Key questions for surveys and benchmark data 13 June 2012 | Paul Roberts

2 Paul Roberts Managing Director, Ibis Communication and co-founder of ICEmarq™

3 Some observations  Measurement is often acknowledged as important, but it’s not necessarily prioritised  High level questions about communication are often included in annual staff surveys – that are run by HR  Time and budget are perennial barriers, though often this is more about perception than fact  Uncertainty about what, how and when to measure

4 Who’s done what (and why)? Some popular reasons why: Force decisions about what is vital Deploy resources where needed most Assess progressDemonstrate value Planning Assessment

5 What you might measure AreaBenefits Possible issues BehavioursLinks communications to ends not means IC doesn’t own behaviours or control all relevant factors

6 46 What you might measure AreaBenefits Possible issues General perceptionsPerception is reality!Can be too high level to be genuinely useful [Organisation] provides sufficient opportunity for two-way communication in This feels lukewarm, can we unpack this?

7 61 What you might measure AreaBenefits Possible issues Messages or campaigns Focuses very clearly on outcomes Clarity and connection? I can explain what [the values] are. Okay, but do they understand and support the values?

What you might measure AreaBenefits Possible issues Line manager / leadership communication Face to face is keyIC can’t fully own this interaction Team meetings in my area are generally worthwhile. How much leverage does IC have here?

9 What you might measure AreaBenefits Possible issues Channel usageProof of the pudding is in the eating! Usage doesn’t equate to benefit Everyone loves a green arrow that points up. But is it always good?

10 33 What you might measure AreaBenefits Possible issues Channel value or perception Yields useful feedback to help you develop a channel Risks missing the bigger picture It is important to have a regular printed magazine or newsletter. This is double the figure for staff! Why does this matter more to leaders? Is this really that key?

11 36 What you might measure AreaBenefits Possible issues ReadinessHelps you plan the roll out of new interactive channels May not equate to actual behaviour … please state the extent to which you believe having social features like these internally offer potential for improving the way we communicate and collaborate. c40% see significant value, yet many organisations struggle to obtain a similar adoption rate

12 An industrial workforce A mainly white-collar workforce What you might measure AreaBenefits Possible issues PreferencesHelps you plan future communication priorities May not equate to actual behaviour But did they actually read things?

13 How you might measure ApproachBenefits Possible issues Surveys  Increasingly easier to run  Many ways to sample an audience  Great for building indicators  Easy to grasp headline results  Survey fatigue  Poor at uncovering drivers  Pressure to game the results Focus groups and interviews  Great for uncovering drivers  Great for surprising you!  A chance to test your ideas too  Time and resource intensive  Vulnerable to topic hi-jacking  Can generate expectations Analytics  Based on behaviours not opinion  Increasingly easier to get reports  Can be tuned to look at outcomes  Almost impossible to retro-fit  Can be hard to see real success  Pressure to focus on traffic

14 Some basic rules  Only measure what you can influence  Build quantitative and qualitative research into your measurement programme  Measure at intervals that allow you enough time to change course  With quantitative data, focus on top and bottom box scores when analysing results  Approach your programme from the perspective of your audience

About ICEmarq™ The data contained in this presentation comes from ICEmarq™ which is a new internal communication measurement service co-founded by Paul Roberts and Alan Richardson. You can find out more about it at or call for more information. Paul or Alan are also very happy to set up a demo for anyone interested.