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It's perhaps the ranking corporate CEOs covet the most.

When business magazine Fortune began its annual "Most Admired Companies" survey in 1982, the editors probably never imagined that the yearly report would grow into the definitive measure of excellence it has become - virtually a "corporate Oscars" - among companies in the U.S. and around the world.

The Most Admired's Most Common Distinguishing Trait
At a recent symposium for Atlanta-area employee benefits and communications executives sponsored by Georgia Tech College of Management, public relations firm MS&L and global human resources and organizational consulting firm Hay Group, Hay Group provided additional insights into the strategies, similarities and secrets that distinguish the distinguished.

For the last eight years, Hay Group has conducted research studies that laid the groundwork for the Most Admired Companies list. What the firm has discovered that is of particular relevance to communications professionals:

  • The ability to attract and retain talented people is the most distinctive characteristic among the most admired. At see see eye, we believe that those companies that make employee excellence and retention a priority should communicate these values, thereby educating stakeholders about the policies and practices that reflect them.

  • Employees of most admired companies are focused on the customer and are empowered to make choices. Employees who have greater independence from their supervisors exhibit better morale and, therefore, feed that "great place to work" culture. see see eye believes that stakeholder communications - annual reports, Web sites, intranets and other communications - offer an opportunity to show how empowered employees are critical to product and service excellence and bottom-line health.

  • The most admired companies lead their peers in offering excellent work/life balance opportunities. The most admired list seems to prove that aspects of a corporate culture that support work/life balance among employees also heighten morale - which, again, is a strong contributor to quality and the bottom line. see see eye thinks that messages that make this connection for investors, customers and other external stakeholders shouldn't be limited to Web sites and publications created only for internal employees.

  • The most admired companies truly understand that individual employees have individual needs. Hay Group noted that, in their communications, most admired companies look at audience segmentation and communicate differently to different age groups. These companies are also comprised of managers that communicate more frequently. For example, according to Hay Group, GE senior executives developed a practice of regularly speaking to company employees. Better-informed employees feel more empowered and a part of things - again, contributing to better performance.

see see eye supports the notion of developing communications that differ in media and communications style so that the widest possible audience will have access to and comprehend key messages. Or, if budget and resources don't permit multiple communications, then we advise selecting a method of communication that will be accessed and understood by the largest possible audience.

Where communications comes into the picture
While professional communicators may not be in the position to establish organizational priorities or set management policies, they can - through telling stories and clearly communicating their companies' aspirations - help create a picture of success for the future and at the same time reinforce the practices that contribute to superior performance.

Corporate communications such as the annual report, corporate Web site, employee magazine and intranet are just some of the places where the seeds of excellence can be sown - perhaps contributing to the building of a new future most admired firm.

Terry Davis, president and founder of see see eye, is an international award-winning communications professional who has developed and executed numerous communication programs for Fortune 500 firms and other companies. Clients have included BellSouth Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Goodrich Corporation, IBM, Ryder System, UPS and other companies. She has spoken frequently on the subject of annual reports and communications to organizations, including the Public Relations Society of America, the National Investor Relations Institute, the American Institute of Graphic Arts/Atlanta and Georgia State University.

see see eye is an award-winning graphic design firm that helps Fortune 1000 companies and other organizations build stakeholder confidence. The firm uses strategic creative design and effective message development to produce annual reports, Web sites, identity and branded collateral programs targeted to investors, customers, employees and community members.

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