After surveying 100 communication professionals, we believe there is an important opportunity for communication professionals to engage in a further discussion and exploration with one another to discover practical approaches for advancing the profession. Post you reflections here to continue the conversation.

1. W HERE ARE WE ?
W HERE SHOULD WE BE ?
What communication professionals are thinking
Neil Griffiths and Deborah Hinton
September 2012

2. Copyright © 2012 by Neil Griffiths and Deborah Hinton

3. CONTENTS
2 EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
4 INTRODUCTION
5 PURPOSE, METHOD AND FINDINGS
11 CONCLUSIONS
13 WHERE TO FROM HERE?
14 ABOUT THE AUTHORS
15 APPENDIX 1 - THE SURVEY: INTRODUCTION, QUESTIONS AND RESULTS
33 APPENDIX 2 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
34 APPENDIX 3 - THE SURVEY RESULTS AND THEIR "STATISTICAL
SIGNIFICANCE"
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 1

4. EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
Deluged by a tsunami of prescriptive advice about where the communication profession is
heading, we set out to ask those working in the profession what they think and how they’re
doing.
Our survey of over 100 communication professionals reviews the recommendations of The
Authentic Enterprise1, and finds they strongly agree that the communication function should
be in the C-suite and play a leadership role on values, relationships, ‘new media’ and trust
now and in the future. But, they don’t agree on how the communication function should
assume this role.
In addition, our survey reveals a discrepancy between what communication professionals say
they aspire to and what they’re actually doing, both in terms of leadership and in their
professional development.
As a result, we feel there’s an important opportunity for further discussion and exploration
within the profession to discover what practical approaches communication professionals
need to:
• Demonstrate to their leaders and themselves that communications is not a function;
it is a core strategic competence
• Make the transition from the past to the future.
• Ensure they are in a strong position to fulfill their aspirations for themselves, their
function and their organizations.
1 Arthur W. Page Society, 2007
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 2

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Our thanks to the survey participants for sharing their thinking about the current state and
future possibilities for the profession. We appreciated the time they spent on the thoughtful
and thought-provoking answers.
We also thank the Arthur W. Page Society for their study The Authentic Enterprise; the
inspiration for our survey.
And finally, thanks to Michael Hinton and Doron Solomon. The former for his input on the
statistical side of the survey and bringing plain English to our report, and the latter for his
support in survey editing, report layout and technical advice.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 3

6. INTRODUCTION
Communication professionals are deluged with a tsunami of prescriptive advice from
industry gurus, bloggers and individual communicators about what they should and
shouldn’t be doing2. Most of this advice is based on anecdotal evidence and subjective opinion
rather than objective research3. An exception is The Authentic Enterprise4 report.
When published five years ago the report didn’t generate the excitement, interest and debate
in the profession that one would have expected from such a well-researched and provocative
report. This is surprising since it appears to us that studies like this one are what we, as a
profession, have long been saying we needed.
The Authentic Enterprise is based on “original research among CEOs, [their] …experience
and a broad range of studies and perspectives” and it provides an important CEO-view of the
opportunities and challenges facing senior communication executives. Surprisingly, in the
five years since its publication no one has tested the report’s recommendations with the
views of communication professionals. We believed it was time to take a closer look to
understand the implications for our profession now and in the future. In particular, we
wanted to see if communication professionals agreed with the conclusions and
recommendations of the study and how they supported their views, and if they had any
thoughts about the implications of the study on the future of professional communication.
Our hope is our findings will generate practical insights and lead to a constructive discussion
within the profession about where communication professionals are and where they should
be going.
2 Our sources include the daily stream of articles from various professional association newsletters and
magazines, conference outlines, industry blog posts, etc. in the lead up to and since our decision to
undertake this project in 2011
3 “Reimagining our profession – Public Relations for a complex world”; Richard Edelman address; IPR
50th Annual Distinguished lecture and awards dinner; November 10, 2011
4 Arthur W. Page Society, 2007
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 4

7. PURPOSE, METHOD AND FINDINGS
The purpose of our survey was to measure the level of communication professionals’
agreement with the main conclusions of The Authentic Enterprise in order to encourage
informed discussion about the profession5.
In June and July of 2012, we surveyed people who identified themselves as communication
professionals6. We received 107 responses. On average, respondents were well-educated
[many with graduate degrees and post-graduate studies], experienced [10 years or more]
communication professionals, working in a corporate communications function [internal
more than external] for large [more than 1,000 employees, many more than 10,000] publicly
traded or privately held, for-profit companies. Appendix 3 presents a discussion of the
“statistical significance” of what they told us.
In each of the sections below, we have included a sample of open-field responses to give the
reader an idea of the nature of feedback we received.
OVER 90% OF PARTICIPANTS AGREE WITH THE CEOS IN THE AUTHENTIC ENTERPRISE ON THREE STATEMENTS:
O THE COMMUNICATION FUNCTION SHOULD REPORT TO THE CEO THROUGH A CHIEF COMMUNICATION OFFICER.
O THE COMMUNICATION FUNCTION SHOULD PLAY A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THESE FOUR AREAS – VALUES,
RELATIONSHIPS, ‘NEW MEDIA’ AND TRUST.
O THE FOUR AREAS – VALUES, RELATIONSHIPS, ‘NEW MEDIA’ AND TRUST ARE RELEVANT TO THE FUTURE OF
COMMUNICATION.
The first two statements imply an important leadership role for the communication function
and it is not surprising that communication professionals strongly agree.
What is surprising is that:
• many fewer [60%] say that their function actually does report to the CEO, and
• upon further questioning about their role in the four areas – values, relationships,
‘new media’ and trust – the results are not nearly as conclusive.
Although a majority agree that the communication function should be a leader/facilitator in
the following areas:
• enabling the enterprise with ‘new media’ skills [87%]
• enabling the enterprise with ‘new media’ tools [84%]
• instilling company values [75%].
… there is only moderate agreement that the communication function should lead/facilitate
in these areas:
5 See Appendix 1 for the cover letter, survey questions and responses
6 See Appendix 2 for our research methodology
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 5

8. • managing multi-stakeholder relationships [63%]
• building trust in all its dimensions [62%]
• building multi-stakeholder relationships [59%]
• defining company values [57%]
• managing trust in all its dimensions [57%]
So, although communication professionals believe they have a leadership role, they are not
aligned in their view of what that leadership should look like. In the open-ended questions,
both those who agree and disagree, refer to either another function’s ownership or shared
responsibility (e.g. HR, IT, Finance, Sales, others in the C-suite, and/or leaders in general)
for values, relationships, ‘new media’ and trust.
IN THEIR WORDS …
“I’m not sure communications should play a leadership role in defining the
company culture, but should certainly play a leadership role in sharing them
and making them live in the organization.”
“Leave the social media to the social communities. Media are never strategic.
Managing trust is a continuation of old thinking.”
“Communicators create connections and conversations.”
“Stakeholder engagement is the most important role the communication
function has.”
“Communication function needs to drive the strategy and content of new media
in support of the company’s business goals. But IT is better positioned to
enable skills.”
“A company’s new media voice needs to be decentralized to be authentic.”
“No other professional group in the organization, outside of the CEO and the
Board, have yet claimed the role of organizational conscience or reputational
guardian.”
“If leadership does not see trust as a priority, … [and if they aren’t trust
worthy]…, then communications is just so much pretty talk.”
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 6

9. MOST RESPONDENTS AGREE THAT:
O THE COMMUNICATION FUNCTION HAS EVOLVED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES AND IS ACHIEVING
INCREASED STATURE WITHIN THE CORPORATION.
O THE CONVERGING FORCES OF TECHNOLOGY, GLOBAL INTEGRATION, MULTIPLYING STAKEHOLDERS AND THE
RESULTING NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMUNICATIONS CHALLENGES FACING 21ST
CENTURY COMPANIES.
Specifically, 79% of participants agree the communication function has evolved significantly
and is achieving stature. Interestingly, a larger percentage of communication professionals in
not-for-profit and public sector agreed [93%] than did those in privately held and publicly
traded organizations [72%].
Three key trends are cited as evidence of this change in the responses to the open questions
with respondents reporting: increased executive support for communications, quality of
communication leadership and influence within the organization. Other comments include:
increased pressure and higher expectations for real-time, transparent communication,
demand for qualified talent, improving quality of communications education/research and
increased respect in the press and from CEOs.
Those who disagree with this positive trend cite several reasons, including: their budgets not
increasing despite increased demand, the reactive nature of the function and the often-
peripheral position of communications within the organization.
Nearly 80% agree that the converging forces described in the report are still the most
important communication challenges facing 21st century companies. All public sector
respondents [100%] agree with this statement, followed by 74% of those in privately held,
publicly-traded organizations and not-for-profits.
Those who disagree about the forces cite other more important challenges, including better
integration of business and social issues, social media (interestingly this was seen as distinct
from technology), and proliferation and complexity of information. When asked what the
implications of these challenges are for the communication function almost all of those who
disagree responded to this question. And though described in different ways, their answers
boil down to this: a perception that the communication function of today may not have the
perspective, knowledge and experience needed to anticipate important trends, understand
the implications for the business and design and implement flexible, effective communication
strategies.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 7

10. IN THEIR WORDS …
“The role of communication has moved from marginal to central.”
“Strategic thinking from communications professionals is either received as
surprising or is unwelcome.”
“We need to up our game.”
THERE IS ONLY MODERATE AGREEMENT [70%] WITH THE CONCLUSION:
O COMMUNICATORS ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO BECOME EXPERTS ON THE ART AND SCIENCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL
TRUST.
Given the level of agreement for the communication function’s role in building and managing
trust, this result could be seen as surprising. We may have expected a higher level of
agreement. Those who disagree again cite other functions as having important roles to play
in building organizational trust. In other words, trust isn’t just about the communication
function.
That said, those who agree suggest four main reasons why:
1. The C-suite sees trust as a priority and turns to us for answers [note: those who
disagreed felt precisely the opposite]
2. They have the right perspective: cross-business, cross-functional, cross-
stakeholder
3. They have the right skills and expertise around managing and measuring
reputation
4. They have access to the right communication tools and channels.
IN THEIR WORDS …
“We are in a position to be the reality check on what is said internally and publicly
and how that compares to what behaviours various key stakeholders see.”
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 8

11. OPINION IS ROUGHLY EVENLY DIVIDED ON THE STATEMENT:
O WE ARE NO LONGER IN CONTROL OF OUR TRADITIONAL SPHERES OF PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY. INDEED ALL
BUSINESS FUNCTIONS ARE AT THE DAWN OF AN ERA OF RADICAL DE-PROFESSIONALIZATION.
Of all the questions in the survey this one generated the most equivocal response [52%
agreed] and may suggest that respondents do not see the opportunity of the function’s
important cross-business and cross-functional positioning as positively as the CEOs in The
Authentic Enterprise.
Those agreeing cite the explosion of social media and its impact on the organization, as well
as the flattening of the organization and blurring of boundaries between the different parts
of the business being the main reasons for a loss of control. This means communication
professionals need to get even better at what they do, with new strategies, focus and skills
with systems and processes that work. And, with a gentle evangelism, show that they bring
value to the organization.
Those disagreeing state that communication professionals are at a flexion point and that the
changes affecting their organizations signal a need to remain in control of their professional
activity, as well as for strong advocacy for the place of communications within the
organization.
IN THEIR WORDS …
“…play in a much bigger game and for the bigger team”
“We are the experts who are shaping the conversation and impacting the brand.”
“We need to be in control… Never before have we needed to steer the conversation
more.”
“We need to professionalize to stay in control.”
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 9

12. Finally, we asked two specific questions on professional development:
1. IF YOU UNDERTOOK ANY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, PLEASE INDICATE THE
FOCUS/CATEGORY
Fewer than 50% of respondents answered this question. Those who did generally report
tactical communication training [speechwriting, writing, communication planning, media
relations, branding], though there are a significant number of references to digital and social
media training, coaching and mentoring, strategic thinking and planning.
2. IF YOU INTEND TO TAKE ANY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, PLEASE INDICATE
THE FOCUS/CATEGORY
Again, fewer than 50% of respondents gave an answer. The majority says they plan to take
communication training of some kind, with several referencing social media or ‘new media’
training.
The low response rate on these two questions may be important given the strong agreement
concerning both the leadership role of the function and the level of change communication
professionals are experiencing.
IN THEIR WORDS …
“It used to be that professional communicators were gatekeepers … and the
emphasis was on word-crafting and ‘spin’. Today it’s about direct communication,
transparency, authenticity and speed.”
“We have to learn to collaborate.”
“The role of the communication professional is changing to that of enabler,
facilitator and coach.”
“Professional skills are changing and management of communities and stories are
more important than control of the message.”
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 10

13. CONCLUSIONS
Our survey suggests four main conclusions:
1. COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONALS GENERALLY AGREE WITH THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE AUTHENTIC
ENTERPRISE
There is especially strong agreement that the communication function should be in the C-
suite and play a leadership role on values, relationships, ‘new media’ and trust now and in
the future. There is general agreement with all of the report’s recommendations, making The
Authentic Enterprise an important reference point for communication professionals,
especially in light of the following three conclusions.
2. THE COMMUNICATION FUNCTION HAS AN IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP ROLE TO PLAY, BUT WHEN AND HOW TO
LEAD IS LESS CLEAR
Five years after The Authentic Enterprise was published, only 60% of respondents say their
function reports to the CEO. And, though they agreed that the function should play a
leadership role on the four areas described above, the level of agreement on the specifics and
additional comments in the open questions suggest communication professionals are still not
clear on how exactly to assume this leadership.
3. WHAT COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONALS SAY THEY ASPIRE TO IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP, AND WHAT THEY
ARE DOING ARE NOT THE SAME
The results and feedback on our survey are generally more positive than expected. It appears
to us that communication professionals have moved well beyond the ‘nobody gets us’
complaint. But, there continues to be a lack of consistency about having the authority or
taking the responsibility. According to many of those we surveyed, they are “at the table”; the
question that remains is what to do now that they’re there.
There is an underlying sense that even if (or maybe especially because) they’re “at the table”,
or close to it, communication professionals feel that they shouldn’t need to keep
demonstrating their value. It seems that they are not applying the same strategic
communication thinking to themselves and their function as they would for their clients.
Remarkably, there isn’t one comment that speaks to the need to mindfully practice what they
preach in strategically positioning our function. It’s as if respondents expected to get “there”
and for things to be static. Reality of course is very different.
And, there is a feeling throughout that they are uncomfortable with leading [both having
authority and taking responsibility]. Comments include things like, “The communication
function isn’t really in the right function to lead”; “It’s not really our job”; “Isn’t it up to other
functions (HR, IT, Finance, etc.) to take the lead while communications provides them with
advice and support?”.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 11

14. 4. THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHAT COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONALS SAY THEY ASPIRE TO AND
HOW THEY ARE INVESTING IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
As The Authentic Enterprise points out, and many respondents confirm, aspirations and
expectations for the communication function have changed. Now, in addition to providing an
important communication lens for organizations, communication professionals need to bring
serious business and strategic thinking and a collaborative and facilitative orientation to the
work they do. For professionals that have only recently emerged [or are still emerging] from
seeing their ability to craft and control messages and target audiences as their primary
value, this is a significant change. So, it is surprising to see the choices communication
professionals are making for their professional development, if, as our low response rate to
this question suggests, they are making any at all.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 12

15. WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Five years ago, The Authentic Enterprise concluded, “… our profession is in a strong position
to succeed in the 21st century. [But n]one of the new roles described is currently the
responsibility of an existing [communications] department. Our evolution as a function has
prepared us well to take … [these roles, and]… success will require new approaches, deeper
business knowledge, new skills, measurements we are ready for this moment.”
But, today, five years later, our survey suggests that despite agreement with the direction
and conclusions, communication professionals are not, and may not be, ready for a new
expanded leadership role. A standout response in the open fields was: “Communication
professionals need to feel and become empowered to define their professional future.”
We couldn’t agree more and it seems to us that communication professionals now need to:
1. Demonstrate to their leaders and themselves that communications is not just a
function it is a core strategic competence
2. Make the transition from the past to the future; that is:
FROM TO
Deep understanding of communication Deep understanding of the business and
and how it works where and how communication can best
support
Siloed communication specialties A single integrated, strategic
[internal, external, media, marketing, communication view – horizontal
etc.] – vertical
Transactional events Relationship builders
Controlling Collaborative and facilitative
3. Ensure they are in a strong position to fulfill their aspirations for themselves, their
function and their organizations
Finally, we believe there is an important opportunity for communication professionals to
engage in a further discussion and exploration with one another to discover practical
approaches for advancing the profession.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 13

16. ABOUT THE AUTHORS
The authors are communication professionals who are passionate and curious about what
communication professionals do, why, how they do it and how, as individuals and a
profession, they can get better.
Neil Griffiths is Director, Brand and Strategy, within SNC-Lavalin’s
Global Corporate Communications team. Based in London, UK, Neil’s
responsible for the ongoing development of the company’s brand and
corporate identity and the strategic approach to communications. Neil sits
on the board of IABC Europe/Middle East and supports the members in
that region with their professional development.
[www.linkedin.com/negriff]
Deborah Hinton is Partner, Communication Strategy, Hinton :
Communication matters in Montreal. She helps her clients create
conditions for outstanding organizational performance and believes in the
potential of organizations to deliver business results while creating great
experiences for the people that work for them, and for the people and
communities they serve. Deborah blogs regularly on communication and
leadership.
[www.hintonandco.com/blog and www.linkedin.com/in/deborahhinton]
Disclaimer: Neither author was or is a member of the Arthur W. Page society and neither
played any part in the research writing or promotion of The Authentic Enterprise.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 14

17. APPENDIX 1 – THE SURVEY: INTRODUCTION, QUESTIONS
AND RESULTS
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. It should take you about 10 minutes
to complete and your answers are completely anonymous.
We’ll be using your input to paint a realistic picture of what is happening in the field, where
you as a communication professional see yourself today and what you think about the future.
We expect the results will lead to some important insight and practical recommendations for
you as a professional and for the profession as a whole.
This survey is inspired by The Authentic Enterprise, a report published by the Arthur W
Page Society in 2007, based on “original research among CEOs, [their] own experience and a
broad range of studies and perspectives”. Having reviewed dozens of reports, articles and
white papers, we found it to be the most credible, insightful and provocative. Though
intuitively appealing, we don’t believe anyone has ever tested the recommendations broadly
with communication professionals to see how we think we’re doing and to better understand
the implications for the profession and for you as a practitioner. We believe it is time.
If you have any problems with the survey, if you have any questions, you’d like to receive a
copy of the survey results or you’re interested in finding out how and where you can learn
more, please contact Deborah Hinton at deb@hintonandco.com or Neil Griffiths at
negriff@hotmail.com.
QUESTIONS AND FINDINGS
The questions and results are presented in the charts on the following page.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 15

18. How are you doing? A survey of communication
professionals
1. "The communications function has evolved significantly over the past three decades and
is achieving increased stature within the corporation.”
Response Response
Percent Count
Agree 79.4% 85
Disagree 20.6% 22
answered question 107
skipped question 0
2. If you agree, what is the evidence you see that demonstrates the function has increased
stature (e.g. increased budget, seat at decision table, etc.)? If you disagree, what is the
evidence you see that demonstrates the function’s stature is the same or diminished?
Response
Count
93
answered question 93
skipped question 14
1 of 17

19. 3. "The converging forces of technology, global integration, multiplying stakeholders and
the resulting greater need for transparency are the most important communications
challenges facing 21st century companies.” Do you agree that these are the top four most
important challenges today?
Response Response
Percent Count
Agree 78.2% 79
Disagree 21.8% 22
answered question 101
skipped question 6
4. If you agree, rank in order of priority?
Rating Response
1 2 3 4
Average Count
Technology 30.8% (24) 24.4% (19) 25.6% (20) 19.2% (15) 2.33 78
Global integration 10.3% (8) 17.9% (14) 26.9% (21) 44.9% (35) 3.06 78
Multiplying stakeholders 24.4% (19) 21.8% (17) 30.8% (24) 23.1% (18) 2.53 78
Transparency 34.6% (27) 35.9% (28) 16.7% (13) 12.8% (10) 2.08 78
answered question 78
skipped question 29
5. If you disagree, what would you say are the top four most important challenges today (in
order of importance)?
Response
Count
20
answered question 20
skipped question 87
2 of 17

20. 6. What are the implications for the communication function?
Response
Count
20
answered question 20
skipped question 87
7. "We are no longer in control of our traditional spheres of professional activity. Indeed, all
business functions are at the dawn of an era of radical de-professionalization.”
Response Response
Percent Count
Agree 51.6% 47
Disagree 48.4% 44
answered question 91
skipped question 16
8. If you agree, what is the evidence you see that demonstrates we are no longer in control
of our traditional spheres of professional activity? If you disagree, what evidence do you
see that demonstrates we continue to be in control or are increasingly in control of our
traditional spheres of professional activity?
Response
Count
74
answered question 74
skipped question 33
3 of 17

21. 9. What impact does this have on you in your role?
Response
Count
77
answered question 77
skipped question 30
10. "Communicators are uniquely positioned to become experts on the new art and
science of organizational trust.”
Response Response
Percent Count
Agree 70.1% 61
Disagree 29.9% 26
answered question 87
skipped question 20
11. If you agree, what is the evidence you see that demonstrates we are uniquely
positioned to become experts on the new art and science of organizational trust? If you
disagree, what evidence do you see that demonstrates we are not uniquely positioned?
Response
Count
76
answered question 76
skipped question 31
4 of 17

22. 12. What impact does this have on you in your role?
Response
Count
64
answered question 64
skipped question 43
13. "The Authentic Enterprise" concluded that the communication function should report
directly to the CEO through a Chief Communication Officer. Do you agree or disagree?
Response Response
Percent Count
Agree 90.9% 80
Disagree 9.1% 8
answered question 88
skipped question 19
14. In your organization (or those that you consult for), does the communication function
report to the CEO?
Response Response
Percent Count
Yes 60.2% 50
No 39.8% 33
answered question 83
skipped question 24
5 of 17

23. 15. If yes, is that person a member of the executive committee of the organization? If no, to
whom does the function report?
Response
Count
69
answered question 69
skipped question 38
16. Do you agree that the communication function should play a leadership role today in
these four areas – values, relationships, ‘new media' and trust?
Response Response
Percent Count
Yes 90.6% 77
No 9.4% 8
answered question 85
skipped question 22
17. If no, what is there that shouldn’t be there and/or what is missing?
Response
Count
17
answered question 17
skipped question 90
6 of 17

24. 18. In your view are these four areas relevant to the future of communication?
Response Response
Percent Count
Yes 90.6% 77
No 9.4% 8
answered question 85
skipped question 22
19. If no, what is there that shouldn’t be there and/or what is missing?
Response
Count
13
answered question 13
skipped question 94
20. Defining company values
Response Response
Percent Count
Leader/facilitator? 57.3% 47
Follower? 42.7% 35
answered question 82
skipped question 25
7 of 17

25. 21. Why did you select this option? Do you see that changing in the future? If so, in what
way?
Response
Count
69
answered question 69
skipped question 38
22. Instilling company values
Response Response
Percent Count
Leader/facilitator? 74.7% 59
Follower? 25.3% 20
answered question 79
skipped question 28
23. Why did you select this option? Do you see that changing in the future? If so, in what
way?
Response
Count
57
answered question 57
skipped question 50
8 of 17

26. 24. Building multi-stakeholder relationships
Response Response
Percent Count
Leader/facilitator? 59.0% 46
Follower? 41.0% 32
answered question 78
skipped question 29
25. Why did you select this option? Do you see that changing in the future? If so, in what
way?
Response
Count
55
answered question 55
skipped question 52
26. Managing multi-stakeholder relationships
Response Response
Percent Count
Leader/facilitator? 62.7% 47
Follower? 37.3% 28
answered question 75
skipped question 32
9 of 17

27. 27. Why did you select this option? Do you see that changing in the future? If so, in what
way?
Response
Count
43
answered question 43
skipped question 64
28. Enabling the enterprise with ‘new media’ skills
Response Response
Percent Count
Leader/facilitator? 87.3% 69
Follower? 12.7% 10
answered question 79
skipped question 28
29. Why did you select this option? Do you see that changing in the future? If so, in what
way?
Response
Count
55
answered question 55
skipped question 52
10 of 17

28. 30. Enabling the enterprise with ‘new media’ tools
Response Response
Percent Count
Leader/facilitator? 84.0% 63
Follower? 16.0% 12
answered question 75
skipped question 32
31. Why did you select this option? Do you see that changing in the future? If so, in what
way?
Response
Count
46
answered question 46
skipped question 61
32. Building trust in all its dimensions
Response Response
Percent Count
Leader/facilitator? 61.5% 48
Follower? 38.5% 30
answered question 78
skipped question 29
11 of 17

29. 33. Why did you select this option? Do you see that changing in the future? If so, in what
way?
Response
Count
55
answered question 55
skipped question 52
34. Managing trust in all its dimensions
Response Response
Percent Count
Leader/facilitator? 57.1% 40
Follower? 42.9% 30
answered question 70
skipped question 37
35. Why did you select this option? Do you see that changing in the future? If so, in what
way?
Response
Count
43
answered question 43
skipped question 64
12 of 17

30. 36. Type
Response Response
Percent Count
Privately held 43.9% 25
Publicly held [traded on the stock
31.6% 18
market]
Not-for-profit 12.3% 7
Public sector [government] 12.3% 7
Other (please specify)
10
answered question 57
skipped question 50
37. Size
Response Response
Percent Count
< 25 employees 24.2% 16
25 – 100 10.6% 7
101 – 500 6.1% 4
501 – 1,000 3.0% 2
1,001 – 10,000 31.8% 21
> 10,000 24.2% 16
answered question 66
skipped question 41
13 of 17

31. 38. Years of experience in communication:
Response Response
Percent Count
<5 2.5% 2
5 – 10 14.8% 12
> 10 82.7% 67
answered question 81
skipped question 26
39. Where you work:
Response Response
Percent Count
In-house communication
57.3% 43
function
Consultant 34.7% 26
Agency 8.0% 6
Other (please specify)
9
answered question 75
skipped question 32
14 of 17

32. 40. Primary area of focus:
Response Response
Percent Count
Internal communication 42.6% 26
External communication 26.2% 16
Media relations 3.3% 2
Public relations [incl. community
11.5% 7
relations, CSR]
Marketing communication 16.4% 10
Other (please specify)
32
answered question 61
skipped question 46
41. Level of education
Response Response
Percent Count
Undergraduate degree 32.9% 27
Graduate studies 11.0% 9
Graduate degree 28.0% 23
Post-Graduate studies 28.0% 23
answered question 82
skipped question 25
15 of 17

33. 42. Area of academic specialization
Response
Count
67
answered question 67
skipped question 40
43. If you are a member of a professional association, please indicate which one(s):
Response
Count
57
answered question 57
skipped question 50
44. If you undertook any professional development in the last 12 months, please indicate
the focus/category (e.g. writing, communication planning, social media, etc.).
Response
Count
50
answered question 50
skipped question 57
16 of 17

34. 45. If you intend to undertake any professional development in the next 12 months, please
indicate the focus/category (e.g. writing, communication planning, social media, etc.).
Response
Count
49
answered question 49
skipped question 58
17 of 17

35. APPENDIX 2 – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The survey opened and we began promotion on June 6, 2011 and closed July 12, 2011.
We targeted communication professionals [self identified by the groups they belong to] over
the five weeks of the survey, directly and indirectly through:
• Hinton : blog post
• Deborah and Neil’s – LinkedIn, Facebook, Google + and Twitter - networks
• Direct emails to selected people in our networks
• LinkedIn discussion groups
o IABC International
o IABC Europe
o IABC UK
o Comm Scrum [promo section]
o C-suite communication
o Communication professionals
o Corporate Communication
o Corporate Communication Centre
o Employee Communications and engagement
o IABC Montreal
o Influence as Power
o Internal communication
o Institute of internal communication
o Inside out
o Public Relations & Communication professionals
o Public Relations Professionals
o The Holmes Report
• Our professional contacts who forwarded links within their own networks.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 33

36. APPENDIX 3 – THE SURVEY RESULTS AND THEIR
“STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE”
By Michael Hinton, MA, Managing Director
Minerva’s Owl Consulting Economists
Readers of surveys often ask: Are the results are “statistically significant?” but few, I
imagine, know what “statistically significant” means. There are four points I have found in
my experience as an economic consultant that non-statisticians need to know about
“statistical significance.”
Results are “statistically significant”, says statistician John W. Tukey if:
“… the sample is large enough to ensure that if you took another … it would
give [roughly] the same result …”
Notice Tukey says “large”, he does not say a “large percentage.” What matters for statistical
significance is the number of people surveyed not the percentage of whatever group they
belong to. That is why opinion polls of size 1,000 are said to give highly statistically
significant results for surveys intended to obtain the opinion of all members of the IABC
[15,000], all Canadians [34.5 million] or all Americans [314 million].
Second, the other key characteristic of “statistically significant” results is that each person
surveyed is equally likely to have been included in the study. Random samples are thought
by statisticians to be good because they produce unbiased results. Since this survey is not a
random sample of communication professionals, readers should be aware of bias introduced
by self-selection and survey design.
SELF-SELECTION OF RESPONDENTS.
This bias is introduced by non-random factors that influenced people to respond to
the survey. The three main factors in my opinion are whether the respondents:
o were aware of the study
o knew the authors and chose to support their study, and
o had time to complete the survey.
Of these I believe the third is the most likely to have biased the results. Most
communication professionals are extremely busy and have little time to devote to
responding to surveys. This being the case it is likely that some of the respondents
were in a lull in their jobs or were “in transition” at the time of the survey.
And, yet this does not mean the results are not valuable or important. What it does
mean is that, the survey is not a reflection of the views of the average or typical
communications professional; it is more likely the survey reflects the views of more
experienced men and women, with a stronger interest in communications as a
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 34

37. profession, some of who are in some way ‘in transition’ or between consulting
contracts.
QUESTION DESIGN.
Bias introduced by the design of the questions includes anything in the ordering and
wording of questions that would introduce different ideas in the minds of different
respondents. For example key words were employed without definition in the survey
that different people I imagine would be likely to interpret differently. Words such as:
facilitator, technology, tools, new media, etc.
Third, the reader must be careful not to think “statistical significance” means something that
it does not. It does not mean “important” although many people, many of whom should know
better, often misuse it in this way. For example, economist and econometrician Professor
Deirdre McCloskey writes “[r]oughly three-quarters of the contributors to the American
Economic Review misuse the test of significance.” Significance does not mean “important” it
means “consistent” or “a result similar to” what we got before and what we will get again if
we did the survey all over again.
Fourth, and most importantly, I would suggest, that in thinking about the results of this
survey you should ask yourself not “Are the results “statistically significant”?” But rather,
are the results important, interesting, or valuable?
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE SHOULD WE BE? 35