Taking A ‘Worldview’ Of Communications

Technology is changing the perspective of employee communications, both in the way we communicate with one another – and the way we communicate within an organization.

Clichéd though it sounds, the world is truly a smaller place and, as an employee communications function, our role is moving away from generating the topics of the day and towards facilitating dialogue.

It is for this reason that such matters as inclusivity, respect and personal justice must remain on the agenda of employee communication professionals.

A Culture Of Inclusion

Being open is the best aspiration but creating a social business culture supported by a truly engaged workforce is more than just encouraging people to speak up.

It’s our responsibility, as communicators, to give people the right to a voice and to facilitate the move away from the old-fashioned ‘top-down’ method of communicating towards a genuine culture of inclusion.

It’s common for social media to be used as a platform for some pretty heavyweight discussions and that’s broadly a good thing.

But these scenarios open a different level of mediation: for example, who says one opinion is right and another wrong? Culture, religion, politics – the things we never spoke about over dinner are the daily fodder of the twitter feed.

So, how do we ensure we tackle issues openly, fairly, respectfully and globally?

Of course, there have been high-profile incidences of employees voicing opinions that aren’t shared by their corporation: and of these employees, many find themselves in breach of a policy they may not even have considered relevant to their personal social media activity.

Avoiding such negative outcomes compels us, as employee communications, to strive to find the perfect balance.

We need to ensure our people are motivated enough to want to comment, but not in a disenfranchised way that makes them feel the need to use social media to vent work-related frustrations.

The Colorful World Of Employee Decision Making

Canadian historian and evangelical minister, Roland Müller, spawned the concept of the ‘three colors of the worldview’.

Just as computers display millions of colors that are created by mixing only three primary colors: red, green, and blue, in a similar way, every culture can be evaluated as a mix of three worldviews: Honor-Shame, Guilt-Innocence, and Power-Fear.

The three worldviews can be visualized as three colored lenses - formed of the basic beliefs and assumptions that underpin behavior and culture.

People take in the world around them and make decisions on how to act through the filter of these lenses. And if the lenses overlap, they reveal even deeper nuances and complexities of inter-cultural communications.

When you consider that such a color-complexity exists, you truly begin to comprehend the challenge facing today’s employee communicator.

With the need to find a balance in each of these areas, to address the nuances and complexities that come with inter-cultural communications, how do we put out a message that is representative?

Bringing Values & Purpose Sharply Into Focus

A truly successful global business needs to celebrate and support a rich tapestry of cultures. You might have a business headquartered in one country, with origins in another, a CEO of another nationality and employees spread around the globe. This incredible cultural mix is inspiring yet intimidating for the employee communicator as it presents opportunities as well as risks.

I’m proud to work for a company where we experience this ‘cultural complexity’. However, even though it’s something we recognize, we definitely do not always have the answers we need to get our message right.

There’s no doubt that this digital age requires businesses to bring their values and purpose sharply into focus. If we truly believe in engaging and empowering our people, then we must do so.

With opinions now shared so widely, a brand that does not deliver on its promises will soon find itself publicly questioned.

Right To Speak And Listen

For employee communications, the responsibility of raising the profile of our people comes from a deep belief and genuine interest in others’ worldviews. We can only be respectful in our own opinions if we understand those of others.

This sums up my interpretation of justice for all and my belief that all our people have the right to speak and also to listen without insult or injury.

But there is an equally pressing need to address the risks of individual opinions being out of step with those of the corporate entity. Brands can be damaged by ill-considered comments, which spread like wildfire on social media.

We Cannot Dictate Culture. We Can Help Encourage Culture

Such complex issues are a part of today’s world and our approach to dealing with them needs to be inclusive throughout the organization.

We cannot dictate what people think or feel but we can help to encourage a culture where anything shared is respectful and mindful of a mix of cultures and opinions.

My favorite quotation, and something by which I try to live, is by Maya Angelou:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

An Opportunity For Employee Communications

In my opinion, this is the new dynamic for employee communications: we find ourselves charged with balancing the scales. We need to judge when a comment is appropriate or justified; when communication needs to be open or confidential; indeed, when the passion or idealism should be allowed to drive our thoughts.

Where is the tipping point?

How sensitive do we need to be and how can we avoid turning into automatons, devoid of emotion or strong opinion?

Any truly global business must celebrate the rich tapestry of their culture mix, their worldview. Such cultures will undoubtedly reflect all three of Müller’s colors and, as communications professionals, our challenge should be to make sure our business narrative does the same.

How do you give a voice to employees and deal with a mixture of worldviews within your organization?