ABSTRACT
At the present time, more than 50 percent of the total value of an organization lies in its intangible assets, in contrast to last decades. Companies do not longer compete for financial variables, now they are concerned with the respect, admiration, empathy, and support of those that are key for their survival: their main stakeholders. Leading by the recognition of those people helps companies achieve excellence by including improvement plans based on their stakeholders’ expectations and demands.
In the new context of the “reputation economy,” also known as “intangible assets economy,” employees play a key role. They are, over the rest of stakeholders, the main voice of a company and their behavior reflects its culture and principles. Thus, to be able to create unique and sustainable projects in the long-term, companies need to clearly define their corporate purpose, identity, mission, and vision and to boost an inside-out system of shared beliefs and values.
Companies now begin to be aware of the key role of their employees as they can help develop a successful business model. Cultural alignment is becoming more and more important as it allows employees to go in the same direction of their companies and own the same purpose. It is not about getting employees to understand the brand’s positioning or the main reason for the company they work for; it is about getting them to truly believe in the organization and its values and behave accordingly. It is about getting them to feel they own those values as well. Effectively communicating with employees is one of the most difficult and important tasks for an organization; its success will be determined by the ability of companies to create a discourse that inspires all communication programs. Nowadays, companies face the challenge of creating unique and remarkable environments where employees can grow and develop themselves. It has been proved that companies with higher indexes of commitment by their employees offer better performance. This index is to be included in the company’s scorecards with other non-financial indicators and will enable a long-term multi-stakeholder vision when taking strategic decisions. Internal communication is evolving toward a strategic area. Rethinking the way we understand internal communication is critical to build purpose-driven organizations. This is why it matters more than ever before.
