What is future-proof communication?
The stakeholder economy has raised the bar for corporate communications. The complexity of topics and contexts continues to increase. Communication departments are scrambling to keep up with higher expectations for pace, intensity, and coordination.
We help you to modernize your communication departments and increase communication impact while ensuring a stakeholder focus throughout the entire process. Our digital-first approach, the integration across communication disciplines, and data-driven management, are key success factors here.
We enable you to put stakeholder strategies into action and drive transformation.
We empower you to prepare for the future, establishing your department as a strategic value driver in your organization.
We’ll help you to interpret data, make effective use of cutting-edge technologies, and upskill your employees.
Based on field-proven tools, our future-proofing process includes a workshop series in which we develop a bespoke setup — and a realistic path to get there while actively engaging your team along the journey. Being you partner for the long haul, we co-create custom solutions that work in the reality in which you operate.
What is the Maturity Check?
Do the Communication Maturity Check and gain valuable insights into how your department can enhance its strategic impact and operational efficiency.
The test analyses ten performance areas on which the relevance and scope of the function will depend in the future.
Upon completion, you'll receive a comprehensive analysis, including the calculated Maturity Score and a benchmark report against industry standards.
Our Offer
We guide you through the process applying a standardized and field-proven four-step-approach.
Strategic Need
In this first module, we will analyze the strategic requirements and development needs for future success that derive from the corporate strategy.
How does your company compare with communication functions in similar companies?
Where do you need to develop to ensure the relevance and success of the communication function in the future?
What mission do you want to fulfil in the future and how do you want to work together with other functions?
What are the obstacles along the way and how can you overcome them?
Future Service Portfolio
In the second module, we will discuss the function’s future service portfolio along the FGS Global Organizational Blueprint.
Which services does the ideal communication function of the future need to offer?
What of this is necessary and feasible in your company, where do you need other solutions?
How much change do you want, and can you expect of your function and your team?
How do you prioritize the restructuring so that the bread-and-butter business does not suffer?
Operating Model for Comms
In the third module, we will develop your function’s future organizational setup and roles together.
How can you organize the department in a way that allows you to be more flexible and achieve greater impact?
How can you free up resources to deal with additional stakeholders and create new touchpoints?
What is the right balance between siloed and project organization?
What can be achieved with existing employees, which capabilities do you need to build or tap into through collaboration with other functions?
Process Design
In the fourth module, we will define future workflows and develop proposal for the function’s meeting structure.
Where do we need to clarify processes to ensure efficient, integrated work?
How can we design integrated processes to minimize complexity?
How often and in which ways do which people need to come together to do what?
How can we ensure an efficient flow of information beyond meetings?
Critical situations to future-proof your communication function:
An IPO requires enhanced communication with more stakeholders – ideal for establishing a state-of-the-art communication function.
In the course of post-merger integration, everything is put to the test – perfect for new structures, processes and staffing changes.
The increased need for communication during a spin-off often goes hand in hand with a lack of human resources – an opportunity for strategic development
Rebuilding reputation after a crisis allows to take a fresh look on corporate communication and redesign it.
Restructuring provides the sense of urgency and leeway that are needed to reorganize communication resources.
A cost-saving program requires communicators to achieve more with less human and financial resources.
New corporate strategies often bring along communication requirements that cannot be met by existing means.
Internationalization requires more coordination, more monitoring and more speed – ergo: digital communication processes.
A CEO change gives communicators the opportunity to take on new tasks and reposition their function – if the benefits are evident.
New communication executives are usually allowed to reorganize their area of responsibility.
Combining corporate communication and marketing is a promising approach to create a future-proof communication function.
The introduction of a corporate brand or a change in what it represents increases attention and stakeholder expectations – good reason to review and evolve the positioning of the communication function.
More than ever, business success depends on effective communication. Geopolitical shifts and the digital revolution are raising the stakes. At the same time, cost pressures are increasing. Communications departments must now move to a future-proof operating system.”
Prof. Dr. Christopher Storck
Partner
