integrate employees and their ideas into the fabric of the current program. I’ll keep you posted on how things go.

Thanks for your insightful comments, and for reading The Changebase!

]]> By: Monica http://www.thechangebase.com/2009/06/23/diary-of-an-intern-learning-how-to-communicate-change/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Monica Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:08:26 +0000 http://www.thechangebase.com/?p=252#comment-38 Great post and good dialogue. In thinking about the dilemma for peaking interest / enticing your organization to embrace and mobilize around the corporate philanthropy program one item always stands out for me, the fact that people act out of self interest; the law of “what’s in it for me?”. Having led multiple change management initiatives for the evolution or transformation of an organization I have learned that over time your ability to influence and successfully execute your program comes from your ability to meet their needs. Equally effective is having senior leadership support or the organization itself incenting their employees by linking the outcomes to salary and bonuses. What exactly is the culture like at ABC? There are many different ways to gain attention and garner support, please see below: • Use of facts / statistics • Participatory process, allow them to build program with you • Focus on one strong issues vs. many subordinate issues • Emphasize commonalities between supported (funded) organizations and ABC • Run a competition between BU’s and Departments; percentage participating in philanthropic program, total funds raised… Hopefully, these bullets help spur ideas. As always, I would be happy to answer any questions and share additional tips off-line. Best of luck! Great post and good dialogue. In thinking about the dilemma for peaking interest / enticing your organization to embrace and mobilize around the corporate philanthropy program one item always stands out for me, the fact that people act out of self interest; the law of “what’s in it for me?”. Having led multiple change management initiatives for the evolution or transformation of an organization I have learned that over time your ability to influence and successfully execute your program comes from your ability to meet their needs. Equally effective is having senior leadership support or the organization itself incenting their employees by linking the outcomes to salary and bonuses. What exactly is the culture like at ABC? There are many different ways to gain attention and garner support, please see below:
• Use of facts / statistics
• Participatory process, allow them to build program with you
• Focus on one strong issues vs. many subordinate issues
• Emphasize commonalities between supported (funded) organizations and ABC
• Run a competition between BU’s and Departments; percentage participating in philanthropic program, total funds raised…

Hopefully, these bullets help spur ideas. As always, I would be happy to answer any questions and share additional tips off-line. Best of luck!

]]> By: Ashley http://www.thechangebase.com/2009/06/23/diary-of-an-intern-learning-how-to-communicate-change/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Ashley Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:53:43 +0000 http://www.thechangebase.com/?p=252#comment-36 Thanks so much for your thoughtful response! It's very true that philanthropy, community programs, and in some cases environmental sustainability are really "tickets to entry" for companies these days (like you said, "they can't afford not to be"). It's also very interesting to hear that even 30 years ago companies were engaging in these kinds of programs but often for the wrong reasons (an assertion that many claim is still true with companies today). But I believe that consumers can smell authenticity and the companies that can genuinely communicate with both internal and external audiences will win in the end. Thanks so much for your thoughtful response! It’s very true that philanthropy, community programs, and in some cases environmental sustainability are really “tickets to entry” for companies these days (like you said, “they can’t afford not to be”). It’s also very interesting to hear that even 30 years ago companies were engaging in these kinds of programs but often for the wrong reasons (an assertion that many claim is still true with companies today). But I believe that consumers can smell authenticity and the companies that can genuinely communicate with both internal and external audiences will win in the end.

]]> By: Janice Parsons http://www.thechangebase.com/2009/06/23/diary-of-an-intern-learning-how-to-communicate-change/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Janice Parsons Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:38:40 +0000 http://www.thechangebase.com/?p=252#comment-33 Hi Ashley, I just read your latest post about communicating change. It's really fascinating and so on-point; how do we get people to go beyond feeling "good" to feeling real commitment? I believe it must start within the company, at the highest level with an authentic, long-term commitment and plan to walking the walk.... When I worked for the "ACC" company back in 1980, they were big supporters of the arts. As an employee, I knew about it and was proud, but it was in the second-person; I didn't participate directly. Modern art was exhibited at headquarters in Greenwich, CN., and I knew ACC was involved with the Guggenheim Museum, but there was no real "connection" to what we manufactured and who we were as a company in the world community. Thirty years ago I'm guessing there were probably 50,000 ACC employees worldwide. Art and the ballet seemed pretty remote to canning beverages and manufacturing paper plates and cups. As members of the marketing department, we were given tickets to exhibits and we had a sense of "inner sanctum energy" but I didn't feel a company connection to what we were philanthropically supporting. I definitely don't think the thousands of employees felt an affinity or even knew it existed. And just as concerning, how did the arts really connect with the products (and people) of the company? What were the reasons ACC chose the arts? Back then I wasn't alone in feeling it was meant to keep "the executives and their wives" busy. And, of course, it was tax deductible. Way back then, I don't think Corporate was thinking about how the employees could engage and participate. If you were a plant employee, you were completely removed from headquarters and were never invited to the party. Since I was responsible for the packaging and product design for their major consumer products, including "N" Bathroom Tissue, "B" paper towels and others, I felt guilty we weren't doing anything about littering, clean water and chemical pollution. But, this was almost thirty years ago and corporations would never admit to wrong doing. (If I was thinking about pollution 30 years ago, why weren't they thinking about clean air?) In large part, I left my product design career because I was sick of seeing my designs strewn along the highways and beaches. (This brings up a side-bar question; Would companies retain better, more qualified employees if those employees felt the company was doing more to give back? Doesn't feeling "good about the company" go beyond salary and benefits? Isn't social responsiblility at the very core of retaining the best employees? Hasn't it always?) Today we live in a new time. I would like to ask the companies that were here 30+ years ago, "Have you changed enough to make a true connection between what you do for money and what you do in the world? And, what are you doing to empower your employees to feel that when they come to work every day, that what they are doing for you, the company, is also good for themselves and the world? And, for young leaders like yourself, how can you change corporate behavior in companies that were the Fortune 500 just about the time you were all born? How do you change a culture that was built on what seems so foreign to many of you? It's not as easy as joining a carrotmob or a google, especially in the area of maufacturing. These are big, old, established shoes that need to be convinced it's ESSENTIAL for their bottom line; social responsibility can no longer be treated as a hobby or sidebar. There's been Marketing, Sales, Manufacturing and R&D. Now we must add Community to the core components of a corporation. The good news is you and your colleagues are inside doing the changing. It's really time! Thanks so much PS I don't think there's a really good argument for the notion that corporations should not be in the philanthropy business. I believe from my experience, they can't afford not to be. It's an essential cost of staying in business. Hi Ashley,
I just read your latest post about communicating change. It’s really fascinating and so on-point; how do we get people to go beyond feeling “good” to feeling real commitment? I believe it must start within the company, at the highest level with an authentic, long-term commitment and plan to walking the walk….
When I worked for the “ACC” company back in 1980, they were big supporters of the arts. As an employee, I knew about it and was proud, but it was in the second-person; I didn’t participate directly. Modern art was exhibited at headquarters in Greenwich, CN., and I knew ACC was involved with the Guggenheim Museum, but there was no real “connection” to what we manufactured and who we were as a company in the world community. Thirty years ago I’m guessing there were probably 50,000 ACC employees worldwide. Art and the ballet seemed pretty remote to canning beverages and manufacturing paper plates and cups.
As members of the marketing department, we were given tickets to exhibits and we had a sense of “inner sanctum energy” but I didn’t feel a company connection to what we were philanthropically supporting. I definitely don’t think the thousands of employees felt an affinity or even knew it existed. And just as concerning, how did the arts really connect with the products (and people) of the company?
What were the reasons ACC chose the arts? Back then I wasn’t alone in feeling it was meant to keep “the executives and their wives” busy. And, of course, it was tax deductible. Way back then, I don’t think Corporate was thinking about how the employees could engage and participate. If you were a plant employee, you were completely removed from headquarters and were never invited to the party.
Since I was responsible for the packaging and product design for their major consumer products, including “N” Bathroom Tissue, “B” paper towels and others, I felt guilty we weren’t doing anything about littering, clean water and chemical pollution. But, this was almost thirty years ago and corporations would never admit to wrong doing. (If I was thinking about pollution 30 years ago, why weren’t they thinking about clean air?) In large part, I left my product design career because I was sick of seeing my designs strewn along the highways and beaches. (This brings up a side-bar question; Would companies retain better, more qualified employees if those employees felt the company was doing more to give back? Doesn’t feeling “good about the company” go beyond salary and benefits? Isn’t social responsiblility at the very core of retaining the best employees? Hasn’t it always?)
Today we live in a new time. I would like to ask the companies that were here 30+ years ago, “Have you changed enough to make a true connection between what you do for money and what you do in the world? And, what are you doing to empower your employees to feel that when they come to work every day, that what they are doing for you, the company, is also good for themselves and the world?
And, for young leaders like yourself, how can you change corporate behavior in companies that were the Fortune 500 just about the time you were all born? How do you change a culture that was built on what seems so foreign to many of you? It’s not as easy as joining a carrotmob or a google, especially in the area of maufacturing. These are big, old, established shoes that need to be convinced it’s ESSENTIAL for their bottom line; social responsibility can no longer be treated as a hobby or sidebar. There’s been Marketing, Sales, Manufacturing and R&D. Now we must add Community to the core components of a corporation. The good news is you and your colleagues are inside doing the changing. It’s really time!
Thanks so much

PS I don’t think there’s a really good argument for the notion that corporations should not be in the philanthropy business. I believe from my experience, they can’t afford not to be. It’s an essential cost of staying in business.

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