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Reconnecting with the disconnected

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Reconnecting with the disconnected

Whether it was The Big Yak, the recent CIPR Inside conference Closing the Gap, or the workshops we ran with LG Comms or FirePro (a communicators’ network for the fire service), one theme came up time and time again – how to engage frontline workers.

It’s also a conversation we often have with our clients in a range of sectors from water, energy, retail and highway. One even noted that their office based customer service team had engagement levels around 90% while frontline teams were down at 20%.

And although engaging with such a disconnected audience can seem impossible, there are ways to do it. We saw a great example at Closing the Gap; Powys County Council presented their award-winning campaign that created connections between frontline workers and leadership. They went back to basics and got their senior team out on site, pitching in and seeing what life was really like for their people that were out there supporting the local community.

Powerful stuff. And where Powys County Council really got it right was understanding their audience first. It can be tempting when discussing disconnected teams to jump straight to channels, which is quickly followed by the question “how do your employees feel about using their own devices?”. And that’s not wrong, but we’re not convinced that’s the place to start.

So, following our conversations with IC pros and our own experience, we’ve put together our top tips for reconnecting with the disconnected.

1. Research, understand and don’t make any assumptions

You might know what the role of a frontline employee involves in theory, but have you taken the time to know what it involves in practice? Take a leaf out of Powys County Council’s book and shadow your colleagues, spend time chatting to them about what matters to them, what type of information they want to receive and in what format. Experience first-hand what it means to deal with members of the public whether in shops or in their homes, the physical exertion needed to load parcels onto lorries within tight time frames, or how it feels when something goes wrong on site at 5pm and you know you’ll be working late into the evening to fix it.

The reasons they didn’t have time to read your newsletter may suddenly become a bit clearer…

2. Content and message

Now you understand the challenges frontline employees face, you can tailor your comms approach accordingly. And at the heart of it should be great, relevant content. It’s no secret that many frontline workers aren’t interested in corporate messages, and would rather receive information that directly relates to the job they’re doing. We’ve even heard stories where employees have been ‘shamed’ by their colleagues for taking part in ‘corporate’ publications.

So, be ruthless about what you’re sharing, consider when and how you do it carefully. Look at the world around you for inspiration on delivering bitesize communications like these 60-second news updates:

Or take a similar approach to Twitter Moments…

And emulating these test match updates would make any business update more engaging…

3. Give people a voice and allow them to connect

Social tools such as ESNs can help to make disconnected workers feel part of a community. It’s an opportunity for their voice to be heard, bringing different perspectives to conversations and helping them to feel valued. And to build a community it’s important that people are encouraged to be themselves and to share their interests. A CEO and a sales assistant both discovering a shared passion for cycling could instigate a friendship or connection that wouldn’t have otherwise happened.

4. Leadership visibility

Visibility and creating connections with frontline employees takes time and energy and more importantly willingness on the part of senior leaders. We need to educate those at the top of our organisations that communication and engagement is part of everyone’s job, not just the internal comms team. However, we can support them by giving them the tools and skills they need to communicate effectively (check out a previous blog by the fab Helen Deverell about coaching for comms).

5. Stories from the frontline

Your frontline teams are the first impression a customer will get of your business. They play a hugely important role in attracting and retaining business. However, they might not realise the impact they have, or if they do, feel that the business doesn’t value it.

So, discover and share their stories – recognition doesn’t need to be an expensive award ceremony, sometimes just acknowledging the great things that happen day to day can mean more. And get their input in plans for the business, chances are they know your customers better than anyone else.

6. Mobile is a must but multi-channel kicks ass

Mobile is often the go-to channels for reaching frontline people, but not everyone wants to receive works messages to their personal phone. Our view is that if you don’t try you’ll never know, but be prepared to pilot it with a small group and fail fast (and cheaply) if required. And even if mobile is a roaring success, it shouldn’t be the only channel – giving employees options on how to explore and absorb content is key. These are just some of the ideas we love for reaching the disconnected:

  • 60-second videos for team briefings
  • CDs or podcasts to listen to in vans or on the move
  • Printed newsletters
  • Buzz Feed style emails
  • WhatsApp groups for teams
  • Apps focused on two-way communications
  • Posters and banners in depots
  • Printed infographic – 5 things you need to know this month
  • Social tools such as ESNs
  • Mobile intranet that’s accessible in the real world not just the office BUT don’t expect anyone to look at it if the content isn’t relevant
  • Managers aren’t a channel – but give them the tools to channel their own comms

As you can see, reconnecting with the disconnected isn’t beyond the realms of possibility. And remember, we’re not trying to transform people into happy cheerleaders every second of the day. It’s okay for people to be negative from time to time, as long as it’s constructive dialogue that doesn’t become disruptive. It can be a great opportunity to listen and make improvements.

But it won’t be, and nor should it be, easy. Winning these teams over takes time, energy and a commitment to no bullshit. But it’ll be worth it in the end.

“I feel like they own and care for the project as much as we do! I would not use anyone else for my creative work and think Alive is ahead of the game.”

Jo Hobbs — Communications Manager

“Thanks for all your help. We are delighted with the campaign, both in terms of the creativity and messaging but also the thought taken over the rollout of the materials. All looks absolutely fabulous!”

Sarah Crowdy — Campaign and Media Officer Communications, South East Water

“We went to ‘Alive’ for ideas on how to run a specific employee program in Europe. Alan and his team were brilliant in coming up with fresh, creative and practical approaches. The team took charge and executed brilliantly. We are pleased with the progress made so far and hope to have the same level of partnership and commitment going forward.”

Sobha Varghese — Tata Consultancy Services

“Alive helped us create a video of our response to the floods of winter 2019. Our Chief Officer received messages from all round the country praising us for it and was really pleased with both the video and the response to it.”

Alexander Mills, Communications Manager — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“We had the privilege to work with the Alive team. It was our first time to be involved in creating an animation for our patients within paediatrics. The team were approachable, friendly, creative and very accommodating. Your vision for what you want to create, is at all times acknowledged, appreciated and accommodated by the team. They worked effectively and with great passion towards our project and worked not only alongside health professionals but also our patients who really enjoyed the experience of working with the Alive team. It has given our team the confidence and inspiration to do further projects in the future. We highly recommend Alive and their exceptional team.”

DR ELENI ATHANASAKOS, Lead Paediatric Clinical Scientist — NHS Barts Health

“‘The short animation developed in co-production with clinicians and young people is outstanding! Informative, developmentally appropriate, vitally fun and engaging. We are really grateful for the expertise of the Alive with Ideas team for their innovative approach in building children’s health literacy.'”

Kath Evans — Director of Children’s Nursing at Barts Health

“Our mission was to update our brand visuals to better reflect our innovative and forward-thinking organisation. After receiving numerous pitches from different branding agencies, Alive stood out with their clear passion and understanding of our identity and goals. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the Alive Team to create an engaging new brand that we are immensely proud of.”

Lianne Springer — Communications and Engagement Lead

“Alive wowed us during the pitch process and they didn’t stop wowing us throughout the whole project. Every person we worked with at Alive were so friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about what they do. They have worked with us to really understand what we do and have created a new brand and website that really stands out from our competitors. Thank you!”

Louise Burnard, Head of Marketing and Communications UK — Be | Shaping the Future

“I think the team have done such a brilliant job, particularly with responding to our requests. It's one of the best mental health videos I've ever seen. Very proud to be associated with your exemplary work. Thank you so much.”

Dr Anna Batho — Clinical Psychologist – Critical Care, UCLH

“We have worked with Alan, Caroline and the wider Alive With Ideas team for many years. In that time, they have provided a dedicated service that is second to none. We appreciate their attention to detail and creative approach to bringing our brand, communications and stories to life. And would recommend them to anyone looking for creative communications support.”

Georgia Beech — Internal Communications Specialist, Ocado Group

“This is brilliant. I wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the team who worked on this. You all understood exactly what we wanted to communicate and why, and then managed to do it in a way that was far better than anything I could have imagined. I’m a bit choked up to be honest!”

Sarah Wright, Head of Communications and Campaigns — NEA

“Each time I work with the team, I am always stunned at the effort and creativity that goes into each detail and am always eager for the end result. The team is extremely accommodating and always provide a fresh approach to our projects that elevates our communications materials!”

Alana Khaytin, Communications Specialist — Braskem America

“What I really appreciate about Alive is that they work with us as partners, and care as much about getting it right for our patients as we do.”

Sara Langston, Patient Engagement & Marketing Manager — italk

“Alive are unique in how much they deeply listen and invest in you and your ideas. I have not come across a company that listens as much as they do to ensure your needs are understood and met (actually - they always exceed my needs and expectations). Everyone I recommend Alive to has an equally brilliant experience. When you work with Alive, you are not only getting some genius creativity brought into your life, you are also hanging out with some of the best examples of human beings I’ve ever known.”

Steph Tranter, Hybrid Exec Coach & Psychologist — StephTranter.com

“The (Alive) team were able to creatively pull together and document (in just over 2minutes) everything our service has achieved over the last few months, from thousands of prescriptions deliveries to hundreds of phone calls made to the vulnerable. The final product was so powerful and reflective of what our service has and continues to achieve. It couldn’t have been better received within the service – thanks Alive for once again helping us to communicate our vision!’”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire & Rescue

“We worked with the team at Alive to create our staff recognition video.
At a time like this, its never been more important to share the amazing work that our staff have done and continue to do on a daily basis under very difficult circumstances. We wanted to shout about this and recognise that when the time came, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue stepped up to the plate. We didn’t want an ordinary thank you post on social media or a basic email sent out internally, we wanted something special. Enter Alive. ”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“Our company is fun, we have great brands, but most importantly we’re all about our people – and I wanted an agency who would understand that and help us bring it to life through our website and other comms. Straight away I felt that Alive ‘got’ us and provided the creative inspiration exactly where we needed it, as well as the technical expertise to deliver a well-functioning website.”

Keren McCarron, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications — KP Snacks

“Boom!
Thank you so much. Incredible work done at incredible speed by incredible people.
Outstanding work as ever and what a turnaround. As for the concepts – wow. These are that good it would be an insult to describe them as just good. It’s a joke, quite frankly. This is exactly the Alive effect I was after. Right now I feel like I am living in an Alive With Ideas wonderland. Thank you!”

Jack Grasby, Campaigns Manager — SYFR

“If you are looking to improve creativity and build teamwork, I highly recommend a session like this for your team. No matter where you are in your creativity journey, a workshop like this can give your team a boost of energy and ideas to invigorate their creative thinking.”

Amy Lilja, IC Manager — Hennepin Healthcare

“Alive were there to help when we were working every hour to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. They gave us the creativity, ideas and support we needed to deliver campaigns which empowered our residents in the most difficult time most of us have ever seen, personally and professionally. The team understood what we needed, worked closely with us and delivered fast without any compromise on quality. Working with Alive has been a joy in the darkest of times and I have no doubt will have helped to save lives. Thanks team x”

Julie Odams, Assistant Director of Communications & Customers — Derbyshire County Council

“We got 'Alive' involved to help us shift mindsets across our organisation and they delivered! Using simple, clear and creative ideas the team have delivered us a campaign which has seen a dramatic increase in idea sharing and development. They’ve also played a significant role in creating a culture of shared success. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with again, in fact, we already are!”

Gavin Buckle — B&Q
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