Summary of Strategic Internal Communication

David Cowan

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Strategic Internal Communication book summary

Rating

8 Overall

8 Applicability

8 Innovation

7 Style

Recommendation

David Cowan, a 25-year veteran of the communications profession, describes a new model of communication within organizations based on collaboration, information sharing, values, employee engagement and “emotional management.” He discusses the power of feelings over facts, the myth of “corporate culture,” the damage done by unclear values, the significance of difficult conversations and the need for empathy. He explains the relationships among “intelligence, emotion, interpretation” and “narrative” in internal communications. His ideas are challenging and innovative, though hard-bitten internal marketers who are veterans of the corporate battlefield might question his idealistic goals of achieving a transparent communications environment and a company with no culture except empathy. Nonetheless, getAbstract recommends his fresh thinking to corporate communications professionals and the executives who establish corporate values.

In this summary, you will learn

What shortcomings plague today’s corporate internal communications,
Why successful communication requires understanding employees’ emotions and practicing empathy, and
How to use the “dialogue box” to foster effective communication.

About the Author

David Cowan, former global head of internal communications at ArcelorMittal, is a consultant to the technology and energy industries.

Summary

21st-Century Communication
Complete openness should be the leading trait of 21st-century corporate communications. To reach today’s employees, emotion should dominate the “intelligence” or information that a message delivers. In the 20th century, management held its information cards close...