In the InnoFuture article, “Business Is Personal“, we dove into the necessity of the “personal touch” aspect of business. The fact is, the Internet is not making business more faceless – it is making it much more transparent and personal. Every day, millions of people support and communicate with companies that they relate to via social media, and those who are not part of the revolution will be ruined by it.
This also applies, and in fact starts with, your workforce. People do business with people, and people work in or with organisations. It is imperative to “connect” with your entire team if you want the agility and efficiency to thrive in the Global Economy.
Strategic communication is not about board meetings and the best way to present business objectives. Strategic communication is about leveraging the people aspect of your business to make it more agile, transparent, and relatable to the market. In this new age, authenticity is key, but proper communication of your mission and values MUST be a priority.
In the past, many mega-corporations focused on efficiency – with almost no thoughts to employee engagement and strategic communication. The assembly line era is now dead, and we must think more on productivity, innovation, and creativity if we want to gain a competitive advantage. To do this, the gap between top leaders and the workforce needs to close. The term “tight ship” no longer means being a dictator – it means running the most maneuverable vessel with a crew that works together as one.
Australian businesses are in a prime position to take advantage of the new era of innovation, but to do we will need organisations that see the big picture and are able to react quickly. Business leaders must be progressive, ambitious, and eager to change their own businesses – and in turn change the world.
