Corporate Transparency Checklist

Corporate Transparency ChecklistCorporate Transparency ChecklistCorporate Transparency Checklist Holtz and John C. HavensIn this era of transparency and social media, no organization can hide its head in the sand and avoid implementing the tools that will help it create better dialogue with customers, partners and employees.Use this guide to walk through the planning process. It has been crafted to work from the inside out to expose yur brand to the new-media marketplace at large.Take the time to answer the following questions to determine your level of corporate transparency.Corporate Transparency AssessmentThe first few choices for each question below reflect traditional methodologies that organizations use to deal with feedback from employees and customers. By and large, these are all one-sided conversations where management tells pepole what they think and the implied message is, If we want your opinion, well send you a survey.Answers to these questions reflect methodologies empl oyed by more progressive organizations that use tactical corporate transparency to better stelle their brand in the marketplace.Ask yourself the following questions about your organization as specifically as possibleWhat communications tools does management have in place to communicate to employees?Company wide e-mail blasts (one-way communication)Company newsletters (one-way communication)Leadership pages on the intranet (one-way communication)Town hall meetingsCEO or management blogs that allow for comments from othersCEO or management podcasts, videos, or interactive, real-time, rich media where employees can contribute their thoughts.How can employees respond to those communications?If they have concerns or questions, they e-mail their manager to resolveThey can submit an article for the company newsletterThey can submit a comment, questions, or suggestion using an intranet formThey can respond by commenting on CEO or management blogsThey can add comments to existing intranet co ntentThey can interact directly with a CEO or manager using real-time, rich mediaHow did you do?The next two sets of questions reflect the mind-set of a traditional office that is not concerned with capturing feedback unless theres a direct need to respond. No dialogue is requested, and employees and customers typically dont have a feeling of ownership for their brand. Their loyalty goes as far as their paycheck or waiting until a competitor offers a lower-priced product or service.Do your employees genuinely feel that their opinions and concerns matter to management and that their interests are factored into managements decision-making process?Not sure why it mattersI dont knowNo, but at least were listeningYes, and heres how I know insert specifics hereWhat tools do you have in place to capture employee thoughts and ideas?Employees can submit thoughts and ideas to their managers for discussionEmployees can submit thoughts and ideas in departmental meetings where appropriateEmploye es can submit thoughts and ideas by commenting on company blogs or other rich media presentationsEmployees can submit thoughts and ideas using the media they create on blogs or other formatsEmployees can use an ansprechbar submission tool that allows other employees to comment and vote on ideas and issues that are raisedYour answers to these questions demonstrate that a company is providing tools for dialogue. This is the first step toward true corporate transparency because it shows that the organization is listening to a variety of sources and publics.It also demonstrates preparedness to accept and address criticism, because the comments people make may not always be positive. If those comments stay publish so they can be dealt with, trust is invariably given to management since they didnt silence a critical voice.Are your employees champions for your brand away from the workplace?Not sure why it mattersI dont knowNo, but were working to empower them to feel ownership of our brand Yes, and heres how I know insert specifics hereHow do you communicate with your customers?By posting updated news and press releasese on our Web siteThrough media outreach (placing articles on the mainstream and trade press)Via our customer service representatives online or by phoneVia our various department blogs and other rich media where we have a direct dialogue with our customersVia the blogs and social community weve created for our customers so they can create discussions around our brand themselvesThe final answers represent an ultimate goal for tactical corporate transparency providing your employees and customers tools to create media around your brand for themselves, outside of what management is doing.Enlightened leaders understand that conversations around their brand are taking place all the time, so why not create a community for users that you can host? Let them speak freely about your products and services in an environment where you can prove youre listening all th e time.Excerpted from Tactical Transparency, by Shel Holtz and John C. Havens.Copyright 2008 Reprinted with permission of John Wiley Sons, Inc.Author BiosShel Holtz is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology, consulting with organizations on the effective use of online platforms for communication. He has written or co-written six books, most recently co-authoring Tactical Transparency with John C. Havens. He speaks to audiences around the world on social media and communications. To promote the benefits of open access, he launched the website, StopBlocking.org. You can find Shel online at www.holtz.com.John C. Havens is vice president of busines development for BlogTalkRadio.com. His About.com Guide to Podcasting show has featured interviews with hundreds of new medias leading minds.