Business communication excellence in action
There’s a reason why businessmen are often tapped for speaking engagements in graduation rites or leadership seminars. They are, after all, good communicators.
They have the success story to share, and they know how to tell (or sell) it — whether they’re standing in front of students, professionals, or fellow entrepreneurs.
But their communication skills go beyond just flair for language and public speaking. In business, as in interpersonal relationships, communication is vital.
All activities in business, after all, involve different forms of communication. Within a company, there are already the countless telephone calls and e-mail exchanges, job orders, announcements, memoranda, and contracts — the list goes on.
Then, there is also communication for external audiences that encompasses public relations, community and government affairs, and advertising.
Any successful business leader would know that to be able to run an organization like a well-oiled machine, all members of the team should be properly informed and motivated towards attaining the company’s goals.
At the same time, the business leader must also have a keen understanding of his or her various publics. He or she should be able to use communication as a strategic tool to attract consumers and investors, and maintain good relationships with concerned communities and government agencies.
Recently, 11 top-level business executives and organization leaders were awarded at the 2011 Communication Excellence in Organizations or CEO EXCEL Awards last June 7 for effective use of communication in their respective industries.
The awards were given by the highly-regarded International Association of Business Communicators-Philippines, the local branch of the global IABC, which has more than 15,000 member-professionals in over 80 countries.
The University of the Philippines’ first woman president, Dr. Emerlinda Roman, was also conferred a Lifetime Achievement award this year.
These accomplished leaders can very well prove that without effective communication, an organization would be in a state of disarray, while their brands and services remain unheard of, if not maligned.
There won’t be any graduation ceremonies soon as classes have just resumed, but we can still learn a thing or two on communication as IABC shares with us some “words of wisdom” or “tricks of the trade” from those who have successfully harnessed communication towards business excellence. Here are the distinguished 2011 CEO EXCEL winners.
Emmanuel Y. Go
President, AGC Flat Glass Philippines
In the conduct of my business, I follow several guiding philosophies. One is “Walk the talk.” I openly declare my business objectives, and just do it. Another is to communicate by example. I believe that action speaks louder than words. Also, I try to know my audience and then I organize the practical deployment of the objectives.
Vicente Castillo
President and CEO, Philippine Dealing Systems Holding Corporation
In the experience of the Philippine Dealing Systems organizers, the biggest communications challenge was to win over various groups with conflicting interests to the singular idea of a marketplace, in which each group would be an amply protected participant or shareholder. Getting the message across to these potential stake holders was achieved mainly through consultations with regulatory officials, the market practitioners, media for potential issuers, and the investors in general.
Each one of the organizers, respected in their own fields and expertise, delivered our message to selected audiences largely by word-of-mouth.
Rizalina G. Mantaring
President and CEO, Sun Life Financial Philippines
Effective strategy execution needs many people to be engaged and excited — your team to do it, your shareholders to fund it, and your publics to buy it. You need to be able to communicate with them on their terms, in their language, their medium, in a way that stimulates them. And you need to be honest, clear and transparent: if no one understands where you want to go or what you want to do, you won’t get there.
Jaime G. Velasquez
President and country general manager, IBM Philippines
Communication and collaboration are at the heart of every business transaction. In this day and age of social media, everyone is looking for better and smarter ways to connect with customers and clients around the world. For example, at IBM we have Lotus collaboration tools that provide a variety of social networking type of services designed to help organizations of all sizes communicate and collaborate more productively and in a secure environment. As an IBMer, I am a strong believer that communication anchored on our core values is definitely good business.
Ruel T. Maranan
Group director for corporate resources, Manila Water Company, Inc.
I take pride in being part of Manila Water and the various organizations I have been with in the past, keeping in mind the following principles that guided me through the years. First, communications must be clear, clean and refreshing just like the product we provided our customers. Second, communications must be open, honest, and engaging to gain the support of stakeholders to enhance even more the successful public-private partnership that has enabled us to provide excellent water and waste water services in the east zone. Third, communications is strategic. This is essential in making Manila Water the country’s leader in the water and waste water industry.
Eric O. Recto
President, Petron Corporation
My communications philosophy is as follows: Keep it brief, keep it simple, and be candid. I think with those three elements in any message, you will hit the spot each and every time. That’s been my philosophy and it’s worked for me for all of the years that I’ve been trying to communicate. And I will stick to that for as long as I can. Maybe unless I become a politician, then it’ll change.
Leonardo Riingen
President and CEO, Informatics Holdings Philippines
The world gets busier by the day. And communication becomes increasingly difficult. Thus, the challenge I always face is how to make communication work for our organization, not against it. There’s almost too much information around us. To cut through the clutter, it’s important to be creative not only on the means but in the messages. I believe that everyone listens and acts when something is grabbing, relevant, and personalized.
Atty. Pilar Nenuca Almira
Hospital director, Manila Doctors Hospital
The practice of running a hospital, much like medicine, requires personal touch. I believe that leading our organization hinges on effective communication. It is being timely in my interactions and inspiring people by using the best-fit words and medium.
Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda
Governor, Province of Albay
To protect my people, not just to rescue, but early evacuation is essential. We have to do preemptive evacuation long before disaster hits our community. I have instituted a zero casualty policy in time for disaster. One of the most important points to achieve zero casualty is to evacuate my people before disaster strikes. It is the responsibility of the chief executives of our local governments to ensure the lives and safety of our people and I take full responsibility and take this very seriously. To make the system work, we need enough reserves for evacuees, pre-emptive evacuation decision rules, redundant communication or early warning, emergency shelters, and proper social preparation.
Roberto Aboitiz
President, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.
An idea, program, vision or brand, needs to be compelling and relevant to attract a following. To champion a cause or advocacy, one has to personally lead the effort and create understanding at all levels. It helps to have the architecture to communicate enlisting media as partners and having a good communications team craft the material.
Peter A. Musngi
Vice president, Manila Radio Division, ABS-CBN Corporation
I guess it all starts with speaking clearly. Creating and communicating your vision in a crystal clear fashion and continuously encouraging and empowering one’s team to finish the race and realize the vision. The leader’s role is crucial but it’s teamwork that really counts in the end.
* * *
E-mail bongosorio@yahoo.com or bong_osorio@abs-cbn.com for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for communicating.
