The Authentic Enterprise

2007AuthenticEnterprise.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Thanks to Paul Gillin for the Facebook alert that the Arthur W. Page Society (an organization of corporate communications leaders, aka head flaks) has published a PDF manifesto entitled the Authentic Enterprise.

Punchline: the era of shaping the message, of spinning the news, of gilding the lily is dead and gone and the new mission of corporate communications is to be … authentic. I think Rob O’Regan, Tom Hayes, and I can declare some sort of victory for the Corporate Journalism meme.
August group of Fortune 500 PR people, invitation only, including access to its blog (which is authentically closed to non-members). Named after the head of PR at AT&T.

Anyway, Gillin, took the time to excerpt from the PDF. He concludes:

“While the report is short on quantitative research (though there is a survey of 31 CEOs discussed at the end), it’s hard to argue with its overarching conclusions: businesses no longer control their messages; constituencies are expanding and diversifying; and corporations must be more transparent and open about nearly everything they do.”

From his excerpts, the money quote:

““Values are the fundamental basis for enterprise communications. “To be an effective communications function in the authentic enterprise:

• “We must not only position our companies, but also help define them. While expertise and authenticity are essential, communicators’ counsel to the corporation must now encompass its fundamental business model, brand, culture, policies and, most importantly, values.
• “We must not only develop channels for messaging but also networks of relationships. In a business ecosystem of proliferating constituencies, communicators must lead the development of social networks and the tools and skills of relationship building and collaborative influence – both to seize new opportunities and to respond to new threats.
• “We must shift from changing perceptions to changing realities. In a world of radical transparency, 21st century communications functions must lead in shaping behavior – inside and out – to make the company’s values a reality.”