Communicating organisational philosophy

An organisation's philosophy stems from its culture, mission and vision statement; it dictates almost everything—the everyday functions, ethical stance, treatment of customers and employees, the culture and so on. That said it is important to ensure the entrenchment of philosophies in the heart of the organisation.

Communication is pivotal in this context. Communication of the philosophy must also be scrutinised, shaped and put into practice. Novel approaches can bolster an already strong culture, provide a heightened degree of guidance, propagate productivity, foster a sense of belonging, and encourage ideas.

The old school methods of communication through written notes or through line managers will not bear fruit in a world where we are constantly bombarded with waves of information. Our attention is demanded by one thing after another, and this may divert energy from things more substantial. This can affect job performance.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to two young private sector executives—Asif Iqbal and Faisal Habib—who shared their thoughts on this underrated topic.

Asif, who works in the telecom industry, stressed the importance of measures that will help supplement communication efforts. "First and foremost, a company has to provide an innovative, dynamic, ethical and performance-centric work environment for its employees. Organisational values or philosophies can only be communicated properly if the company can actively promote a culture of mutual respect, parity, courtesy and transparency across all levels of the company," he said.

Faisal however thinks that values "must be incorporated in formal communications networks like email." He added that senior managers must try to convey the essence of these values when they casually gossip or talk business. And while the importance of sustaining the philosophy in the informal aspect is of utmost importance, there are communication tools to ingrain the practice in the organisation's functioning.

Gamification
Gamification refers to the use of the elements of game playing (such as scores, competition, rules) into other activities. This can be an effective medium when the employee base is relatively young, since young people are more attuned to gaming. Due to its interactive nature, gamification can deliver content in an engaging manner and motivate employees to go the extra mile.

Visuals
Visual stimulus works because it has a strong impact on the memory and perception of the viewer. Videos, when associated with emotions, can yield the essence of a firm's philosophy. Infographics and photos too, if they are rich in content and visually striking, can stimulate employees to align themselves with the culture and philosophy.

CSR
CSR activities based on the firm's philosophy can increase motivation and give rise to a sense of fulfilment. The end result is improved alignment with the firm's philosophy. For an extra boost, a firm may include community work in its KPIs and provide platforms to employees to engage in it.

Relate philosophy with outcomes
A holistic view of the reasons and outcomes for the adoption of the philosophy makes clear to the employee, its importance. It helps employees prioritise. In other words, through evaluation of employees of what's important and what isn't, the firm's performance improves.

Informal discussions with managers
Informal discussions, when employees are relaxed, allow for better communication. Managers can use this opportunity to make a greater impact on the team.

The feedback process in itself is crucial for the operation of an organisation to be smooth. This opportunity of one to one interaction can be used by supervisors stress on the firm's philosophy and its aspects to an employee. This not only makes for a direct communication with the employee, but also allows better retention.

Model employees
Stories of successful employees both current and former can be used to highlight the role of the organisation's philosophy by showing how it fostered success. This inspires existing employees, especially newcomers to better understand, aspire and correct misconceptions.