being a strategic advisor be more, do less summary of survey results liz guthridge august 11, 2011

Being a Strategic AdvisorBe more, do less

Summary of Survey Results

Liz Guthridge

August 11, 2011

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What we’re covering

What?– Being a Strategic Advisor survey

• The purpose• The results

So what?– Implications and insights

Now what? – Fall 2011 Strategic Action Group

For more info: liz.guthridge@connectconsultinggroup.com

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Purpose of survey

Understand and start to close the gap

We want more

strategic

communication

counsel.

The support we get isn’t

that effective.. Strategic

Communication AdvisorsLeaders

Meet goalsBecome more valuedBuild a legacy

Provide valueBuild credibility and trustBecome indispensible

?

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Gap: what leaders want vs. get

“The Authentic Enterprise” from Arthur W. Page Society, 2007

“You want your communications staff to be

stronger than you’ve been willing to deal

with in the past: more experienced, higher

quality thinking process, being able to see

around the corners, broader experience

base. All those things.”

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Gap: what leaders want vs. get

Effective delivery of internal communication

Importance of effective internal communication

22%

95%

Internal Communication

Deloitte & Touche Human Capital Survey of CEOs – which HR issues are important to the success of the business

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Gap: what leaders want vs. get

“The Authentic Enterprise” from Arthur W. Page Society, 2007

“Obviously, if you have someone who is

relatively inexperienced in business and is

simply a communications / PR expert, that

doesn’t work.”

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About the survey

What do strategic communication advisors say about themselves?

• Online survey conducted by Connect Consulting

• Survey administered July 8 – Aug. 4, 2011

• 113 respondents &39 partial responses with 929 visits

Questions: • 7 quantitative • 7 qualitative • 8 demographic

736 write-in comments

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What strategic communication advisors say

About leaders:

• Don't know what they want or aren’t clear on what they want.

• Don’t make the time.

• Have competing priorities.

• Fail to communicate their needs.

• Unwilling to recognize their need for strategic communication advisors.

• Think they can do it on their own.

• Believe that communications is magic!

• (Senior leaders) are very status conscious and don't welcome challenge and advice from more junior communicators.

• Leaders egos/refusal to really listen to strategic counsel and survey results.

• Resist change, along with the organization.

• Don’t understand the ROI.

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What strategic communication advisors say

About communication advisors:

• Fail to understand company goals.

• Not familiar with the business.

• Have poor consulting skills, business acumen and inadequate political skills.

• Don’t have strong dedicated communications leadership.

• Not willing to push back or offer alternative solutions.

• Have rigid, boilerplate thinking.

• Lack a systematic approach to advising.

• Don’t always understand what makes communication strategic versus tactical, so they're not equipped to give senior leaders what they want.

• (Inexperienced team members) focus on low hanging fruit and don’t challenge for improvement.

• Lack of time.

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About the respondents

22%

32%19%

20%

7%

Number of years

20+ years 10-20 years 5 -10 years

2-5 years < 2 years

2% 6%10%

7%

12%21%

29%

14%

Percentage of time100% 75%-99% About 75%

51% - 74% About 50% 25% - 40%

11% - 24% Up to 10%

Advising leaders

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About the respondents

12%

22%

28%

25%

8%

6%

Number of leaders supported

>10 6 to 10 4 to 52 to 3 1 Other

Organization

• 46% publicly-held companies

• 15% privately-held

• <10% all other types

Department/area

• 35% corporate communications

• 25% internal communications

• < 10% all other

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About the respondents

48%

31%

20%2%

Feelings about role

Love it Like it Neutral Dislike it

Part o

f job

Respo

nded

Becam

e "g

o-to

"

Consc

ient

ious

cho

iceOth

er

67%

25% 29% 28%

15%

How got into role

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About the respondents: Profiles

48%

“I love my role!” 50%+ time in role career choice

28%33%

Absolute advisors

?%Accidental advisors

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What respondents do

All

50% or more time

Career choice

"Love my role!"

49%

68%

58%

54%

30%

27%

29%

33%

11%

2%

13%

10%

10%

3%

3%

Active Supporting Marginal Don't Support

Advising top leaders

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What respondents do

All

50% or more time

Career choice

"Love my role!"

64%

73%

74%

69%

29%

19%

19%

23%

4%

1%

3%

6%

2%

3%

2%

Active Supporting Marginal Don't Support

Advising business unit heads/functional leaders

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What respondents do

All

50% or more time

Career choice

"Love my role!"

44%

49%

61%

46%

41%

41%

23%

44%

13%

10%

3%

6%

2%

6%

4%

Active Supporting Marginal Don't Support

Advising all other people leaders

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What respondents do

Serving as change agent

Educating

Coaching

Serving as strategist

Providing support

63%

65%

71%

81%

86%

Top 5 types of communication supportNo notable differences by advisor profile

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What respondents do

Helping build rela-tionships

Serving as sounding board

Enabling 2-way

Identifying issues

Developing messages

70%

72%

74%

75%

84%

Top 5 tasks Absolute advisors do more:

1. Help build credibility and trust

2. Anticipate needs

3. Measure leadership communication effectiveness

4. Facilitate meetings

5. Help find authentic voice

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What respondents do

Don't measure

Other

360 degree

Performance goals

Measurement of particular projects

Performance results

Surveys

Informal feedback

8%

5%

16%

40%

47%

50%

59%

Measurement techniques

60% by “Love my role!” advisors

23% by “Career” advisors

70% by “50%+ time” advisors

Absolute advisors measure their work more81%

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No barriers

Other

Leaders use of other advisors

Advisors' inexperience

Gatekeepers limit access

Advisors' lack of time

Leaders' lack of interest

Leaders' lack of time

7%

14%

16%

17%

28%

38%

44%

65%

0.1

0.06

0.16

0.29

What barriers respondents encounter

Barriers

16% by “Career!” advisors“Career” advisors break through barriers better in 4 areas

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Biggest obstacles & challenges faced

Lack of time– Time pressures– Lack of time due to non-value added work and

conflicting deadlines.

Lack of focus on part of senior leaders on strategic communication.

Lack of respect for the value of strategic communication.

The patients don't always know they're sick, and if they do, they take advice from quacks.

Sample from 50%+

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Biggest obstacles & challenges faced

Aligning leadership to one communication strategy and one voice.

Balance between coaching/counseling and tactical delivery.

Volume of work because of change management responsibilities.

Prioritizing while drinking from a fire hose.

Sample from 50%+

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Rating of professional development

Very effective Ineffective Not doing

On the job training (30%) Coaching from your manager (14%)

Coaching (65%)

Mentoring (26%) Mentoring (8%) Teleclasses (62%)

Informal networking (29%)

On-the-job training (6%) Online courses (51%)

Self-study (23%) Professional associations (7%)

Classroom/seminar instruction (51%)

Mastermind groups (21%)

Webinars (5%) Mastermind groups (50%)

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Professional development: differences

Mastermind groups

Coaching

Mentoring

21%

15%

26%

25%

13%

20%

26%

19%

29%

34%

26%

37%

50%+"Love it"CareerAll

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Professional development: differences

On-the-job training

Informal networking

Self-study

30%

29%

23%

31%

33%

31%

36%

42%

30%

46%

50%

30%

50%+"Love it"CareerAll

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Key professional development topics

s

Top Middle Bottom

Influence (63%) Identifying and refining your personal brand (48%)

Confidence (35%)

Eliminating non-value add work (62%)

Speaking truth to power (47%)

Time management (31%)

Strategic thinking (59%) Adding value (43%) Facilitating (30%)

Improving impact and results (56%)

Coaching (42%) Presentation skills (30%)

Improving executive presence (52%)

Measurement (42%) Body language acumen (21%)

Building relationships (51%)

• Business acumen (41%)• Emotional intelligence (41%)

Meeting design (17%)

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Key topics: differences

Coaching

Strategic thinking

Eliminating non-value add work

42%

59%

62%

42%

55%

65%

40%

56%

69%

47%

64%

69%

50%+"Love it"CareerAll

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Key topics: differences

Business acumen

Measurement

41%

42%

52%

48%

46%

44%

39%

39%

50%+"Love it"CareerAll

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Strategic advisors’ suggestions for others

Listen. Open your mind and roll up your sleeves. Get close to business.

Learn how to say no. Skip the non-value-add administrative work so you can focus on the strategic work that really matters.

Build a relationship with the executive. The better you know him/her (and vice versa), the more likely you will be able to offer honest coaching.

Be bold; don't be afraid to take risks.

Understand the disciplines (engineering, finance, manufacturing, operations) that power your organization and organize solutions that use the same kind of thinking and measurement.

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Strategic advisors’ suggestions for others

Ensure everything you do has a well-crafted, strategic purpose and plan with measurable goals. And, be sure to measure and communicate results to the leaders!

Talk business rather than communication. Show how communication will help leaders achieve their business goals and be more successful.

Don't shy away from being a truth teller.

Put yourself in the executive’s shoes. Understand what they really need to be successful in their role.

Find a coach and/or mentor. Seek opportunities to learn with a small group of peers.

Talk less.

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So what?

More measurement

More committed to personal learning &

development

More social1.Focusing on relationships. 2.Helping build credibility and

trust and find authentic voice.

3.Anticipating needs.4.Facilitating meetings.

3 differences in absolute advisors

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Get over the table!

Time is a barrier, yet …

Think leverage!

Value of: • Clarity of distance• Data that drives

decisions• Impact of leaders

So what?

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Now what? Strategic Action Group

Join a unique mastermind community

1. Network with peers

2. Get ideas, insights, suggestions

3. Experience being more, doing less

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Now what? Strategic Action Group

• Small, selective group (12 people max with only 1 per organization)

• Virtual

Network

• Short lectures • Problem-solving

sessions with real issues

• Group discussion

Get • Learn and practice how to be more:• Influential• Strategic• Effective

Be

5 sessions by phone: Sept. 16, 30Oct. 14, 28

Nov. 11

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Now what? Strategic Action Group

1. Private online discussion forum

2. What’s my style?

assessment

3. Tools, templates, exercises

4. Online archive, including

recordings of calls

5. 60-minute 1:1 coaching session

6. Personal action plan

6 Bonuses

+ 7th bonus another 60 minute 1:1 coaching if sign up by

8/16

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Now what? Strategic Action Group

More information and to apply:http://connectconsultinggroup.com/strategicaction/

Background about Liz and Connect:http://connectconsultinggroup.com

Price: $875

“Communications has never been in a better position to make a positive impact on a company. We must be a business leader, not only a communications professional.

I report to the CEO which helps, but no matter where you are in the organization, be aggressive with respect and make a difference. When leaders see you doing that, they will flock to you.” –Survey respondent

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Now what?

Be bold… Be brief… Be indispensible

CuratorCoach

Red Booths by John Register, Modernism Gallery

Educator

Changing role: Be more, do less