Summary of Strategic Internal Communication

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.