The CEO and the Symphony of Change Communication

MANILA, Philippines - (The author, Ma Teresa L. Pacis, is the assistant vice president for Corporate Affairs of GMA Network, Inc. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC Philippines).

Today, the constantly-changing business environment necessitates a CEO highly adept at change management. Technology shifts, evolving employee mindsets and emerging profit models are only several of the challenges currently confronting many heads of organizations.

The results of the recent study conducted by Amdocs point to the rising trend of the ability to seamlessly drive innovation across an organization as a more desirable capability in a chief executive, more than risk taking or pacesetting. This is definitely an interesting turn of events, given that just a few years ago, ‘visionary’ was such a buzz word when lauding captains of industries and organizations.

The results of the Amdocs, emerging trends in leadership and management, the evolving corporate environment and even global developments such as the Asean integration show the growing importance of communication as a necessary skill among the top echelons of any organization. And not just communication per se, but communication that harmonizes, rather than divides. Indeed, our leaders today must be experts at being constructive disruptive communicators, if I make a play on words… In fact, both the IABC, at the global level, and our very own local chapter, stress the importance of leaders as constant innovators in order meet the challenges of business today.

Fellow IABC Philippines, Mr. Dave Devilles (Corporate Communication Manager, Aboitiz Equity Ventures), likens the effective CEO to a conductor of an orchestra. With at least 40 string instruments and a complement of wind instruments, the baton-wielder has the tough job of ensuring that a euphony of sounds is created by the virtuosos of the orchestra. Similarly, today’s exemplary CEO needs to know the score and direct his own band of instrument players to play beautiful music.

On Sept. 14, IABC Philippines will honor CEOs, organization leaders and executives who exemplify the new breed of business leaders – successful at strategic communication that drives change.

The CEO EXCEL Awards 2015 is supported by gold sponsors Manila Electric Company (Meralco), San Miguel Corporation; silver sponsors San Miguel Brewery, Inc., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., SMART Communications, Inc.; bronze sponsors ABS-CBN Corp., Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Petron Corp., Philippine Business Center, PRU Life UK, San Miguel Pure foods Company, Inc., and Social Security System (SSS).