Looking at improving your internal focus groups? Here are some ‘recession-proof’ recommendations

Most communicators are involved at some point in their careers in crafting and conducting organizational engagement surveys. Though some are also known to conduct more frequent health checks or focus groups or pulse checks which keep a tab on how employees feel.
Recently, on a request to chip in with ideas to enhance the process, I [...]

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Are you losing your best performers in this downturn?

The India Attrition Study 2008 (October 2008- March 2009) conducted by Business Today and People Strong  is out. The May 3, 2009 dated edition of Business Today carries an article on key findings.
 
The study tried to understand why employees quit and how this current slowdown has impacted the way employers view their employees. The [...]

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A leader’s understanding of external realities key to managing internal communication

 At the Easter Mass on Saturday, the priest in his sermon requested his parishioners to reflect on the meaning of the Holy Week and the realities of the world we live in. 
 
 
 
 On one hand, he spoke of the sacrifice which Jesus made and then caustically talked of the ‘shoe’ culture we see around us, referencing [...]

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Value feedback or find it on a Discussion Forum!

A mail in our internal informal network caught my attention. It was from an employee upset by the poor service and attitude which his team and he experienced while at lunch at a newly opened restaurant in Delhi.
 
What made me sit up was the potential impact of this experience (read: word of mouth/viral spread of [...]

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Communicating the ‘final lap’ – the missing link?

 A senior human resources professional was perturbed by a mail from the training department calling employees to collect certificates for a prestigious training from an individual’s desk!
 
 

 

 
 
The letter had an ‘inhuman’ touch and he was livid comparing it to distributing ‘water bottles’ which had become a rage in the organization recently.
 
I agreed he had a [...]

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Consistent communication key among best employers in India

The recent 2009 Outlook Business – Hewitt Associates study (the 6th by Hewitt) on Best Employers highlights the importance of communication even in a downturn. Building a sense of urgency, having clearer channels of communication and motivating managers and support staff to give their best in trying times helped propel organizations such as HCL, Hindustan [...]

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