New head of communications? Don't underestimate the value of internal networking.

The new head of communications has reason to be excited. Exciting challenges lie ahead, either in the same organization or somewhere completely new. But there's a real danger that you won't make the cut. If you're quickly build an internal network in the new place, you're more likely to succeed.

February 22, 2022

The positioning journey often fails

When new communications managers start, they expect to be able to bring their experience and skills to the table and show their boss that they can deliver concrete results. Preferably quickly. This means they are well on their way on a positioning journey, where successfully solving practical tasks in the beginning is a ticket to more strategic consulting situations in the long run.

However, recent studies suggest that in modern, dynamic organizations where collaboration is constant and cross-functional, it’s harder for a new leader to live up to the organization’s expectations. Even if she has the right skills. A study by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. shows that between 27 % and 46 % of leaders who change jobs are considered disappointing or failed after two years (McKinsey & Co, 2018, “Successfully transitioning to new leadership roles”).

The answer to why this happens may be found in another study. Based on interviews with 160 executives, Rob Cross, Greg Pryor, and David Sylvester found that newly appointed leaders often underestimate the need for internal networks (Harvard Business Review, November-December 2021). The leaders who are considered the most productive, innovative, and engaged in their new roles are those who build broad and reciprocal networks within their organizations from the beginning of their tenure.

Tempo

Today, organizations are working more dynamically across departments and functions than ever before to drive innovation and digital transformation. That’s one reason internal networks are so valuable. Another is that younger leaders are changing jobs much more frequently than in the past. In other words: A new leader often finds herself in a situation where she is, well, new, in a challenging organizational context that can be difficult to understand and navigate – quickly.

Cross, Pryor, and Sylvester found that the most successful new leaders don’t wait for an internal network to develop. These fast movers consciously and systematically work to understand the informal hierarchy of the organization and who, regardless of title and position, can and will best support them in their new leadership role. For example, they may find deputies to formal leaders, colleagues in support functions, or peers who can be good sparring partners and provide valuable information about other people’s perspectives and views on issues.

The communication manager’s peer management

In the research project ‘CEO Communication and the Advisor of the Future’, RelationsPeople and the University of Copenhagen interviewed Danish communication directors, managers, and advisors.

A recurring theme was how, by building internal networks, the interviewees could gain knowledge and build internal coalitions that would enable them to advise a CXO on his communication. They pointed out that the head of HR was often an important person to network with, as was a CXO’s personal assistant.

In other words, peer management became a prerequisite for effectively advising the CXO on executive communications. Another benefit of this approach for respondents was that they could use the internal network to understand the business context of the organization, where the complexity and scope of the issues respondents needed to understand otherwise seemed overwhelming.

Peer management tips

So how can a new communications manager speed up his or her peer management? Here are some simple tips from your own research and that of others:

• 50 interviews in 50 days: Systematize your onboarding by having your secretary or someone else in your new organization set up interviews before your calendar is full of meetings. Aim for one meeting a day for the first few months, both with close colleagues and further out in the organization (e.g., a subsidiary). Have regular check-ins with an outside consultant or coach to assess your impressions.
• Think in terms of networks. If the head of communications has established a good relationship with the head of HR or the CXO’s PA, ask them who they know or would like to know in the organization. Talk to them too. And why are they so good? It could be because they are well networked themselves, or because they are internal opinion leaders – both those who are on board and those who are not.
• Be generous. Even if you’re working hard and structured to strengthen your own position, your internal network should be reciprocal. The people you network with need to get something out of you. They’ll get that if you take a genuine interest in them and show that you recognize them, listen to them, and offer to help them where you can, even if you’re new.