Principles for corporate communication.

I take a principled approach to a corporations' communication with its stakeholders and have found that the principles below provide effective support when making both small and large decisions, independently of other strategic guidelines. They are based on my own experiences but are heavily influenced by the work of Arthur W. Page.

Secure your commercial leeway. The commercial value of communication is leeway. Communication should give or protect your freedom to do what you want to do when and how you want to do it, and help you avoid sudden, unwanted changes with negative commercial effects.

Find the question before developing an answer. Besides maintaining relations with stakeholders, resources are used on communication to solve challenges. These challenges must be defined first.

See it as it is. Listen to your stakeholders in order to, to the extent possible, understand the situation as it truly is. Those who influence and are influenced by a business, or a person, should be listened to, in order to uncover different viewpoints and needs.

Say it like it is. Let your surroundings know what’s happening and gain a precise understanding of the corporation’s character, ideals, and practices.

Prove it with action. Character is demonstrated through action, and communication is substantiated by such evidence.

Be forward-looking. Anticipate how stakeholders might react so that business practices or communication that could create problems can be adjusted accordingly.

The character of a company is expressed by its people. All employees communicate continuously and must be honest and knowledgeable ambassadors, capable of and motivated to represent the company effectively.

Communicate as if the whole company depends on it. Communication is a leadership function, a leadership responsibility, and a leadership task.

Remain calm, patient and good humoured.  There is no magic in communication. The foundation for positive publicity and attention is established through consistent, calm, and reasonable care for information and relationships.

Overall, these principles aim to guide corporate communication efforts, ensuring transparency, responsiveness, and effective stakeholder management.