Getting your company’s message out there isn’t just the job of your corporate communications team. It’s your job, too, says Rick Kiernan, vice president of strategic communications for L-3 Communications (right). That mission-critical task matters now more than ever, he adds. “The lifeblood of any organization is its people, their ability to communicate internally and externally will affect your business,” he says. How well that communication plays out depends in part on you. Stepping beyond the parameters of your role and helping communications carry the company’s message forward is essential, says Kiernan. “The more your media spokesperson understands the company’s personalities and programs, the more they can exercise preventive rather than redemptive messaging,” he says. Check out Kiernan’s three-step process.

Your communications team: Three ways to help

1.) Establish lines of communication. “The more you establish rapport with your spokesperson, the more they can be a conduit for internal and external audiences,” says Kiernan. That requires making it a habit to stop by their office on a regular basis and keep them apprised of any issues — things like payroll, contracting, and business development, for example — that your immediate team may currently be facing. Whatever the issues of the day, the more your spokesperson understands upfront, the more they can represent your company in a holistic way, in real time. Oftentimes, by contrast, supporting functions — HR, contracting, business development, and finance — tend to work in a compartmentalized fashion. Based upon your ongoing feedback, your spokesperson can facilitate integrating a dialogue across the entire organization.

2.) Develop a sense of what’s newsworthy. “In my experience people make news, not processes,” says Kiernan. “I’m less likely to get calls from the media about processes,” he adds, “but I will get a call about someone who may have achieved something.” Ultimately, it’s not the process but the end result that’s generally newsworthy. So, if something is coming down the pike — say, an audit, or a change in benefits, a new office opening (or closing), any process that may affect people in a real way and either enhance or deflate your company’s image — notify your media spokesperson in advance. Doing so ensures they don’t have to start with a blank sheet of paper or chew up time seeking context when responding to media queries. Or as Kiernan puts it, “If you want me there for the crash, I have to be there for the takeoff!”

3.) Engage in reputation management. “The reputation of a company is validated by the behavior of individuals,” says Kiernan. “They become the disciples … they can have as much impact, maybe more, than any multimillion dollar marketing campaign,” he says. That’s especially true in an age of social media, when an impromptu tweet can carry as much weight as an official press release. As employees become an extension of the media, it’s more important than ever to foster open lines of communication. “If you have a more transparent environment — a well-managed intranet site, for example, where employees can easily weigh in — air will circulate through the organization in a more open way,” says Kiernan. Brown bag, non-mandatory lunches are also a good way to foster that transparent work environment, he adds.

How else can executives help their communications team get their company message out there? Share your comments here.

Tags: executives, L-3 Communications, rick kiernan, Social Media
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