The Essentials of Corporate Communications and Public Relations

by Harvard Business School Press; Society for Human Resource Management

• ISBN13: 9781591398196
• ISBN10: 1591398193
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-06-30
• Publisher: Harvard Business School Pr

Summary

When it comes to communicating corporate information, the skills of the messenger can make or break a company's reputation in the eyes of shareholders, employees, and the media. Filled with practices, principles, and case studies, this essential guide helps HR professionals hone their skills at delivering information, managing crises, responding to queries, and more. Today's HR professionals work side by side with senior executives to devise a strategy for their organizations and to marshal the talent and resources to implement it. That means going beyond the traditional HR domain and mastering the fundamentals of all aspects of business and management. The Business Literacy for HR Professionals series, developed in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management, covers essential areas such as negotiation, decision making, change management, finance, and more. These highly practical books help HR professionals achieve their goal to be true strategic partners who bring additional bottom-line value to their organizations.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. xiii
Corporate Communication and the HR Professional: The HR Professional's Role in the Communication Function	p. 1
What Is Corporate Communication?	p. 3
Human Resources and Corporate Communication	p. 9
Summing Up	p. 22
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 22
Communication Fundamentals: The Basics of Corporate Communication	p. 23
Understanding Audiences	p. 26
Selecting the Appropriate Source	p. 30
Creating Appropriate Messages	p. 36
Selecting Appropriate Channels	p. 38
Planning Appropriate Timing	p. 40
Summing Up	p. 41
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 42
Developing an Integrated Corporate Communication Strategy: A Strategic Approach to Corporate Communication	p. 43
The Importance of an Integrated Communication Strategy	p. 46
How to Build Your Corporate Communication Strategy	p. 48
The Communication Audit	p. 57
Integrating Corporate Communication and HR Strategies	p. 58
Summing Up	p. 59
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 59
Communication Research, Measurement, and Evaluation: The Use of Research in the Communication Process	p. 61
The Value of Measurement	p. 64
What Can Be Measured-What Should Be Measured	p. 66
Common Research Methods	p. 71
Research Isn't Always the Answer	p. 76
Summing Up	p. 78
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 78
Communicating with External Audiences: The Communication Needs and Requirements of Various External Audiences	p. 79
Customers and Consumers	p. 81
The News Media	p. 85
Investors	p. 92
Governmental Bodies and Officials	p. 96
The Community at Large	p. 99
Summing Up	p. 103
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 103
Communicating with Employees: Strategies and Tactics for Communication with Internal Audiences	p. 105
Employee Communication as a Process	p. 109
Addressing the Challenges of Effective Employee Communication	p. 111
Developing an Employee Communication Strategy	p. 116
Meaning Through Measurement	p. 117
Special Opportunities in Employee Communication	p. 120
Techniques for Effective Employee Communication	p. 126
Summing Up	p. 130
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 130
Issues Management and Crisis Communication: Dealing Proactively and Effectively with Issues and Crises	p. 131
Issues Management	p. 133
Crisis Communication	p. 138
Anticipating and Preparing for a Crisis	p. 140
How to Communicate During a Crisis	p. 144
Advice for Handling Issues and Crisis Communication	p. 147
Summing Up	p. 156
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 157
Developing and Implementing Communication Plans: A Process for Developing Effective Communication Plans	p. 159
Types of Communication Plans	p. 161
Steps to Develop and Implement a Communication Plan	p. 162
A "Planned Response" to Communication Requests	p. 172
Summing Up	p. 176
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 177
Tools of the Trade: The Use and Benefits of Various Communication Tools	p. 179
Verbal Communication Tools	p. 182
Written Communication Tools	p. 184
Electronic Communication Tools	p. 191
Summing Up	p. 200
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 201
Selecting the Appropriate Tool: Guidelines for Selecting the Right Tool for the Right Purpose	p. 203
The Objective	p. 206
The Audience	p. 207
The Culture	p. 209
Multiple Times-Multiple Ways	p. 209
HR and the Intranet	p. 211
Summing Up	p. 216
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 216
Handling Challenging HR Communications: Insights for Dealing with Common yet Challenging Communication Situations	p. 217
Communicating Pay	p. 218
Communicating Health Plan Benefits	p. 224
Communicating with Employees in Remote or Off-site Locations	p. 226
Employee Relocations	p. 229
Corporate Acquisitions and Mergers	p. 235
Downsizing	p. 240
Budget Cuts	p. 242
Summing Up	p. 249
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 250
Enhancing HR's Communication Competencies: What HR Professionals Need to Know to Ensure a Role in Corporate Communication	p. 251
Communication Skills for HR Professionals	p. 252
Where to Go from Here in Your HR Department	p. 257
Summing Up	p. 260
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 261
Speech Preparation Tool	p. 263
What to Measure	p. 265
Sample Scoring Sheet for Objective Media Review	p. 267
Diagnosis Tool for Internal Communication	p. 269
Sample Communication Plan	p. 273
Acquisition-Phases and Types of Communication	p. 277
Steps for Conducting Communication Audits	p. 279
Audit Survey	p. 281
Notes	p. 285
For Further Reading	p. 289
Additional Titles from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)	p. 291
Index	p. 293
About the Series Adviser	p. 305
About the Writer	p. 307
About the Society for Human Resource Management	p. 309
Acknowledgments	p. 311
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.