5 Ways To Build Stronger Relationships with Corporate Communications

One of the most critical stakeholders involved in every single organisational change is the corporate communication team. From personal experience, I understand how challenging it can be to work with the corporate communication team, but this doesn’t have to be a frustrating process. When you develop a solid and genuinely collaborative relationship with the corporate communication team, your change program will be a raging success. 

Today I’m sharing 5 ways to help you build stronger relationships with this important stakeholder. These are practical tips you can put in place to create a fun, productive partnership with the communication team. I talk about trusting the experts, being open to receiving feedback from the communication team and creating opportunities to actively collaborate and brainstorm with them. 

We also need to celebrate success together with the corporate communication team! When you work in this collaborative, respectful and mutually beneficial way, you are genuine teammates. 

I see a lot of change managers feeling frustrated, let down and like they’ve lost their voice when it comes to working with the corporate communication team. It can be incredibly challenging. So today, I’m sharing 3 common mistakes I see change managers make which are a lack of clarity, micromanaging the experts and failing to collaborate. None of these things will lead to the success of your change program. 

Stay tuned to the end of the episode as I share my personal approach to building a strong, productive, working relationship with the corporate communication team from the get-go. I share my recommendation for exactly how to prepare for your first meeting with the corporate communication team to kick things off in the right way. This step-by-step approach always works!  

There are so many benefits to working in collaboration with the corporate communication team and immeasurable ways they can support organisational change managers and change initiatives. Your communication campaign will be more effective, your key messages will be clear and consistent, stakeholders will be more engaged, and your change program will be a huge success.

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FULL TRANSCRIPT:
[00:00:00] Kate: Welcome to today's episode of The New Way Podcast. I'm Dr. Kate Byrne, and I am so stoked that you've tuned in because we're about to have a really, really valuable conversation. I especially wanna give you props if you're listening to this episode on the day that it's released, because I know that it's Easter weekend right now, and I know it's the beginning of school holidays too for a lot of people.

[00:01:32] I bet that you've got a lot on. And so I really wanna recognise you and congratulate you on carving out some time today to reflect on this very professionally focused topic that we're gonna be talking about. I promise it's gonna be worth your while. Today we're gonna be diving into how to help us work better with one of your most critical stakeholders .

[00:01:56] They're involved in every single organisational change, no matter what your focus. I'm talking about the corporate communication team. As someone leading or working in the change management space, you already know that effective communication is crucial to the success of any organisational change program.

[00:02:17] But the truth is, and I know this from experience, working with the corporate communication team can be really challenging sometimes. So today I wanna talk about some of the most common challenges that I see change managers face when they're working with the communication team. I'm gonna talk about the most common mistakes I see folks making, why it's so important to have a really productive working relationship with these stakeholders.

[00:02:44] And I'm also gonna share a bunch of practical tips to help you create a fun, productive partnership with the communication team. And when you put all of those into action, well, I know from experience that your colleagues in the change project or change team, they're gonna think that you have just got the Midas touch.

[00:03:02] They're gonna be asking you what is going on. also, by the way, at the end of this episode, I share exactly how I recommend you prepare for your first or your next meeting with the corporate communication team to kick things off in the right way. I am literally gonna give you my step-by-step approach, and I have never ever seen any other change lead outside of my team.

[00:03:28] Do this. It always works. So hang around for the whole episode so you don't miss out. I hear from a lot of change managers that they struggle to work with the corporate comms team. And by the way, when I say comms in this episode, I mean communications. I'm gonna try to say the full word, but if I get lazy accidentally and say, comms, now you know what it means.

[00:03:52] I think that at least once a week I'm having a conversation with a change manager who is letting off steam about feeling, let down about perhaps the deliverables that the corporate communication team has produced for them. Or Pissed off even, I would say, when they have tried to get that team to help them spread the word about the change initiative that they're working on. So I know this is a topic that's impacting a lot of change teams right now, and if it's not something that you've experienced yet, buckle in because you probably will. So this episode is for you.

[00:04:25] I have a unique perspective on this relationship between the change and communication teams because my body of work spans both. I've worked in the change management space for a very long time, and I also have a PhD in professional communication, so hopefully you're gonna find the ideas and the tips and the insights and all of that good stuff that I'm about to share with you really, really useful. 

[00:04:49] First up, I want to answer a question that I get from time to time about change managers or project managers about communications. People will sometimes ask me if there's a single method or model for communication, something that they can be certified in. You know, something like Prince two for project management, MSP for program management, or pro PCI for change Manage.

[00:05:14] And the answer is no. There isn't a single model for communication like that, and I don't think there should be. Hear me out here. Okay. A single professional communication framework would have to cover so many things. It would be so broad, it would just be useless. And that's because there are many different best practice models that a communication professional draws upon at any one time to do their work. Depending on the context, for example, corporate communication can span everything from branding, media management, executive communi.

[00:05:51] Change communications, issues management, crisis communications, social media, events management, science, communication, copywriting, direct marketing, community consultation, speech writing, political campaigns, digital communication, advertising, accessibility, writing for the web, that kind of thing, and so much more. There are so many useful models and frameworks and principles. Best practices out there for each of those so you can kind of see It's a lot. 

[00:06:22] the great news about that is that there is a ton of ways that a corporate communication team can support organisational change managers and change initiatives. For example, they can help develop and implement a really comprehensive communication plan to help make sure that all of your stakeholders. Are aware, they're informed about the change initiative. They can also help to create and refine key messages to make sure that those messages are really clear, they're consistent, and they really resonate with your most important audiences because they know those internal audiences so well.

[00:06:58] They can actually help you identify potential resistance to change and come up with strategies to overcome it, which is something that. I don't think any other change manager engages the corporate communication team on, but that is a really important thing they can do to help. And of course, the corporate communication team can help to create and distribute all staff, emails, newsletters, internet articles, all of that kind of thing to keep your employees informed about the change initiative.

[00:07:27] They could help by providing media training and coaching to leaders to help executive sponsors provide visible support to your change initiative. And I bet that the corporate communication team in your organisation knows how to monitor and measure communication effectiveness across the entire organisation, and so that means that they can help you adjust and change communication strategies as needed.

[00:07:51] Hopefully you can see just from that really quick snapshot, how important these stakeholders are and how the corporate communication team could play a really critical role in your organisational change program. The key is working in a genuinely collaborative way. when you're working in partnership with the corporate communication team guys, magic happens. The change initiative is way more likely to be communicated effectively, and of course in turn, that can really increase stakeholder buy-in. It can reduce unexpected or negative responses to the change. It can help proactively track, manage, and refine the effectiveness of your communication campaigns at every stage along the change journey and all of that together, of course, ultimately increases the initiative's chance of success. But to get this holy grail, You've gotta know how to work with them.

[00:08:48] Too often I see change managers kind of rush in and really half-ass their relationship with the corporate communication team. This is a big mistake. No matter what your change program is about, it's more likely to be successful if you have a great relationship with the corporate communication team. That's why it is amazing to me how few change managers I speak to focus on these important stakeholders and genuinely partner with these experts.

[00:09:20] Firstly, let's have some real talk about the challenges that change managers face when they're working with the communication team. Here are three examples of scenarios that I see play out all of the time. I bet that you're gonna see yourself in at least one of these examples.

[00:09:36] The first has to do with miscommunication. Most change managers that I know often have a really specific vision for their change program. But when it comes to articulating that vision to the communication team, it can be really challenging, can't it? If this communication breakdown happens, the way that you're working with the communication team, the materials they produce for you, the strategy they develop for you, it's not gonna reflect your vision.

[00:10:04] For example, let's say that you're a change manager for a federal agency and that you are leading. An enterprise-wide initiative to transition their paper-based filing system to an electronic system. Perhaps you share the project timeline with the corporate communication team and you ask them to develop a communication plan to help inform all of those impacted employees, everyone about the upcoming changes.

[00:10:29] Now, if you haven't done a great job communicating the change context and your vision, the communication team, well, they could assume any number of things. For example, they might assume that employees are gonna be really excited about the change, that they're gonna see it as a really positive thing, and that means potentially that they could create a communication plan that focuses solely on the benefits of the new.

[00:10:54] As a result, of course, that could mean that some of your stakeholders, employees, who disagree with the change, could feel that their concerns are really being ignored, and it could mean they become even more resistant, and that is just gonna create a world of pain for you, isn't it? It's gonna lead to nothing but delays and frustration for everyone involved.

[00:11:17] Now another really challenging scenario that I see come up all the time has to do with different objectives. This is something that you may have been involved in before, but you may not have successfully diagnosed. Why you felt that this was so challenging. Why you felt in conflict with the corporate communication team.

[00:11:40] But the fact is that the corporate communication team probably have different objectives in mind for their work. . And of course that can be a source of tension between your change team and the communication team. No one is right or wrong here. It's okay to have different agendas.

[00:11:57] The key is to find out as much as you can about the corporate communication team's goals as early as possible so that you can work with them on that. Now if change managers aren't mindful of the potential different objectives on the table from the very beginning, things can get very annoying very, very quickly.

[00:12:21] For example, let's say that you're a change manager, maybe for a state government department, and you are leading an initiative to modernise They're public transportation system. And if you are, that's so cool. What an awesome, exciting kind of complex program you're working on.

[00:12:38] Now, if you are in that situation, your primary objective could be to improve the transit system and increase ridership, for example, but perhaps the corporate communications team. Primary objective could be to manage the public image of the city and to promote the benefits of the overarching modernization to the public.

[00:13:02] Now, this means. That the communication team might wanna emphasise the benefits of the new transit system. Maybe they want their messaging to mention, you know, things like increased reliability, reduced commute times, all of that kind of thing. But as the change manager, you might feel like those messages are not directly linked to the primary objective of increasing ridership. this difference is gonna become a really big issue, isn't it? You're gonna feel that the corporate communication team just isn't focusing on the most important message for your change initiative, and they might feel like you aren't considering the impact of the public perception of the change initiative.

[00:13:46] And all of that adds up to trouble with a capital T. Now the last really common challenge that I see change managers having is a really shitty time trying to work with the communication team because they feel a lack of control. This can lead to a source of frustration, particularly if the plan, the communication plan evolves away from your original vision or if the communication team isn't kind of keeping you updated on progress, that you feel like they're not consulting you on key decisions as you are kind of working together.

[00:14:20] For example, let's say that you are leading an initiative to implement a new technology system across the whole organisation. The goal of the new system is all about achieving efficiency and helping people be more productive. And so perhaps you have, with that in mind, carefully designed a change strategy that is all about minimizing disruption to employee.

[00:14:44] Congratulations if you have. Now, let's imagine that the corporate communication team wants to take a much more proactive approach to communicating the changes. They might want to have many more frequent updates going out to employees, and you might feel like that approach is not aligned with the change strategy that you have carefully developed. And if that's the case, it can really lead to feeling like you're outta control. you don't have control over the messaging or the timeline. You might feel like you don't have a voice and that the change plan that you designed is not being taken into account by corporate communication. 

[00:15:21] And I get how that can really feel like things are out of your control. Now, , just as I was going through those examples, if you are rocking back and forth in the corner, I'm so sorry. I know that if you've worked in the change management space for more than a few months, At least one of those examples probably brought you straight back to experiences that you've had in the past, or perhaps you're even in the thick of it right now with the corporate communication team.

[00:15:49] If that's you, don't worry. I'm gonna help you out. So there are three really common mistakes that I see change managers make when they try to work with a corporate communication team. The first is around a lack of clarity. When the change manager isn't clear on what they want from the communication team, that can just lead to a whole bunch of confusion and misalignment, not just between your goals and the corporate communication team's goals, but much worse.

[00:16:18] It can lead to a lack of clarity and confusion for your stakeholders, which is a big problem. Of course, the second most common mistake that I see change managers making is trying to micromanage the corporate communication team. Micromanaging the corporate comms team is just gonna be counterproductive and really create unnecessary tension. I've seen so many examples of this going wrong across my career. Micromanaging a team of experts is not gonna lead to anything positive. Just think about how you felt the last time someone tried to micromanage you.

[00:16:53] It's not good. Right? working in partnership means genuinely respecting their communication expertise and their knowledge of the target audiences. Ultimately, it comes down to you trusting the communication team's expertise and providing them with the necessary guidance and support to effectively communicate the change together.

[00:17:15] And now the third biggest mistake that I see change managers making is something I've already mentioned a few times, and that is failing to collaborate. If you don't prioritise collaboration and teamwork, and I mean genuine collaboration and teamwork with the corporate communication team, if you're not treating them like they really are, one of your most important stakeholders and hopefully at this point you agree that they are, you're just gonna miss really crucial opportunities for creativity and innovation. Real collaboration and teamwork is about sharing information. It's about having agreed expectations, keeping promises, being transparent, finding ways to honor each other's workflows, timeframes, and approval processes, all of that kind of stuff.

[00:18:01] Collaboration is the only way that you and the communication team are gonna be able to work together to really anticipate potential issues, to proactively address stakeholder concerns as they arise, and to action feedback, in a really timely way to make sure that your change communication campaign is as effective as it can be.

[00:18:22] So those are the three most common mistakes. Now, let me state for the record, I am not perfect and I do not want to give that impression. I have made those mistakes in the past too. I know about those scenarios that I mentioned before because I've been in those situations myself in the past, but it doesn't have to be that. You never ever need to make those mistakes again. And it's easy to not when you know what to do. There are huge benefits that come with a productive working relationship between.

[00:18:53] The change manager or the change team and the corporate communication team. I'm talking about priceless benefits, like increased clarity where both teams are on the same page about the change programs, objectives, vision, and outcomes. I'm talking about better outcomes for stakeholders throughout the whole change journey because you are both gonna be able to bring your expertise and perspective to the table.

[00:19:17] And of course I'm talking about increased efficiency because when you are working really well with the corporate communication team, the whole change program is gonna be able to progress much more efficiently because everyone will be able to focus on their areas of expertise, be trusting each other, and just getting it done.

[00:19:36] Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Let me get to the good stuff. I wanna share five practical tips to help you create a fun, productive working relationship with the corporate communication team from here on in, no matter where you are with them right now. Okay, so my first tip is to always clearly define your objectives.

[00:19:58] Be absolutely transparent about them, and share them with the communication team really early on, as early as you possibly can. This is gonna help make sure that everyone's on the same page and working towards the same goals. My next tip is to trust the experts. Remember that the communication team really are experts in their field so you can trust them to deliver great work.

[00:20:22] Now, this doesn't mean that you can't provide feedback or suggestions, but whatever you do, don't micromanage their work. In case you missed me saying this earlier, professional communication is a really complex multifaceted field and people working in this space typically really do know their stuff.

[00:20:42] Corporate communication teams are typically experts in developing and implementing communication strategies that are really gonna support an organisation's broadest goals. Objectives. They likely use all kinds of communication channels and tactics like public relations, marketing, advertising, internal communications, and social media to reach all different kinds of stakeholders inside the organisation, as well as external stakeholders which may be impacting your, the context of your change initiative.

[00:21:15] And they really are experts in communication strategies, tactics, and channels that typically work really well when engaging stakeholders inside their organisation. So you really want to be able to plug into them. My next tip is to be open to receiving feedback from the communication team, because they're gonna have insights and ideas that you probably haven't considered.

[00:21:39] This isn't a competition between the change team and the communication team about whose strategy is better when you're focusing on taking on board and incorporating feedback. It's only gonna make the change communication campaign strong. Now my fourth tip is to create opportunities to actively collaborate and brainstorm with them.

[00:22:00] This is about you creating those opportunities, not sitting back and waiting for them to call you. you can do this, by scheduling regular meetings with the communication team, specifically to brainstorm ideas and to share early. This can be a really great opportunity for creativity and innovation, and it's really gonna take your working relationship as well as the outputs of the communication strategy to the next level for you.

[00:22:28] And my final tip is a bit strange. It's probably not something you're thinking of, but it is to celebrate successes together with the corporate communication team when you are getting your relationship right, the corporate comms, well, they're your teammates. Genuinely. It's not a transactional relationship and it never should be.

[00:22:49] So bring them into the change teams inner circle when it's time to celebrate, when you achieve a milestone in your change plan, when you get glowing feedback from stakeholders, take the time to acknowledge the corporate communication team and celebrate wins with. So those five tips are really gonna help you maintain a great working relationship with the corporate communication team throughout the whole change journey.

[00:23:16] But now I also wanted to share my personal approach to building a strong, productive, working relationship with them from the get-go, from my very first interaction with them. first things. I recommend learning about the services that the corporate communication team provides. This is the first step to building a strong, productive, working relationship.

[00:23:39] But where do you start? Okay, well, here's exactly what I do. Like I said at the beginning of this episode, I have never seen another change manager take all of these steps. So when you do, you are going to be distinguishing yourself as a professional from the very beginning, and it's never too late to do this.

[00:23:59] So if you already, you know, you're kind of halfway through your change program. You've been engaging with the communication team in a way that feels really clunky and transactional. You can use this approach to improve things moving. so step one is to schedule a meeting with the corporate communication team for some time in the next week or two.

[00:24:19] Do this right now. I mean, I know it's Easter, but do it when you're back at work, before you need anything specific from them. Book that meeting. Don't wait until you urgently new need communication materials to get in contact. That's something that amateurs do and that's not you. So request a meeting with them to discuss the services that they provide and how they most like to work with others.

[00:24:43] This is gonna be a great opportunity to ask questions, to acknowledge their expertise, to make it obvious that you get how important skillful professional communication is to the success of any organisational change program, including yours, and to gain a better understanding of the team's. Services and capabilities.

[00:25:06] Now, before you actually have the meeting, you're gonna do everything else I'm about to mention. I want you to review the corporate communication teams website. I bet that they have a hub on the internet. Now is the time to go and check it out. This is a great way to gain a better understanding of their services expertise, their areas of focus. Even if it's outta date, check it out. Familiarize yourself with any templates and any communication guides that they've provided there, you're gonna be able to get a sense of their style, their tone and messaging, and all of that is gonna help you understand how the communication team approaches communication inside the organisation and the types of messages that resonate with your target audience as.

[00:25:52] Your next step is to review past communication materials. It is amazing to me how few change managers do this. So take a look at past communication materials that the corporate comms team has produced for past campaigns. This is gonna give you a sense of their style, their tone, their messaging. What communication channels do they typically.

[00:26:16] It's really important to understand how the communication team approaches their work approaches, you know, the outputs, what they deliver, and the types of messages, that they're putting out there. Step four is to attend any, any training sessions or workshops that the corporate communication team offers.

[00:26:37] Yes. Even if you have a heap of experience in communication, even if you have a background or qualifications in change communication, like I do remember. The corporate communication team is a key stakeholder for you, so attending any training sessions or workshops they offer, it's not so much about upskilling you, although that's probably gonna be really helpful.

[00:26:59] That's a great side benefit. In fact, this is much more about giving you a better understanding of their approach to communication and best practices. And step five is to ask around what I mean by that. Have conversations with people outside of the corporate communication team and get their feedback. So I'm talking from people who are in other teams, other divisions, colleagues that you out worked with who may have worked with the corporate communication team in the past.

[00:27:31] How did it go for them? What materials were produced? How effective were they? How satisfied were they with the services? what lessons did they learn through their engagement with the corporate communication team? The answers to those questions can provide really valuable insights into the corporate communication team's strengths and weaknesses.

[00:27:50] And every team has strengths and weaknesses and resourcing pressures, and the corporate communication team in your organisation is gonna have them too. So it's really important to get across them and understand them. Do each of those things before your first or your next meeting. With the team. There you have it.

[00:28:10] Take those five practical steps to learn about the services that the corporate communication team provides before your next meeting. Hopefully it's your first, but even if it's not your next meeting, and you're gonna be really well on your way to building a solid relationship with the corporate comms team.

[00:28:27] This is the exact approach that I use to build a better understanding of how an organisation's corporate communication team can support a change initiative. So that I can collaborate more effectively with them because every corporate communication team is different inside every organisation. And like I said, I am amazed at how few change managers take these steps.

[00:28:50] It really baffles me because, They are key stakeholders. Having the corporate comms team on board is akin to having a great relationship with the executive assistant network inside the business. Okay. I hope that you've found the tips that I've shared in this episode really useful, and I hope you're inspired to give them a go.

[00:29:10] When you've got the corporate communication team on side, you are gonna be able to genuinely collaborate and work together, and when that happens, everyone benefits. Your communication campaign is gonna be more effective. Your materials are gonna look spot on. Your key messages will be clear and consistent.

[00:29:29] Stakeholders will be more engaged, your boss is gonna be happy, and of course, as a wonderful side effect to all of that, you are gonna look great as a result. That's it for today's podcast. I hope that you found these tips really useful, and if you have, please head over to your podcast player right now, hit subscribe, and leave me a five star review.

[00:29:51] It really helps more than you know, and I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much for tuning in and I can't wait to connect with you again next week. Bye for now.

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