Summer seems to be a favorite for hit lists and the CEC Insider has featured quite a few lists recently (from summer reading lists to top 5 tools for communicators), so I thought I would add my own list. Across the recent weeks I’ve been writing about our latest research into managing communications in global and dispersed organizations. We are now ready to give you a sneak preview into our framework on different models for central/local partnerships, and the kinds of support tools and collaboration that are most effective in each model. (CEC members – join us for a panel discussion with Jo Alexander of HSBC and Tanya Wymer of Novo Nordisk on July 19 to hear how some of your peers are partnering with local communicators in each of these areas!)

What does this framework do?

It aims to assess different situations facing global and dispersed teams in managing day-to-day communications activities, based on two dimensions: degree of sensitivity (how sensitive is a particular issue or activity for the organization), and reach of impact (do we care mostly at the local level or as an entire organization?). We recognize that companies have different operating models and cultures that are not very easy to change, but you still have to work within those operating structures of your company to support your local communicators, and the type of support needed in each situation will vary by sensitivity of that situation and where the impact lies.

How can you figure out where you are on this grid?

These 6 simple questions can help you and your local communicators define sensitivity and reach of impact:

1. Content of Impact: does this affect only us internally, or is there an impact externally? (in other words, will only our business unit be impacted or the entire organization?)
2. Radius of Impact: who else outside our geography will be affected/hear about it?
3. Longevity of Impact: will this news be short-lived or have long-term effects? (this also affects what kind of coordinated response you may need, or how much coordination with the center is necessary, and how quickly you need to respond)
4. Stakeholder Sentiment: Is this an issue our stakeholders care strongly about? (Think: Will it affect their decision to engage or do business with us?)
5. Competitive Position: Do we lag in addressing this area compared to our competitors? (In the day and age of social media, you can’t afford not to address an important issue particularly if your competitors are already participating in the discussion.)
6. Local Communicator Capability: Do I feel confident and well-equipped to handle this issue on my own? (This one is important and often overlooked…how well-skilled are the people on the ground that have to do the communicating?)

Now that you have located where you stand on this grid, what should you do next?

Your response will depend on your desired goal…if you are trying to help communicators be more autonomous and act quickly for things that are local, non-sensitive, and the center doesn’t need to be involved in, you should focus your support on providing basic principles (not rules!) for local communicators to create their own tools, make it easy for them to find resources, and help them connect to each other.  They will probably learn more from their peers directly than from you at headquarters!  If on the other hand, you want to have better cross-geography alignment in your communications activities, your focus should be on involving local communicators in – and guiding them through –  process design (they will embrace processes that they were a part of creating, not the ones that were imposed on them). This also helps you identify areas of shared projects.

How is CEC going to help you take action?

Stay tuned over the next few days as CEC will unveil a set of practical tools and tips you can leverage with your local communicators around these different action items and more.

In the interim, why not join us, HSBC, and Novo Nordisk on July 19 to discuss and share some of your own tips and practices for managing global and dispersed teams? To join, register for the July 19 webinar here.

Related Resources:

• July 19 Panel Discussion with HSBC and Novo Nordisk
• Managing Communications in Global and Dispersed Organizations
• Building a Collaborative Global Function

Related Blogs:

• Want Excellent Global Communications? Give Local Communicators a Say
• Managing A Truly Global Communications Function
• J&J Change Tactics in Changing Times