IABC T&T Hosts Communications Measurement Expert
"In order for a company to achieve its goals, employees need to take the right actions. They can take those "right actions" only if they know where the company and their business unit are heading, how they are doing against goals, and how they themselves can contribute to the company's success." (Angela Sinickas, The Business Case for Measuring Communication Effectiveness)
How well is communication supporting your company's major objectives? How could you be doing it better? And how do you prove the worth of what you're already doing right? Angela Sinickas set out to answer these questions over 25 years ago. In the process she's become an international pioneer and icon in Communication Measurement - the art and science of showing in concrete terms like Return On Investment (ROI), how internal and external communication is impacting a company's bottom line.
By focusing on measuring the effectiveness of companies' communication efforts, Sinickas went from Publication Editor and Public Information Officer at the University of Illinois Medical Center, to Internal Communication Manager at the Chicago Tribune and Vice-President of Communication at Secomerica. After working for 13 years with major consulting firms Hewitt and Mercer, in 2000 she launched Sinickas Communications Inc. (www.sinicom.com), an international consulting firm that helps corporations achieve business results through focused research and practical solutions.
Her firm's clients include 3M, American Express, Barclays Global Investors, FedEx, Hewlett-Packard, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Novartis, Starbucks, Shell, Welch's, The World Bank, Wyeth and numerous other corporations spanning Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Northern Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US).
It is an unfortunate fact that many companies spend significant amounts on communication with employees and customers, but very little on actually measuring the outcomes of their investment. Some companies are not sure how to gauge the effectiveness of their communication strategies. For instance, Sinickas points out that increased media coverage is not enough. In fact, she makes the disturbing assertion that "counting the number of hits on your website", "how many people receive your newsletter or go to your events, can be irrelevant." Instead, she says, "It is all about what people remember and, crucially, how it changes their behaviour."
"Only behaviours have a financial value," Sinickas argues, "not awareness or understanding…" Based on her experience, companies that do surveys and other forms of communication research may be commended for tracking their investment. However, they need to bear in mind that it is not simply a question of crunching the numbers, but asking the right people the right questions, then knowing how to collate and interpret the data in light of their organisation's objectives.
Then, according to Sinickas, "Data becomes a lever to get things done." Measurement is a powerful way of propelling change in an organisation. Communications professionals can use research results to gain the support of staff and management. Already in several international companies, measurement is a prerequisite for increased budget and staff allocations. Sinickas predicts that it will also become an increasingly important part of performance assessment - helping communications professionals to advance in their careers and standing in the corporate world.
For those in executive positions, measuring communication effectiveness is also crucial to your success. The process identifies "key performance indicators [that] can give you prior warning that there is trouble down the line." In Sinickas' experience, "Employees often know when things are going wrong because they're dealing directly with the customer". It is therefore worthwhile to keep internal communication open and effective. Sinickas also bridges internal communication with employees and external communication with customers, clients and other stakeholders. She asks executives, "What outcome are you looking for?", "What do employees need to know to deliver that outcome?", and "What are the best options for getting them that information?" Her advice: "Internal and external communication should always be coordinated" and measured for effectiveness. Your company's bottom line depends on it.
