KB SmartSolutions’ Post

Today’s #WeLeadComms spotlight falls on Serbian communication leader Ivana Vidović. In her words: “In my career, I have worn many hats, including being the go-to person for internal communications in one of the biggest companies in the Adria region, as well as one the leading global retail chains. Since December 2023, I have proudly held the position of Internal Communications Expert within the largest healthcare system in Serbia. My journey into communications began just before the global pandemic reshaped the business landscape. It was a challenging moment to start a career, but incredibly rewarding one as well, because I got to grow alongside internal communications in Serbia. Wanting to keep the momentum going, I stepped up as the Community Lead for the topIC_community, the first internal communications community in the Balkans. We've grown to over 1500 members – IC, HR, PR and other professionals all sharing passion for effective communication. Together, we're all about promoting openness and helping each other grow through meet-ups, webinars, conferences, and keeping the conversation going on social media. What really gets me excited about internal communications is seeing the tangible impact it has (beyond just numbers) on employee satisfaction and business operations and success. Through this journey I’ve realized that internal communications is much more than just sharing information. It is about building trust, keeping people motivated, giving them voice, and shaping corporate culture where everybody thrives. Looking ahead, I am eager to keep growing alongside internal comms, both within my company and the community. I see myself as a lifelong ambassador for putting people at the heart of communication.“ ++++ As a global leader in training and professional development for communication leaders, the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence offers a range of individual professional memberships. Through these memberships, individual communication professionals can connect with a global community to grow their careers. There are three levels of professional membership, each with a range of substantial benefits. To learn more or to sign up, visit https://lnkd.in/eV_62DcQ

I really hope Country Managers will spend more time on internal communication. Not inspiring. Not trendy. But... important. Why? 🔴 Problem: The battle for understanding country management by non-country managers is not won. ➡️ Meaning: Too often country managers are sidelined into being the translator, the social media person, the document jazz-er-upper, or the recruiter ... all while being judged on 💰-results only. 🍑 But... Part (not all!) of the blame sits with the country manager himself. I often see Country Managers torn between delivering results, understanding and explaining their market, and fighting for budget and resources. It's part of the job, you'll say. I agree, but especially in start-ups, Country Managers - especially if junior profiles - often lack the art of internal communication. Remember that folks don't know your market and how it works. Most of them underestimate the time it takes to establish a market. Here is what I would recommend: 📈 When negotiating your Country Manager contract, negotiate a period of 3–6 months to spend only on market analysis, network creation and internal awareness raising for that market. No sales pressure, only preparation. 🛠 Request a list of tools you need for the job: a structured marketing and sales department to rely on, sales and marketing tools, a localised website, presentations, ICP-specific content, and email cadences, for example. Challenge the internal team and explain to them what you need to succeed. 🗣️ Install a regular meeting schedule with the upper management and core functions (Head of sales, Head of Marketing, CFO, CTO, ...) to report on your market, and make them understand in every meeting the market differences and what customers in your market need. 🔊 And never stop communicating the value of your efforts. Take people on the journey with internal communication. Not inspiring. Not trendy. But important. Justifying our efforts and fighting for every pound of the budget is hard and cumbersome. The solution starts with internal communication. Not inspiring, but... you get the point. #countrymanager #expansion #internalcommunication

Germany-based communication leader Joanna Schild is today’s #WeLeadComms honoree. In her words: “My career spans from Opera to Fintech. If you had asked me when I stepped into English National Opera at the age of 21, that I would be here - I wouldn’t have believed you. It demonstrates, however, my ability to quickly comprehend industries and strategies, without having to be a subject matter expert - and translate these for any audience. There is a huge difference in the profiles of people who work within one company, let alone across such different industries. “I started working amidst the harmonies of classical music, where I served as an agent for musicians. Within this role, I touched on some early external comms work; drafting press releases, maintaining website content, organising press events, and trying to convince very traditional opera singers to get on twitter. “Upon relocating from London to Berlin, I freelanced as a PR and Artist Manager, but something was missing (health insurance), and I found myself leaping into tech. “Being completely new to this world, I took on roles where I had the most access to information, initially working as an Executive Associate to the CEO and later to the Chief People Officer (in the words of my CEO - if you can manage opera singers you can manage me). I dove head-first into business reporting to build up my commercial acumen, and people and culture initiatives. “Very quickly I was leading a team comprising of exceptionally talented communications and events professionals, where my role was to guide and structure the work they were doing, and connect it to the wider company strategy. “Joining the company two years prior to its public listing, I led global internal communications through significant milestones, including joining and leaving the DAX index, operations spanning 70+ countries, major M&A activities, and cultural transformations. “After 8 years, I left to build out internal communications for a fintech scale-up, positioning internal communications as a strategic function and executing communication strategies through a time of transformation. Having a focus on strategic transformational change communication, internal reputation, and working in close collaboration with and coaching C-suite executives. I also have had the privilege of spearheading their inaugural DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) strategy, a responsibility that I deeply cherished. “My latest role will soon be coming to an end, so if you like what you read (...go on, you’ve made it this far) and are looking for your next strategic communications lead, I would love to hear from you.” +++ IMPROVING MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION is a hot topic at the moment. The Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence can shift that conversation to reality. For more about CSCE’s Leadership Communication for Managers program - and the CSCE's range of in-company training programs, visit https://lnkd.in/eqMY8J4U

Favourite spots and where to find those! The (not) requested tip of the day. We do spend a quite amount of time in our offices….meetings, calls, networking and many other moments challenge our time and activities management. Keep the focus cannot be easy at times and multitasking is not a productive option… that’s why you should find quiet spots to review things and reflect on projects and goals. I am very lucky to have several options to choose from in the Prysmian Milan HQ. (…and by the way, we are hiring) #office #goals #balance

My first internal communications assignment! In my first corporate assignment, I was hired by a captive international BPO to manage their internal communications. My first task was to create a sense of pride amongst the employees as BPO jobs were looked down upon at that time. I was given the opportunity to brand the new conference room that the company was getting ready. We were a part of a very large Hongkong based conglomerate that literally used to run Hongkong. When I visited the parent company website, I saw some amazing facts which were absolutely jaw dropping. I created typo posters which highlighted these facts loud and clear, linking us to our parentage, and presented them to the management. They loved the creatives and we went ahead with placing them prominently on the walls of the conference room. And they worked... Many a times the best idea is right in our face but we may overlook. One of the most famous works by the legendary David Ogilvy for Rolls-Royce had the headline taken from one of the product manuals the company had. Only David Ogilvy was the first to spot it (as he wrote in his autobiography) Borrowing a leaf from the great masters may always work...atleast it has worked for me more than once... As internal communications managers, the more we know our company, our people, we stand a better chance of hitting on a jackpot idea... Would love to know your views and experiences... #haveagreatday 😊 Google Pinterest : picture courtesy #internalcommunications #employeeengagement #employeeexperience

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.

Working in Internal Comms can feel like being stuck in a never-ending game of whac-a-mole sometimes, right? 🙄 There's always SO much to do and never enough time and resources to do it all. 🔑 The key to getting more done AND be more strategic, is to shift our perspective from 'Tactics on a To Do List' to 'Tactics as Currency.' 🔎 If you think about it, almost everything we achieve in our roles is through our partnerships with others in the business. 🤓 And in order to have highly successful, sustainable relationships with our stakeholders, we need to build social capital with them. 🤝 The tactics keeping us so busy matter to those stakeholders, which makes them really important to our relationships with those people. 💡When we get good at leveraging our "doing" to build social capital, those tactics start to work FOR us, instead of always feeling like a burden. 🧠 And when we get really good at it, we start clawing back capacity (and brain cells!) for ourselves, and our teams. ➡️ This was one of the game-changing truths it took me a long time to learn in my career, and that I've seen transform the way Dewpoint Communications, Inc.'s clients work – and the outcomes they achieve. 📗There's a lot more info on how to use 'Tactics as Currency' in our free eBook, Work Smarter – Five game-changing truths I wish I'd known (much!) earlier in my Internal Communication career. 🌷You're very welcome to download it for a little light reading this weekend, and please reach out if you have any questions. Link is in the comments ⬇️

Ena Karabelas is Integrated Communications Campaign Manager for Europe & Latin America at Ericsson. She joined the company in 2022 having previously worked at Chapter 4 Romania. Ena is based in Romania.   “I had my son when I was in my twenties. I had a nanny but I knew I needed to be home at 6pm each evening. That was my non-negotiable, I made it clear my son was my priority. Now he’s nearly twelve. I’m pleased how remote working has become more dominant. Working from home has its upsides and downsides. I set boundaries, so if my door is closed, it means my son can’t come in. He’s old enough to respect that.   The change in work culture since the pandemic is a good thing. With my home my dominant workspace it means I can stir a pot for dinner and work on a presentation at the same time. It makes me even more productive. And my son gets a window into my work life. He becomes curious. ‘What are you working on? What’s that?’ That’s really good to see.   You need to be super organised. You have to plan and share your calendar with your partner to ensure you have everything covered. And actually you bring those skills into your work - abilities in organisation and planning that make things happen!   I believe the more we talk about our personal and family lives, the more we understand each other, which we often do at the start of meetings. At Ericsson there’s an understanding that we can take time if something happens at home and we need to be there for our kids. I know I can go to my boss and she’ll support me.   Often we hear about kindergarten tantrums or forgotten lunch boxes but there’s a Romanian saying: ‘bigger kids, bigger problems’ which is true. For small kids it’s about being present at bedtime and meal times. Older kids have other pressures: exams, mental health challenges and anxieties.   I think the onus is on our colleagues to share: you can only help others when you know what’s going on for them. When you share, you’re not talking to a role, you’re talking to a human. Hearing kids in the background, doing a call from the car on the school run - this is who we are. I believe the things we experience in our private lives make us better at work. Seeing automated responses like ‘I'm away from my desk looking after a sick kid’ or 'I may be slow to respond today’ is really important, especially if it’s someone senior or a man. It encourages behaviour change.   It’s important to see so many women in Sally’s leadership team who know what it’s like and to whom we can speak openly. When Rachel talks about guilt leaving her kids to travel for work, we know we’re not alone.” #ParentsAtEricsson

Internal communications is the heart of an organization. It is the bridge that connects employees with the company’s mission, vision, and values, promoting engagement and collaboration at every level. For me, this role is not just a function, but a passion. Through internal communication, I have the opportunity to create positive work environments, drive transparency, and foster a sense of belonging that makes each employee feel part of the organizational purpose. I firmly believe that the key to effective leadership and a strong culture lies in clear, empathetic, and constant communication. My experience has allowed me to understand the direct impact of a good communication strategy, and that’s why I'm proud of myself for taking on this role everyday no matter what. In this field, it’s not just about transmitting messages, creating campaings, planning townhalls and making sure we have snacks for everyone, but about connecting people, building trust, and adding real value. Internal communication professionals are the architects of organizational culture, we ensure that all members feel heard, understood, and motivated to contribute their best. For me, being part of this process is an honor and a responsibility that I take on with full commitment. Im proud to be in comms! What about you? How does your role make you feel?

CALIFORNIA