Category Archives: Organisational Development

Disruptive Media on Annual Reports

Corporate Governance, Organisational Development, Wisdom

DM-logo-altOur Community published this short but compelling piece of advice about annual reports from Disruptive Media in its latest Our Community Matters ezine:

  1. Make your annual report an all-rounder
    Your annual report can be a multi-purpose publication that works as a marketing tool across the entire year, so you get maximum mileage from the time and money you’ve invested in it. This type of report can help you strengthen your brand, raise your profile, improve fundraising opportunities and connect with the people you want to reach.
  2. Go digital
    Many organisations publish their annual reports online. Not only does this save on printing and distribution costs, it also seriously extends the value of what you’re producing.  Creating a digital report opens up opportunities to reuse content across social media, allowing you to extend your reach and share your story with a wider audience.
  3. Find a theme
    Giving your annual report a theme is a great way to make it more memorable. The theme will guide the style of writing, photo selection and overall design. Using a theme keeps your message consistent and binds the report together. It also makes for much more interesting reading.
  4. Create a story
    People love stories. There’s something incredibly powerful about a personal account that just can’t be matched by cold facts and figures. So look for ways to thread stories throughout your report. Quotes, interviews and short stories are great ways to show how you’ve made a difference.  Remember, too, that stories don’t have to be confined to print – videos make compelling, highly shareable content.
  5. Use quality photos
    Just as a good yarn is irresistible, so too do photos have spectacular pulling power. Well-placed photos break up large chunks of text and can breathe life into an otherwise dull report. Photos also connect with people on an emotional level, which can help them to better relate to what your organisation is about. The visual story of your annual report is just as important as the words, so it’s worth investing in good-quality photos throughout the year. As a bonus, of course, you can get extra mileage out of great photos in your other communications too.

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Ross on Working from Home

Corporate Governance, Organisational Development, Quirky

Pam RossWhen asked recently by an HR manager if she had a sample of a policy about working from home, Pam Ross’ answer was:

“Get your work done, meet your objectives, and do it from wherever you want.”

Really, within reason, does it matter where your employees do their work, as long as they get it done?  Work is not a place you go, but something you do.  Just remember to be abundantly clear about what their work responsibilities and objectives are.

Bloomberg BNA on Social Media

Corporate Governance, Organisational Development, Wisdom

Social Media Policy ElementsBloomberg BNAAs an employer, it is important to develop the appropriate mindset when it comes to managing social media use by your employees, and keeping your social media policies and practices up-to-date.  Here are a few best practices to consider from Bloomberg BNA:

  1. Avoid general, overbroad, and undefined terms. Read each portion of your policy and ask yourself whether an employee could reasonably interpret it
  2. Avoid overly subjective terms that place too much discretion in the hands of employers as to what does and does not violate the policy, but little advance knowledge in the minds of employees as to precisely what is prohibited
  3. Carefully consider what business interests need to be protected, and narrowly tailor your workplace rules to accomplish that
  4. Apply and enforce your policy consistently, and in a manner that reflects a true intention to protect the business interests need to be protected
  5. Stay abreast of all developments in this area of the law, and discuss any uncertainties with your legal advisers

Conrad on Motivation

Organisational Development
Sean P. Conrad, Senior Product Analyst at Halogen SoftwareSean Conrad on www.octanner.com says “when it comes to employee motivation, once basic financial needs are met, autonomy, mastery, and purpose—not money—are better motivators of performance.
In many ways, motivation is a personal thing, driven by our individual life circumstances, personality, values, needs, etc.  Truly motivated people dig deep and find the motivation within themselves to carry on.

So where does that leave employers and managers? Is there anything we can do to motivate our employees to perform better?

Here are four often over-looked ways managers can support stronger employee motivation:

  1. Interact with your employees daily
  2. Empower employees to manage their own performance and development
  3. Personalize rewards and recognition
  4. Pay attention to the little things.

Green on Risk Culture

Corporate Governance, Organisational Development

Test your company’s risk culture courtesy of John Green – do staff respectfully speak their minds even to their bosses – does bad news travel at least as fast as good news – is failure punished or are its lessons learned and shared – does the Executive respect or merely tolerate the Board and its Directors – are delegations routinely ignored to get things done – is risk mitigation in place or does the Executive say “just do it” – does your company measure respect and discuss it’s worth – and do you demand perfection from suppliers yet stall on paying them?