Communication Research

We know the right data can tell leaders a lot, but it’s what they do with that data that truly counts.

We know better than anyone that it’s about translating data into knowledge and knowledge into action. Whether it’s finding out what drives employees’ attitudes and behaviors, gathering the information leaders need to make informed decisions, or identifying what an organization needs to do to create change, we conduct the right research and develop action plans to improve organizational effectiveness in many areas.

We can measure anything, but choose not to measure everything.

Too often, research efforts result in an impenetrable mass of numbers that offers little value. We do research with an eye toward application. We design research that uncovers what you really need to know and in a way that generates clear, actionable next steps. This means defining outcomes-based objectives, asking meaningful questions, collecting data using appropriate methodologies, conducting insightful analyses, and ensuring the necessary follow through.

We never use template research designs.

We believe each organization and each situation is unique, and our approach to research takes your individual information needs and culture into account. Collaboration between the research team and the client is critical to designing a research effort that achieves your goals—not ours. Our research team works hand in hand with you to customize a research effort that best meets your needs.

We’ve worked with our clients to address a variety of challenges and problems:

• Measuring whether communication efforts are effectively aligning employees with the organizational direction or with key initiatives. Our approach tracks the extent to which communication activities produce the desired clarity, attitudes, and behaviors—those things leaders need internal audiences to know, believe, and do if they are to deliver business outcomes.
• Understanding the barriers and obstacles to getting employees to do what leadership needs them to do. We can provide an “eyes wide open” perspective that promotes the development of real solutions to holding people accountable for results.
• Assessing the organization’s communication channels and vehicles, and identifying gaps in the communication portfolio. We’ll identify employees’ most pressing information needs, explore employees’ vehicle and channel preferences for various types of information, and inform an adjustment of an organization’s vehicle portfolio and strategy.
• Helping leaders understand which messages will resonate with employees—and which will not. We work to identify which frames employees use to shape their experience and relationship to their organization and utilize these frames to develop the right language for communicating key issues with messages that will resonate with employees and generate alignment.
• Elevating organizational performance by conducting cross evaluations tailored to the client’s industry and culture.
• Gauging stakeholder (whether internal clients or customers) perceptions of service provided. We gather customer feedback in a manner that lends itself immediately to the implementation of tracking and improvement efforts.

Great leaders don’t make decisions in a vacuum.

They seek to understand employee, customer, and stakeholder perceptions related to key issues and initiatives. Why? Because it sends the message that their input is valuable—and that leaders are listening.

We hold excellence as our strongest guiding principle. The result is a track record of high-quality research delivered on time and on target.