H/Advisors Deekeling Arndt hosted an event in preparation for the annual Internal Communication Symposium, together with beyond – Fachmedium für interne Kommunikation und School for Communication and Management (SCM). Natascha Kunath, from H/Advisors Deekeling Arndt, and Adaora Verena Geiger, from H/Advisors Maitland, highlighted the relevance of internal communication in global transformations.

Around 50 guests, many from well-known companies from sectors including mobility and energy, attended the panel discussion. The panel, moderated by Natascha Kunath, was made up of high-profile figures including Dr Sarah Rötzer from DKV Mobility, Maximilian Floegel from DB Schenker, Michael Kattau from Bosch Mobility and our colleague Adaora Geiger.

The participants faced various transformation challenges in their companies, including:

• Bosch Mobility, originally a supplier of automotive components, is continuously expanding its software-defined vehicles business and faces strong competition from China.
• DB Schenker, a former subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, must integrate around 70,000 employees following its sale to the Danish DSV Group.
• DKV, a Europe-wide, innovative provider of B2B mobility services on a growth course, must integrate new employees into the company and take the workforce with it on the path to the future.

The key insight of the evening was that internal communication is, and will, remain the driving force behind transformation projects for global companies. This is because it influences employees’ understanding of change and their willingness to embrace it. It communicates goals and the necessity of change, and puts it into context. The decisive factor here is empathy: understanding what employees need, what level of knowledge they have, what concerns them – and providing them with the appropriate content to understand changes concerning them.

Managers play a central role here, especially middle management. As trusted advisors and the first point of contact for their teams, they are the most important communication multipliers. It is therefore important to convince them of the benefits of transformation. Authentic and approachable communication between senior management and middle management is extremely important.

Participants shared their own experiences regarding how they are successfully shaping international transformations in their companies: for example, with the help of corporate influencers, through the local adaptation of centrally provided materials or international streams. Another very popular tactic: gamification, such as international quizzes. And crucially important: employee involvement through Q&A sessions, digital feedback channels or regional transformation talks. The rule of thumb is that success should be made visible and celebrated in order to maintain everyone’s motivation. It is also important to give international communicators space. Corporate communications should generate a central buzz, but not prescribe rigid patterns. One option is to set communication goals rather than imposing specific communication formats and involving international teams in the brainstorming process.

We also discussed one of the central challenges of our time: how to deal with fake news and rumours. A recipe for success: be faster than the grapevine, anticipate reactions and be prepared by providing information that is honest, transparent and fact-based. It is better to proactively and officially release content so that, for example, screenshots or photos from video calls do not spread within the company. When it comes to fake news, reacting quickly will help avoid the spread of false information.

Finally, the audience was asked to vote on the topic the panel would address at the end of the panel discussion. The choice: How can you get your messages across to employees despite the flood of information? The consensus: through relevant and exclusive content. One possibility is the authentic involvement of the executive board in short videos or streams for example. It is also important to anticipate what the respective department or level actually needs. Less is more, because time is especially scarce for managers. Also important: clear language and a selection of communication tools for markets and teams to choose what suits them best. It is also crucial to regularly test and measure how the offerings are being received – and to adjust them accordingly. Communication should be fun in order to compete with private social media consumption. However, it is important to strike the right balance as not to disrupt daily workflows.

An exciting and lively exchange between the panelists and the audience ensued during the Q&A session. The most pressing topics were: How can non-digital natives be won over to digital change? How do we reach blue-collar employees, and how are companies dealing with the topic of artificial intelligence?

Natascha Kunath, Managing Director

H/Advisors Deekeling Arndt

[email protected]