The IC Index is a first-of-its-kind research project commissioned by the IoIC that explores the impact of internal communication on internal stakeholders. To mark the launch of the 2024 IC Index, Jen, Dom and Cat welcome Susanna Holten from project partner Ipsos Karian & Box.

As research project lead, Susanna has expert insights as to what the data means for the internal communication profession. As this year’s report focusses on trust, this podcast conversation explores the criticality of trust for employee advocacy, collaboration, and leadership.

Much like the report itself, this episode covers a vast amount of ground. The need for clear and inclusive internal communication has never been more urgent. Not least as organisations must – in so many cases – pivot their business strategies to maintain market relevance, adapt to AI-enabled workplaces and strive to find hybrid work equilibrium.

Takeaways

• Trust is a key driver of employee advocacy, collaboration, and engagement.
• Empathy from leaders and effective communication from direct managers are crucial for building trust.
• External events and the employer's stance on socio-cultural and economic issues impact employee trust and engagement.
• Internal communication plays a vital role in creating a hyper-connected organisation.
• Communication training for managers and leaders is essential for effective internal communication. Good relationships at work are crucial for employee engagement and customer relationships.
• Values alignment is important for creating a cohesive and supportive organisational culture.
• Transparency and radical honesty are key in building trust and improving communication.
• Internal communicators have the opportunity to drive change and take a stance on important issues.
• The IC Index provides valuable insights and data for internal communicators to inform their strategies and actions.

About Susanna Holten

Susanna is a Principal Consultant at Ipsos Karian and Box. Alongside leading a team of internal communication and behaviour change consultants, she's been driving the IK&B internal communication audit offering over the past few years. She supports a broad range of clients in the IC research and strategic advisory space. She leads the work on the annual IC Index report, in close collaboration with the IoIC.

David Wales’ interest in human behaviour stems from his career in the UK Fire Service. While there he held roles as investigation and research lead, emergency incident command and he helped develop national policy. In that time, he became fascinated by the difference between the advice given by professionals and the actions taken by people when they were confronted with emergency situations.

In this episode, Cat, Dom and Jen hear what David has learned about crisis communication. By focusing on human behaviour rather than cost, efficiency and standardisation, organisations can create shared language and communication that aids understanding for an optimal number of stakeholders.

Takeaways

• Effective crisis communication requires understanding human behavior and the lived experience of individuals in crisis situations.
• There is often a communication breakdown between public service providers and recipients, leading to a lack of understanding and satisfaction with the services provided.
• Empathy, humility, and relatedness are essential in crisis communication to connect with individuals on a human level.
• Emotions play a significant role in crisis situations, and communication needs to consider the emotional mindset and psychology of individuals.
• Building relationships and trust with the community is crucial for effective crisis communication. Understand and respect the perspectives of others in communication
• Build trust and involve employees in decision-making processes
• Prioritize community preparedness and responsiveness in crisis situations
• Shift from top-down approaches to bottom-up approaches in organizations
• Build relationships, be curious, and work with people to create effective communication strategies

About David Wales

David advocates for rethinking the relationship between organisations and people to improve the wellbeing and performance of both.

He is the Founder of the SharedAim Ltd consultancy which has a unique approach to helping organisations deal with the cost and disruption of unexpected behaviours (for example by employees, customers, partners or any other groups it interacts with). He is also the Founder and host of the Purposefully Human Community which provides a space for anyone interested in the benefits of creating organisations that work with, and celebrate, what it means to be human.

A multi-award winning professional, established presenter, facilitator and author, he is currently writing a book outlining how organisations can authentically work with human behaviour, rather than against it.

Prior to this David was an operational fire and rescue (FRS) officer with responsibilities for community safety and fire investigation. It was here that he first developed an understanding and interest in all aspects of communication. He also led a pioneering research programme into human behaviour (when encountering a fire in the home) which remains influential on international thinking and practice. And this subsequently led to David being appointed as the first Customer Experience Manager in the FRS.

Dr. Naeema Pasha is a leading expert in AI, diversity and skilling. She set up and led the World of Work (WOW) Institute at Henley Business School, examining the future of work, and more specifically the ethical impact of AI on work, workers and workplaces.

A keynote speaker at our 2024 IoIC festival, we wanted to chat with Naeema in front of a broader audience. Of most interest, we wanted to explore ethical considerations for the healthy, fair and inclusive adoption of AI at work.

In this episode, Naeema shares her ideas for how to implement AI at work in a way that avoids unforeseen consequences and that’s optimally equitable for as many internal stakeholders as possible.

Takeaways

• Ethics in the context of AI involves making fair, reasonable, and good decisions that align with an organisation's purpose and values.
• Generative AI adoption raises ethical concerns related to bias, job displacement, depersonalisation of human interactions, and the impact on teaching, learning, and employee engagement.
• The Luddite movement and historical perspectives on technological change provide insights into the concerns and challenges associated with the adoption of new technologies, including generative AI. The impact of AI on human roles goes beyond the transfer of information and involves emotional labor, trust, and relationship-building.
• Internal communicators play a crucial role in addressing the ethical issues of AI adoption at work, including critical analysis, awareness-raising, and the development of ethical guidelines.
• The conversation emphasises the need for open discussions about AI ethics, the importance of human-AI collaboration, and the consideration of unintended consequences and ethical guidelines.
• The ethical implications of AI adoption at work require a new language of questions and a focus on humanised workplaces and human-AI symbiosis.

About Dr Naeema Pasha

Dr. Pasha set up and led the World of Work (WOW) Institute at Henley Business School, which examines the future of work, including the ethical impact of AI on work, workers and workplaces. At WOW, her film, Privacy Ltd, explored the ethics of the use and effect of facial recognition technology in UK society. At Henley, she also carried out a groundbreaking research on race equity in UK businesses, The Equity Effect. Now an independent consultant, she works with various organisations and institutions on AI, diversity and skills projects, as well as policy such as working on a UN Paper on the dangers of Generative AI. Naeema is recognised by Ifpc-online as one of the Top 50 Worldwide Influencers on AI Ethics

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-naeema-pasha-9b23b66/

While historically an industrial powerhouse, Manchester has, like most cities across the UK since the 2008 financial crash, struggled with increasingly precarious, low-paid and inaccessible work.

The Good Employment Charter was developed to counter this. By raising standards of employment across all sectors, regardless of organisation size, the Charter has kickstarted a rising trend where people at work in the Greater Manchester region are paid fairly for their work, treated appropriately and where inclusion at work is so much more than a nice-to-have buzzword.

In this episode, Jen, Dom and Cat chat with Ian MacArthur, Director of the Charter’s Implementation Unit. He shares the origins of the Charter and dives into the role of access to good work in a healthy, well-functioning society.

Takeaways

• The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter addresses the challenges of the current labour market, focusing on health, wellbeing, and inequality.
• Effective communication and time management are crucial for creating a healthy and productive work environment.
• Employee activism and the role of middle management play a significant part in shaping the future of work in the digital age.

About Ian MacArthur

An exiled Scotsman, Ian has spent his career working on environmental and public health issues - and the socioeconomic policies that underpin them - from community to international levels.

Starting his career as an environmental health officer with Carlisle City Council, he has worked for Edinburgh City Council, the Health and Safety Executive, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, The World Health Organisation, the UK Public Health Association, Groundwork UK and STaR Procurement.

More recently he led the GC Business Growth Hub’s priority sector development and relationship management activities, before becoming the Director of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter -a key Mayoral priority initiative established in 2019.

How comfortable would you feel if we asked you to walk into a crowded room and find someone to strike up conversation with?

Most of us can relate to feeling stressed by networking events where the focus is on meeting new people. A media that thrives on headlines that accentuate difference and division doesn’t help. Which is perhaps why we were so captivated by the themes discussed by Joe Keohane in his book, The Power of Strangers.

As more and more organisations concede hybrid working is an inevitable part of 2020s work life, how we spend our time when we are together becomes ever more crucial. We need gatherings that build connection, trust, goodwill and community. In this podcast conversation, Dom and Cat chat with Joe to find out what he learned as he researched his book and what we, as internal communicators, can learn about the benefits of creating connection with strangers.

Joe Keohane mini-biography

I’m a veteran journalist who has worked as an editor at Medium, Esquire, Entrepreneur, and Hemispheres, and the author of The Power f Strangers, and co-author of The Lemon, which we're currently developing for television. My writing—on everything from politics, to travel, to social science, business, and technology—has appeared in New York magazine, The Boston Globe, GQ, The New Yorker, Wired, Boston magazine, and The New Republic. Born in the Boston area, I currently reside in New York City with my wife and daughter.

Hardly a day goes by now without a news article circulating telling us of the boundless benefits of the next phase of AI and how we must all hurry to adapt. There’s little time to think about the pros and cons – the mainstream narrative is get on board or get left behind.

But what’s at stake? What are the downsides? Activist Gerry McGovern is hugely concerned. And rightly so. The environmental footprint of next generation technology is barely mentioned. Author of World Wide Waste, Gerry has committed to sharing the true cost of AI as far and wide as he can.

In this episode, Cat, Jen and Dom chat with Gerry to learn about the carbon impact of all-digital and uncover what internal communicators can do to educate, inform and help their organisations reduce their carbon emissions.

Takeaways

• Recognize the absence of bicycles in advertising and the prevalence of artificial bicycles for indoor use.
• Shift from propaganda to realism in order to make meaningful changes. Ask harder questions and work towards changing behaviors and mindsets.
• Slow down and recognize that humans were not designed for the fast-paced lifestyle we currently lead.

About Gerry McGovern

Gerry has published eight books on digital content and data. In 1996, the Irish government published his report, ‘Ireland, The Digital Age, The Internet.’ That same year, The European Union awarded Nua, a company he co-founded, its Best Overall WWW Business Achievement Award.

Gerry’s latest book, World Wide Waste, examines the impact data waste and e-waste are having on the environment and what to do about it. Gerry also developed Top Tasks, a research method used by hundreds of organizations to help identify what truly matters. The Irish Times has described Gerry as one of five visionaries who have had a major impact on the development of the Web.

www.gerrymcgovern.com

gerry@gerrymcgovern.com

@gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green

As economic conditions continue to create complexity, it’s easy to look for quick fixes and short-cuts that ringfence and protect margin and profit. But at what cost?

Almost every week a new scandal breaks of an organisation breaching standards and causing harm either to humans or the environment. Ethics, it seems, are on the wane.

But what are they and why do they matter? In this episode, Jen, Dom and Cat ask Roger Steare – the corporate philosopher – to explain the cruciality of ethics in business, not least in the age of AI. More importantly, we discuss the role internal communication can play in upholding ethics in the workplace, in a way that serves both people and planet.

Takeaways

• Ethics is the way we think about and debate how to lead a good life in every aspect of our lives.
• Ethics in business is a force for good, but it requires leaders of good character and a shift in mindset towards a healthier society.
• Effective dialogue and communication are essential for ethical decision-making and creating a well-functioning organisation.
• There is a growing pressure and expectation for organisations to do good for society, but there is a gap between business and societal values that needs to be bridged.
• The addiction to consumer capitalism and the focus on profit and growth hinder the pursuit of a good life and a sustainable civilisation.
• Cultural transformation in organisations can happen rapidly when leaders prioritise ethical decision-making and create a culture of trust and dialogue. organisations should align their values with universal moral values and apply the 'gulag test' to ensure their values are morally sound.
• Generative AI poses risks such as bias, misinformation, security breaches, and lack of accountability.
• Internal communicators should engage in moral education and facilitate discussions at all levels of their profession.
• Courage is required to take a stance and do the right thing in shaping the future of organisations and society.
• It is important to focus on the good work and responsible leadership as an antidote to the pervasive disaster narratives in mainstream media.

About Roger Steare

Roger Steare is The Corporate Philosopher recognised worldwide as a leading expert on moral reasoning, values-based leadership and culture, and the responsible use of AI.

He has collaborated with CEOs and their teams across multiple industries to address billion-dollar ethical challenges and opportunities, focusing on reflection, learning, and a commitment to positive change. Notable partnerships include working with Joe Garner at HSBC in 2007, Openreach in 2012, and Nationwide Building Society in 2016, aiming to foster a culture of social purpose and ethics. In 2023, Joe wrote this testimonial of their work together. “Roger is brilliant in his field and thinks very differently from most.”

Following the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster, BP asked Roger to develop a global Ethical Leadership program for 4,000 leaders. The program was so impactful that it earned recognition from the US Department of Justice in 2016 as part of the US$20.8 billion Consent Agreement with BP.

In 2012, after RBS's massive restructuring, he was sought for a leadership and culture transformation program in collaboration with PwC, earning high praise from CEO Stephen Hester for the shared learning and growth experience.

In 2021, he was invited to help a national government to define those moral values that are essential for a fairer society. Drawing on insights from anthropology, psychology, and moral philosophy, he recommended Humanity, Justice, Wisdom, Courage, Temperance, and Resilience as the values that define a fair and prosperous society.

Find out more about Roger

Website: https://thecorporatephilosopher.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogersteare/

Books: https://thecorporatephilosopher.org/book/