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The substance and qualities of the Communication Leader. Interactive workshop at the EACD’s Summit, Brussels, 1 st of July 2011 Geraldine Davies, Ben Atfield , Peter van Minderhout. Introduction. We will answer three key questions: What skills are necessary to reach and remain at the top?
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The substance and qualities of the Communication Leader Interactive workshop at the EACD’s Summit, Brussels, 1st of July 2011 Geraldine Davies, Ben Atfield, Peter van Minderhout
Introduction We will answer three key questions: • What skills are necessary to reach and remain at the top? • How does your CEO judge your quality? • What training and education is available and necessary?
What Skills are necessary to reach and remain at the top? The essential skills / competencies break down into two groups: • The Tools: the key sub functional disciplines • The Content: external demands and issues And then there is “Personality +”
What Skills are necessary to reach and remain at the top? • The Tools: the key sub functional disciplines • Investor Relations • Internal Communications • Media Relations • Public Affairs • CSR • Brand Management • Digital & Website • Association Management • ETC
What Skills are necessary to reach and remain at the top? • The Content: The external (and internal) demands and the Issues your teams have to engage • Crisis Management • Issues Management • M&A communications • Profit Warnings • CEO & Key Management profiles • Product / Service support • ETC
What skills are necessary to reach and remain at the top? • “Personality+”? • Intangible Style & Gravitas • Zeitgeist & Your Voice
How does your CEO judge your qualities? • Paul Adams Chief Executive, British American Tobacco • Tom Albanese Chief Executive, Rio Tinto • Sir Win Bischoff Chairman, Lloyds Banking Group • Donald Brydon CBE Chairman, Royal Mail Group • Chairman, Smiths Group plc • Former Chairman, London Metal Exchange • Roger Carr Chairman, Centrica • Former Chairman of Cadbury’s • Ian Coull Chief Executive, Segro plc • Sir Christopher Gent Chairman, GSK • Former Chief Executive, Vodafone plc • Philip Green Chief Executive, United Utilities • Anthony Habgood Chairman, Reed Elsevier • Chairman, Whitbread • Steve Holliday Chief Executive, National Grid • Dennis Holt Chairman, Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society • Deputy Governor, Bank of Ireland • Dame Deirdre Hutton Chair, Civil Aviation Authority • Former Chair, Food Standards Agency • Ian King Chief Executive, BAE Systems • Ian Livingston Chief Executive, BT Group • Trevor Matthews Chief Executive, Friends Provident • Former Chief Executive, Standard Life Assurance • Julian Roberts Group Chief Executive, Old Mutual • Sir Stuart Rose Executive Chairman, Marks & Spencer • Hector Sants Chief Executive, Financial Services Authority
How does your CEO judge your qualities? What do CEOs want from their Communications Directors? • Constructive criticism and challenge • Absolute trust & loyalty • They want to enjoy your company • You will be spending a lot of time with them
How does your CEO judge your qualities? More Seriously: • CEOs want to use their Comms Directors as a sounding board • They want them to be the external conduit, providing stakeholder feedback • Most expect their Comms Directors to have a place at the top table and have a say in the business’s strategy • And of course, they should know how to communicate
Why education & training? • Education provides a safe environment to experiment with new behaviour and to test new insights and/or ideas. • Faculty –if excellent- will provide you a broader vision to look at things in new light. • You can obtain valuable insights by interacting with your peers from a cross-section of industries. • Quality education focuses on the most actual challenges, provides you with perspectives and stimulates out-of-the- box thinking. • Coaching –as part of education- helps to transform from one role to another and to grow your career. • More good reasons?
Growing demand for business skills unmet by current bench of available talent Importance of business acumen in communications Communications staff experience Today versus three years ago Average percentage of staff with experience in noted areas n=94 Small pool of business-skilled communicators offers little hope of a hiring solution Ideal communications staff profile, illustrative • 2000 • Media savvy • Journalism / writing skills • Marketing skills • 2011 • Credibility with line managers • Business acumen • Consultative / diagnostic skills • Leadership • Impact Hunting unicorns “They don’t teach business in communications programs and they don’t teach communications in business schools. Where are we supposed to find business-savvy communicators?” VP, Corporate Communications Medical Products Manufacturer Source: Communications Executive Council
Challenges for communication professionals with the ambition to grow their career To address these challenges, ECCE™ Academy offers communication professionals an exciting program containing a highly concentrated set of modules, executed by four top European business schools.
ECCE Academy: perfect mix of business and communications • Each module features an opening session on Wednesday evening, two sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and a closing session Sunday morning • A maximum of 25 participants per program, to guarantee an optimal blend of personal attention, group interactivity and learning Program 2012
ECCE Academy: excellent faculty of top business schools Miriam Meckel, PhD Professor of Corporate Communcation Fiona Dent MSc, MA, Chartered FCIPD, FHEA Director of Executive Education Michael Jarrett, PhD Professor of Organisational Behavior Bruno Cassiman, PhD Professor of Strategic Management
Low marks reflect communications’ questionable impact on firm performance Communications’ attribute effectiveness Communications’ economic impact on the company Head of Communications Assessment, 2010 Despite communicators’ efforts, business partners give tepid marks for service provision… Preponderance of communications’ activities have medium to low impact on company performance. … and rate more substantive support even lower. Neither effective nor ineffective Somewhat effective Effective Highly effective n=2,383 Business partners; 384 Communications staff Source: Communications Executive Council
About Ellwood & Atfield • The executive search and selection consultancy dedicated to the recruitment of communications and public affairs professionals worldwide. • From offices in London and Brussels our recruitment relationships covers the EU and a global reach. • Ben Atfield and Geraldine Davies • The specialists in Corporate Communications
About ECCE Academy ECCE Academy is an initiative of 4 senior business executives. In 2009 they started to share their ideas with an international group comprising both communication directors and senior members of a number of leading European business schools in a series of extensive interviews. The immediate and positive reactions they received led to the decision to establish the ECCE Academy. The foremost objective of the ECCE Academy is to offer an innovative, international platform for communication professionals to enhance their knowledge and experience as professionals, in order to raise the profile and importance of the communication role in driving business processes, as well as defining its position as trusted advisor to the company CEO and the Board of Management.
