With so much information saturating the corporate culture, employers are constantly on the lookout for new ways to get information to their employees by way of corporate communications. After all, even email has become a somewhat old-fashioned way of communicating, as more people use Blackberries and Web conferencing to give out information and pass messages to their employees. There are a number of innovative new ways that you can communicate with your employees. Two great ways include:

• Instant messaging: Almost every Web browser out there has an instant messaging feature these days and this can be a faster method of communicating than even email. Because the instant message alert pops up on the screen each time there is a message, this can be a quick way to communicate with employees working in the office as well as remotely. Beware of this option however: your employees may use it to chat about personal matters when they should be working.

• Snap Comm tools: One of the more unique methods of employer/employee communication on the market today, Snap Comm tools feature six distinct features that allow employers to get their message out to their employees without having to send a slew of individual messages. For example, the six Snap Comm channels include:

• Snap Poll: Want to know exactly what your employees think on a variety of issues? Let them take this quick and easy on-screen quiz that boasts an improved response rate because of its ease of use.

• Snap Ticker: Similar to what you see on CNN, these scrolling tickers will give your employees critical updates and disseminate important company information with the click of a button.

• Snap Quiz: On-screen quiz features will help you get an idea of where your employees might be weak in terms of company policy. There is an automated scoring option that takes the work out of getting all of the results.

• Snap Mag: A replacement for your company newsletter, this electronic version can help reduce the amount of group emails you have to send to virtually nothing.

• Snap Alert: These desktop alerts pop up on the screen as soon as you send out information that has to get to your employees NOW! This is the best way to ensure that your messages take priority over all of the other virtual clutter on your employee’s computer.

• Snap Shots: These screensavers act as billboards, broadcasting your message and ensuring that it is being reinforced every time your employee is forced to view it. A great way to get some core company concepts across.

Effective employee communication is the key to good management and communication between employers and their employees. Both of these methods will ensure that you are keeping up with changes in technology that allow you to communicate more easily with your employees and continue to strive for professional excellence and communication in your place of business.



By: Louis Wright FCS

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As companies and organizations pursue innovation to transform themselves from what they currently are or offer, to what they want to become or provide the marketplace, accountability is the rudder that steers pursuits and prevents a wandering, directionless ship.

Wikipedia defines “Accountability” as part responsibility and answerability, liability and enforcement, blameworthiness and consequences. “Accountability is defined as ‘A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct.”

Whether an independent endeavor or one pursued with the counsel of an Innovation Coach or consultant, accountability within a team is like the principle that guides a group of mountaineers. Each member is tethered to the same length of climbing rope. Each climber lends stability and confidence to the next. But slippage jeopardizes the entire team. One member slips, and while the team is there to catch and recover, the group nonetheless becomes vulnerable.

Accountability is owning up to what’s yours – earning kudos when things go right, and shouldering the blame when things go wrong. For the organization in pursuit of innovation, no component is more critical than the trust borne of accountability. It’s team members holding to deadlines, having your back, or adhering to schedules so the team can advance as a whole.

How should your organization infuse the concept of responsible accountability throughout the enterprise? The following methods can be highly effective at inculcating a culture of Innovation Accountability in an organization…

-          Give Them Enough Rope To… Allow team members decide “how” projects or tasks will get done. Should they get off track, guide them back.

-          It’s Expected: From the start, tell team members what their responsibilities are.

-          We Know that You Know the Answers: Don’t create organizational co-dependency. Step back. Let your people come up with the solutions.

-          Tread Lightly on the Gas Pedal: Once the initial role of providing direction and support is over, build your team’s confidence by backing out of the situation.

-          Skinner Was Right: Positive reinforcement works. When your team, or a team member, does well, lavish praise.

For more tips, visit Robert’s Rules of Innovation’s Accountability page  and click on “Tips“.

In a corporate environment, each team member must feel a responsibility to deliver, to be held accountable, to make good on expectations. This level of accountability is about culture. It’s about buy in. It’s about people knowing their roles, and the limitless possibilities – and positive personal rewards – of jobs performed in an organization guided by the rudder of accountability.

Robert Brands is Author of “Robert’s Rules of Innovation” by Wiley Spring, 2010

www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com

By: Robert F. Brands

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