Black Belt Dojo

...and the winner is...

My recent silence has been due to the pressure of work.  I've been fully occupied on a change programme in Scandinavia - explaining a new strategy to a workforce coming to terms with job cuts and a radical shift in thinking about what it means to be a global player in a world of high oil prices and economic slow down.

One of the things we're been debating is how an awards programme fits into all this.

On the face of it, glamourous presentations and posh frocks are probably not that compatable with a message set that includes 'driving out cost.'  But there is a problem of showing people what behaviours are valued in the new world.

I think the trick is going to be to come up with something simple - that allows managers to recognise the right performance.  We're developing something based around the four core messages in the change but the biggest headache is finding a scheme that requires minimal administration.

This will be no mean feat if we pull it off.  I know from experience that schemes like the excellent Helios Awards at BP require a lot of energy.  It's not just the paperwork in ensuring everything is open and above board.  There's a good deal of politics involved as well.

How do you avoid senior leaders fretting that the 'wrong' people might win?  Once, on a scheme I worked on I had to explain to a director that none of his people had won anything because they hadn't entered.

And then there is the challenge of keeping it going year after year.  And keeping it fresh.

Despite all that, I'm really enjoying it....

Liam

The end is near...

Well, my month is almost up as the guest blogger here on the Black Belt Dojo and it’s been emotional. The battle to save our employee magazine comes to a head today; I have a meeting with our CEO at 3pm. Thanks to everyone who contacted me to offer help in building my case; your assistance has been invaluable. When I know the outcome, I will add a comment to this post updating you all.

I am on leave for three weeks from the end of the day today and for the first time in a long time, I really feel like I need this break. It has been a tough month in IC for easyJet. Do you ever get the feeling that you are dodging the crosshairs of the CEO and sometimes, you are just not quick enough to get out of the way?

If Sue and Liam ever ask you to be the guest blogger here, seize the chance with both hands. During this last month, I have received emails from IC professionals from around the world, been asked to feature in a magazine as a guest columnist and even been headhunted (sadly the job is well out of my league for now…but my head is twice its normal size).

If you want to stay in touch, or make initial contact feel free to give me a poke(!) or add me as a friend on Facebook using taffysteve@hotmail.com to find me.

In a Jerry Springer stylee, I will leave you with a final thought:

When asked what they want to be when they grow up, not many children will say “I want to work in Internal Communications”. Most of the communicators I know say that they ended up in the role ‘by accident’. However, there is a universal connection that seems to run through all IC professionals the world over; we care about what we do. We know the value we can add to an organisation and we know the difference effective communications can make. Now, if only we could get others to see it…

Take care of yourself…and each other.

Steve