Hear Me Out
As the talk about employee advocacy continues to grow and additional voices join the mix, I would like to take a step back and really focus on the folks who have to actually execute on this.
I’ve already created a list of 26 questions to ask to get you going on creating an employee advocacy program. After writing that piece I realized something. In many cases the folks who are running the programs will be in marketing / branding.
Employee Advocacy is Too Important To JUST Be Left Up to the Marketing Department
Now before you get your pitch forks out, hear me out.
There is a great opportunity to leverage the interest in employee advocacy to breakdown some of those silos that exist in your organizations. There is a great opportunity to engage whatever group has their pulse on the finger of your organization’s health and what is going on with your employees.
3 Additional Groups Who Should Be in the Employee Advocacy Game
Human Resources (HR): When sh*t hits the fan, HR usually knows about it. For some HR is synonymous with trouble, but you have to trust that they know what is going on and what your employees aren’t happy about.
Organizational Development (OD): For some this may be one in the same with HR but if you have an OD department they are the ones monitoring the health of the organization and how they can make it better. They are usually tied into the vision of the leadership of your organization as well. Hint, hint, get in good with them and it may make it easier for you to get that oh so important buy-in from your leadership.
Managers: I’ve spent 8 years in the trenches of management and let me tell you, programs get created for everyday employees without any consideration, buy-in or consulting with their managers. Guess what, good managers know what is going on with their people and have a good sense of the morale of their team. As a basic example, take the fact that most managers and their teams design heath screenings and wellness programs (pop over to this page to learn more) for their employees to ensure physical, mental, and emotional health. This can be considered a proactive step towards keeping employees healthy and happy. And, “yes,” sometimes things don’t make it to HR because they are being handled on a team level. Find out what the managers know and get their buy-in so it’s easier to work with their people.
I’ve got one mission, more connection, more community and more action. Run the point (take action) from where you are, with what you have.
Your Ambassador,
Mike Ambassador Bruny
Looking for a trusted advisor to help with connection and community in your employee advocacy program? Let’s set virtual coffee for 15 minutes and see if we are a good match. The answer may be “yes,” it might be “no,” but at least we had the opportunity to meet. The Chat Calendar
