Let's be honest: Internal CSR Communications Suck
Let's be honest: Internal CSR Communications Suck
CSR Mumbley Gook communications need to stop. Until us CSR Professionals get better at internal communications and engagement we will stay in an irrelevant sandbox away from core business activities and decisions. [For those unfamiliar with the acronym - CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility]
CEOs, because of the broad and diverse constituents they deal with, generally get the relevance of CSR.
Too often the Finance, Operations, Engineering, Production and other functions don’t get it. They may make the right noises (because it is expected of them) but at a fundamental level they don't get the core relevance of CSR to their role and their career.
Part of the reason they don’t get it is because the CSR Pros (myself included) can’t or won’t spend the time making focused internal business cases.
The “What’s in it for me?” case must be developed and communicated across the entire organization.
It is the CSR team's responsibility to help EVERY leader and their team understand the relevance of CSR for their role and work.
There is a strong What's in it for me? for Finance, Operations, Engineering, Production, R & D and other areas of the business. If they don't know it then it is up to the CSR team to develop and communicate it so they can hear it.
Until they do, CSR will remain an outsider to the inside of the business.
- CSR is important for Shareholders AND for all functions and divisions inside a company.
- It is CSR’s responsibility to help those functions and divisions to understand why.
- If they don’t, then the CSR team has failed.
If CSR is on the outside looking in at company operations then the CSR team has to take the lead to change that. By making it clearly understood how and why CSR is directly relevant to the organization's Departments and Units, Leaders and Workers.
Some thoughts on how to do this are in Engaging Internal Stakeholders in our CSR Knowledge Centre. But don't expect all the answers there. They aren't.
Many of the answers are in your experience and insights. Look there for the stories and the business case that can help your colleagues to understand the importance of CSR for all functions and departments in your organization.
Remember, if you are not creating value with CSR then you will have a tough time to communicate value. But, when you do create value with CSR, be sure to communicate it.
Not communicate in a Socialwash sort of way, but it a way that can be heard and accepted.
CSR is about value. Figure out the value for them and communicate it clearly to your internal stakeholders.
When we get internal CSR communications right not only will our work be easier and our external CSR projects work better and have more societal impact. Our company and our shareholders will capture more value too.
Get CSR value right AND get the internal and external communications right and get ready for an exciting ride.
When you have important sh*t to say, but too much other sh*t to do, that's where I come in | Ghostwriter & storyteller trusted by Fortune 500 executives & small business owners
8yInternal communications around a CSR program is absolutely crucial, but it has to be done right. You need to tell personal, emotional stories that capture employees' attention, show them that the work they do matters and has a real impact on people's lives. That will in turn inspire other employees to get involved and give them a greater sense of purpose. The best part is it's relatively easy to find these stories. Any decent CSR initiative is a gateway to nearly endless storytelling opportunities. Then it can feed into your external communications and before you know it you're being seen as a company that does more than sell stuff. You're a company with a heart.
Director of Income Generation at Butterwick Hospice
8yExcellent article! Corporate Social Responsibility is now clearly recognised by companies as a benefit which shows they are a responsible organisation. Butterwick Hospice Care works with companies to ensure they meet their CSR requirements.
Providing B CORP Certification & ESG Reporting | Founder Impact Market & B PROGRAM | CEO Solutions4Impact Consulting | TOP Women in Austria, 2023 | TOP 20 Businesses in Vienna, 2021
8yAnd only then people will carefully listen ( because we are tackling communication ) to what CSR has to say. I believe is not so much a problem of communication ( but like any thing it can be seriously improved) , it is a matter of listening & understanding whAt is communicated.
Providing B CORP Certification & ESG Reporting | Founder Impact Market & B PROGRAM | CEO Solutions4Impact Consulting | TOP Women in Austria, 2023 | TOP 20 Businesses in Vienna, 2021
8yI have two things to say about this well pointed article: - firstly : very true and very sad is the fact so few leaders or decision makes know what is CSR as meaning and activities. And I don't mean to be an expert but the reasonable amount of knowledge to understand why is done and make the right decision. Don't wait your CSR team or coordinator to explain it to you over and over and over again but try to get some knowledge yourself from the industry . -second: make CSR mandatory if you want people to see their value. And I mean by law and by company's management systems. Only then the whole affected departments of engineering, operations, procurement, etc, will work together to make CSR happen.
Intermediate Accountant at Wellington-Altus Private Wealth
9yI wholeheartedly agree with you Wayne. However, I still shake my head thinking about how much time and effort goes into crafting communications versus creating the value that communicates are crafted for! In other words, win people over by working with them instead of focusing on trying to convince them of the value of CSR. Show them! Check out more about what I mean and an example in my response to your post here: http://linkd.in/1E1TIkn...