Recent research shows how social media promotes dialogue within Italian banks and thereby helps define the social purpose of banks in the wake of a difficult decade. Case study: Collaboration in Gruppo Banca Sella

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INTERNAL INFORMATION
FLOW: A TALE OF DIALOGUE
Recent research shows how social media promotes dialogue within Italian banks and
thereby helps define the social purpose of banks in the wake of a difficult decade.
By Maurizio Incletolli and Eugenio Lanzetta
T
he last 10 years have been a key a different and enhanced approach
decade in corporate communica- to corporate information and com-
tion, in particular if we consider the munication systems. The immediate
evolution of mass-media commu- impact of this would be the achieve-
nications. This is particularly true ment of a more responsible use of
for Italy, where qualified analyses those systems, bridging the ‘chronic
highlight that during this span of time there has been a digital divide’ that exists in Italy.
strong increase of information consumption, both through The unquestionable power of the
the web and through more traditional channels - rang- internet together with the techno-
ing from radio to television, up to a surprise return to the logical refining of corporate com-
limelight by books and newspapers. This represents a sort munication tools also favoured a
of rejection of the uncomfortable label of a country always reduction in the operating cost of
judged as poor in readers as it is rich in talkers and mo- internal communications, becom-
bile-phone users or new-generation smartphone fans. ing less burdensome than tradi-
What have been then the social consequences of this tional communications. Elegant
development with regards to companies and especially newsletters on glossy paper have
banks? And above all, what other factors may have shaped had their day, but there’s more to it
their internal communications system in a context that than meets the eye.
will be remembered as among the harshest from an eco- It was peculiar to note other rel-
nomic and financial point of view? evant qualities of the digital tools:
social networks and web television
NEW FRONTIERS FOR INTERNAL COMMUNI- channels sharing information and
CATIONS The impact of this context was the starting involving people, and intranets be-
point for a survey conducted by the Associazione Ban- coming less institutional and more
caria Italiana (the Italian Banking Association), together oriented towards participation.
with Università Cattolica of Milan and a large workgroup Therefore, on the wings of this evo-
38 formed by the heads of internal communications at the lution of internal communications, a
most important Italian banks. The group shared their great number of banking institutions
views on the issue for more than one year and delivered the took the opportunity to push for in-
Rapporto 2011 – La Comunicazione Interna nelle Banche creased interaction among people
Italiane (Report 2011 – Internal Communications Within within the company, rewarding the
Italian Banks). The first results of the workgroup’s activi- growing demand for shared informa-
ties confirmed how technological innovation allowed for tion with new formulas of involve-
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House organ
Enterprise social network
Presentazioni e campagne
Intranet
Analisi di clima
WebTV
Corsi di comunicazione interna
Concorsi a premio interni
Referenti di comunicazione
Image taken from the cover of the 2011 ABI report, La Comunicazione Interna Delle Banche Italiane
ment; the same demand that was re- THE 2011 REPORT The two-part survey was mainly a
strained, in a not-so-distant past, by qualitative analysis rather than a quantitative one, in order
a top-down and merely informative to better investigate the experiences, needs and tendencies
communications system. These are of the current internal communication systems and com-
the main reasons that prompted the munication professionals, and ultimately to offer sugges-
interbank workgroup set up by ABI tion and operating solutions. The report was drawn up by
to draw the Rapporto 2011, bringing a workgroup of professionals and heads of internal com-
best practices to light and sketching munications at 16 banking groups (with the support of an
some fundamental guidelines ad- ITC company operating in the banking sector) while the
dressed to internal communicators survey involved 39 banks representing about 77 per cent
with the purpose of leading them of total employees of banks associated to ABI.
towards a conscious, professional and The survey, conducted in collaboration with the Eco-
responsible use of tools. nomics faculty of Università Cattolica of Milan, was 39
This was a precious opportunity tasked with considering the following issues:
to make the dialogue between the
banks and their employees easier and - Current role and trends of internal communication in
more effective, and brought to the banks. The survey identified four significantly different
fore the unquestionable social mis- clusters, the profiles of which could be traced back to the
sion of banks. types in which the communication system is subdivided
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within banks: from the critical to the cooperative and in-
volved, from the confident and efficient to the fence sitter. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Tips and tricks for internal tools
- Characteristics and trends of internal communication
in banks. The cluster analysis brought to light significant Write a handbook on the use of tools
differences in the professional approach and behaviour
Assign managers for each space in
of internal communicators in banks, thus allowing the order to encourage use of tools
workgroup to identify four profiles (the informative, the
fence sitter, the efficient, the spellbinder). To complete Be consistent in posting; ensure up-
dates and constantly monitor content
this part of the analysis, the workgroup went through the
description of the competences, experiences, qualities and Obtain a strong commitment on
skills that internal communicators in banks should have, initiatives (otherwise they fail)
besides having their role recognised within the corporate
Set up a simple and clear architecture,
organisational structure. in line with the layout of the intranet
- Goals, tools and effectiveness of internal communica- Provide for an interfunctional govern-
tions. The last part of the report is dedicated on the one ance,
hand to an analysis of how to plan and control decisions Assign responsibility for running the
related to internal communication initiatives and activities; tools directly to those functions which
and on the other hand to the most suitable tools and ac- requested them
tions to pursue internal communication goals as effectively
Allow for mistakes (everybody is al-
as possible, including the complicated but important lowed to write, not only experts)
theme of effective measurement.
Taken from the ABI guidelines on Internal
Communication tools, as presented in the
GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES The report Rapporto 2011: La Comunicazione Interna
then suggests some guidelines on the definition, goals, delle Banche Italiane
characteristics, contents, periodicity, targets, instructions
for realisation, costs, measurement and other suggestions
for a good use of the main internal communications tools,
among which are: Banca Sella. This banking group
can point to a strong commitment in
• web TV • conventions the use of internal web 2.0 tools, as
• e-mail • road shows well as the formulation of an edito-
• intranet • enterprise social networks rial strategy (agreeing on goals, du-
• value charter • corporate environment ration and type of communication)
• newsletters surveys and the appointment of a manager
responsible for the tools
At the end of the second part, some of the heads of Gruppo Banca Sella was among
internal communication participating in the workgroup the first companies in Italy to intro-
relate their experiences, experiments and successes with duce these innovations in its rela-
internal communication initiatives. tionship with customers; the Group
has also introduced internal com-
40 COLLABORATION IN GRUPPO BANCA SELLA But munications channels allowing all
how should collaborative communication - so thoroughly employees to contribute to corporate
examined in the Report 2011 as outlined above - actu- knowledge, encouraging involve-
ally be realised within banking institutions and put to the ment and active listening. Practical
service of employees and their communications needs? application soon showed how those
Let us take a look at one particular Italian case study: the tools improved collaboration within
experience of collaborative communications in Gruppo workgroups and how they made
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innovation more agreeable and ap- in which employees find dedicated documents and serv-
proachable, thus making it easier to ices posted in specific areas not only for information but
find the answers from experts. also for sharing and comparison.
COMMUNITY SPACE In 2010 SOMETHING WIKI THIS WAY COMES Gruppo
the Group’s new intranet 2.0 was es- Banca Sella also introduced wiki tools in daily activities
tablished with the purpose of mak- remarking that:
ing the search for information easier • The contribution of many
by way of both a more intuitive and may be useful to devise an
user-friendly navigation system as idea, to work out a project
or to set up group initia-
tives.
The contribution of many may be • Common knowledge be-
useful to devise an idea, to work out a comes an important part
project or to set up group initiatives. of corporate knowledge.
• Teamwork is improved and
the possibility of receiving
Maurizio Incletolli
well as by strengthening and refin- feedback or comments on
Head, Web and Internal
ing the search engine to support a document is greater. Communication, ABI
daily activities and give better an- • The process of working
swers. The main example is the GBS on a shared document is As part of his position, Mau-
Channel, a video information chan- quicker rizio Incletolli is journalist and
editor-in-chief of the monthly
nel using streaming technology. It
ABI News and head of ABI
started in 2006 as a monthly cor- On the corporate intranet, WebTV. He is editor of the
porate television news service before there are also active discus- sur vey La Comunicazione
morphing into its current incarna- sion spaces such as forums Interna delle Banche Italiane
(ABI, Rome, 2011). He also
tion as a video-sharing portal where (experts in specific issues
teaches at the Scuola Superio-
all employees can share comments, answer questions and give as- re di Economia e Finanza.
vote on videos and send suggestions sistance to colleagues working
to improve the service. The most in the branches) and blogs (a
viewed and most commented videos subject is launched through a
are published and updated in real post and employees comment
time. Among its many functions, and share their ideas).
the GBS Channel is equipped with Let’s conclude on a note
a search engine devised to quickly of caution: applications like
find videos contained in the portal. the ones described above
It is the doorway to all multimedia can only work when they’re
contents at Gruppo Banca Sella, and implemented in a context Eugenio Lanzetta
is easily accessible in a user-friendly in which corporate culture Head, Internal Communica-
and prompt manner. It is a tool al- involves participation and tions, Banca Sella Holding
lowing employees to be constantly listening. Technologies are
Eugenio Lanzetta manages
informed and up-to-date on the only tools that make it easier
and coordinates all internal
41
Photo: Private; Banca Sella Holding
Group’s initiatives, products, norms for common knowledge to communication tools of Banca
and regulations, external scenarios emerge, but are in them- Sella Group. Previously, he was
and get-together events. selves not enough. A culture external relations and cere-
The experience of community of dialogue within an or- monial officer of the Guardia
di Finanza (the military corps
spaces has also produced excellent ganisation – whether a bank,
dealing with customs, excise
fruits: these are opened to a specific business or other body – is and tax crimes) Academy, be-
cluster of the corporate population, essential. fore working at UBI Banca.
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