Interview with Mar Guerrero-Busquets, AVP Employee Experience, Employment Brand, Performance Culture, TD Bank Group
Naples, FL, June 03, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Through advanced communications mediums, organizations are now more than ever trying to keep up with the changing technological environment to continue to reach their employees to ensure clear and consistent messaging. Internal Communicators are seen as an integral part of this process, yet struggling to ‘cut through the clutter’ to reach their audience and engage them effectively.
Mar Guerrero-Busquets, AVP Employee Experience, Employment Brand, Performance Management Culture at TD Bank Group recently spoke with marcus evans about key topics to be discussed at their upcoming Internal Communications Canada Conference 2015, July 28-29, 2015 in Toronto.
Why do you believe internal communication has been such an important focus in all businesses today?
MG: Customers, employees, and candidates are looking for transparency from organizations. If employees do not feel informed about what’s going on in their organization, they’re hardly going to be engaged. That’s why internal communications are so important - dear, timely, transparent communication is a key factor in engagement and trust but also of organizational agility, as keeping everyone aligned in a fast paced environment is vital.
Why is the vehicle of communication of most interest and importance?
MG: People are overwhelmed with information and distractions. An interesting data point: according to Microsoft, our attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8 seconds now. So choosing the right vehicle for each type of communication is part of what makes their communication effective. Each target audience requires a different channel or combination of channels for the message to be received and absorbed.
What important measure have you taken to improve communications within your company?
MG: At TD, we have a fantastic team of Internal Communications professionals. They have made internal comms a key strategic function of the organization - they challenge and support internal stakeholders to think not only about messages and channels, but also about behaviors. They constantly look to understand our internal audiences and how to communicate with them in the most impactful way.
A recent survey they conducted confirmed that Managers are still, by far, the preferred source of key information. This is quite telling, right? In spite of how technology has revolutionize the way we communicate and that an increasing number of people work remotely, Managers are still the most effective communication channel. Why? Because they make messages relevant for employees, translating them into the What’s in it for me?, they answer questions so communication is truly a two-way dialogue, and they play a key role in building credibility in the organization and winning the “hearts and minds” of employees.
One of the topics at the conference is “Embrace Technologies to Maintain Relevance & Continue to Engage Internal Audiences.” Do you believe technology made a significant impact on this topic?
MG: Absolutely. Speed, accessibility, global reach, timeliness… all of that has been driven by technology. However, with speed and volume comes complexity, and then the challenge is to identify what is relevant information versus information that does not add value and people don’t really need to know. Employees want crisp and concise information, and we need to make it clear for them whether it is for sharing purposes, a call to action, or just an “FYI.”
How have you approached the performance culture at TD Bank Group?
MG: We are very proud of TD’s unique and inclusive employee culture so we pay attention to both the “what” and the “how.” The way people go about achieving their goals is as important as what they actually achieve. Our performance management model aligns corporate goals, business unit/functional goals, team goals and individual objectives. But we also have recognition programs, which are a fundamental part of our performance culture, that reward employees who demonstrate TD Guiding Principles, the “how.”
What do you hope to gain by attending this conference?
MG: It is important to find opportunities to raise your thinking beyond the day-to-day work. I like to keep on top of trends, best practices, changing customer and employee expectations, and attending this conference helps me do that. Another benefit is the networking with cross-functional professionals from different industries who share the same interest for employee engagement and the role that effective communications play in that.
Mar joined TD Bank in April 2013 as AVP Talent and Organization Development, following her passion for people development and building high performance teams. Since July 2014, she leads the Employee Experience, Employment Brand and Performance Culture team, focusing on talent as a key driver of organizational success. Prior to joining TD, Mar had a varied and international career in HR, Marketing, and Communications.
Mar is a certified Executive and Team coach, a MBTI Certified Practitioner, and has worked with clients including Santander Banking Group, BBVA, KPMG and Ernst&Young. She has guest lectured at a number of business schools and universities on leadership and related topics. She speaks Spanish, English and German. She is a member of the Human Resources Professionals Association (Canada), the International Coach Federation (US) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK). Mar is also on the board of a charitable organization in her home town (Mallorca, Spain), the Handisport Foundation.
For more information regarding the highly anticipated marcus evans International Communications Canada 2015 Conference, please check out the conference website or contact Nicolette Fiordirosa, Marketing & PR Coordinator, marcus evans at 312-894-6327 or nicolettef@marcusevansch.com.
About marcus evans
Marcus evans conferences annually produce over 2,000 high quality events designed to provide key strategic business information, best practice and networking opportunities for senior industry decision-makers. Our global reach is utilized to attract over 30,000 speakers annually; ensuring niche focused subject matter presented directly by practitioners and a diversity of information to assist our clients in adopting best practice in all business disciplines.
Mar Guerrero-Busquets, AVP Employee Experience, Employment Brand, Performance Management Culture at TD Bank Group recently spoke with marcus evans about key topics to be discussed at their upcoming Internal Communications Canada Conference 2015, July 28-29, 2015 in Toronto.
Why do you believe internal communication has been such an important focus in all businesses today?
MG: Customers, employees, and candidates are looking for transparency from organizations. If employees do not feel informed about what’s going on in their organization, they’re hardly going to be engaged. That’s why internal communications are so important - dear, timely, transparent communication is a key factor in engagement and trust but also of organizational agility, as keeping everyone aligned in a fast paced environment is vital.
Why is the vehicle of communication of most interest and importance?
MG: People are overwhelmed with information and distractions. An interesting data point: according to Microsoft, our attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8 seconds now. So choosing the right vehicle for each type of communication is part of what makes their communication effective. Each target audience requires a different channel or combination of channels for the message to be received and absorbed.
What important measure have you taken to improve communications within your company?
MG: At TD, we have a fantastic team of Internal Communications professionals. They have made internal comms a key strategic function of the organization - they challenge and support internal stakeholders to think not only about messages and channels, but also about behaviors. They constantly look to understand our internal audiences and how to communicate with them in the most impactful way.
A recent survey they conducted confirmed that Managers are still, by far, the preferred source of key information. This is quite telling, right? In spite of how technology has revolutionize the way we communicate and that an increasing number of people work remotely, Managers are still the most effective communication channel. Why? Because they make messages relevant for employees, translating them into the What’s in it for me?, they answer questions so communication is truly a two-way dialogue, and they play a key role in building credibility in the organization and winning the “hearts and minds” of employees.
One of the topics at the conference is “Embrace Technologies to Maintain Relevance & Continue to Engage Internal Audiences.” Do you believe technology made a significant impact on this topic?
MG: Absolutely. Speed, accessibility, global reach, timeliness… all of that has been driven by technology. However, with speed and volume comes complexity, and then the challenge is to identify what is relevant information versus information that does not add value and people don’t really need to know. Employees want crisp and concise information, and we need to make it clear for them whether it is for sharing purposes, a call to action, or just an “FYI.”
How have you approached the performance culture at TD Bank Group?
MG: We are very proud of TD’s unique and inclusive employee culture so we pay attention to both the “what” and the “how.” The way people go about achieving their goals is as important as what they actually achieve. Our performance management model aligns corporate goals, business unit/functional goals, team goals and individual objectives. But we also have recognition programs, which are a fundamental part of our performance culture, that reward employees who demonstrate TD Guiding Principles, the “how.”
What do you hope to gain by attending this conference?
MG: It is important to find opportunities to raise your thinking beyond the day-to-day work. I like to keep on top of trends, best practices, changing customer and employee expectations, and attending this conference helps me do that. Another benefit is the networking with cross-functional professionals from different industries who share the same interest for employee engagement and the role that effective communications play in that.
Mar joined TD Bank in April 2013 as AVP Talent and Organization Development, following her passion for people development and building high performance teams. Since July 2014, she leads the Employee Experience, Employment Brand and Performance Culture team, focusing on talent as a key driver of organizational success. Prior to joining TD, Mar had a varied and international career in HR, Marketing, and Communications.
Mar is a certified Executive and Team coach, a MBTI Certified Practitioner, and has worked with clients including Santander Banking Group, BBVA, KPMG and Ernst&Young. She has guest lectured at a number of business schools and universities on leadership and related topics. She speaks Spanish, English and German. She is a member of the Human Resources Professionals Association (Canada), the International Coach Federation (US) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK). Mar is also on the board of a charitable organization in her home town (Mallorca, Spain), the Handisport Foundation.
For more information regarding the highly anticipated marcus evans International Communications Canada 2015 Conference, please check out the conference website or contact Nicolette Fiordirosa, Marketing & PR Coordinator, marcus evans at 312-894-6327 or nicolettef@marcusevansch.com.
About marcus evans
Marcus evans conferences annually produce over 2,000 high quality events designed to provide key strategic business information, best practice and networking opportunities for senior industry decision-makers. Our global reach is utilized to attract over 30,000 speakers annually; ensuring niche focused subject matter presented directly by practitioners and a diversity of information to assist our clients in adopting best practice in all business disciplines.
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http://www.visibilitymagazine.com
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