Microsoft changes the comms function; Condé Nast chief says goodbye ahead of move to Mattel

Greetings, comms pros! Let’s take a look at a few news stories from the last week and see what we can learn from them.

1. Microsoft chief outlines new vision for communications

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has shuffled the deck of comms responsibilities at the tech giant, tapping president Brad Smith to run the company’s corporate communications function. In a memo obtained by Business Insider, Nadella praised Smith’s knowledge of the company and comms chops.

“Few leaders embody Microsoft’s voice as authentically as Brad,” Nadella wrote. “He brings a deep understanding of our business, a strong connection to our stakeholders, and a rare ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity, conviction, and trust.”

In the memo, Nadella shared that Brent Colburn, Microsoft’s vice president for global public affairs, will serve as interim communications leader while Smith transitions into the new responsibilities after the departure of CCO Frank Shaw by the end of the year. Nadella also wrote that he wants employees who work directly on products and with customers to take a larger role in telling the company’s story.

Nadella’s memo is notable because in addition to laying out the logistics of a change in personnel and strategy, it asks employees to help tell the story of the company. That shared strategy also needs to be well communicated from the top down for maximum alignment. The announcement of Smith stepping into the top comms role is just the beginning of this shift in how Microsoft’s story is communicated.

2. Condé Nast CEO announces he’s leaving the company for the top job at Mattel

Condé Nast chief executive Roger Lynch announced that he’s leaving the company after seven-plus years to take over the same job at Mattel. In a memo to employees obtained by Business Insider, Lynch recapped the company’s progress with him at the helm and told employees that the lead independent director of Condé Nast’s board, Mike Perlis, will take over as interim CEO.

“Having served on our board for almost eight years, he is deeply familiar with our business and will work closely with our experienced executive leadership team throughout the transition,” Lynch wrote. “With the strength of that leadership and our deeply committed teams around the world, I’m confident the company will continue to thrive.”

Lynch added that the company will soon call a meeting so employees can meet Perlis and learn more about the leadership transition.

Lynch’s memo pulls the double duty of saying goodbye while also vouching for Perlis as the right person to guide Conde Nast through the leadership transition as interim CEO. This also lays the groundwork for employees ahead of their introduction to him. When you’re tasked with communicating a leadership change, covering a new leader’s credentials is part of the equation, but so is spending the time on what changes, what doesn’t and how long the transition will take. That latter part is what employees are much more likely to care about.

3. Report: Only 20% of employees have high trust in their leaders with their workplace data

According to data published by Gallup in late September, 20% of U.S. employees who regularly work on a computer or other device have a great deal of trust in their leaders to use employee data responsibly. Additionally, just 19% said someone at work had talked with them about the data their organization collects on their work. Employees who had someone speak to them about their data were more likely to report a great deal of trust (26% compared with 18%).

The two types of data the survey covered included activity data, like emails sent and badge swipes, and content data, including meeting details and websites visited.

Framing this as a conversation is important. A policy page or an all-staff email is a start when talking about data collection, but the trust number is tied to someone actually talking it through with employees. Cover what the company collects and what it doesn’t do with it, and be ready for questions from your colleagues. In addition, prepare managers to hold these conversations as well, because they’re usually the first stop when employees raise concerns.

4. How about some good news?

• For the first time, sea turtles were found nesting on the west coast of the United States.
• A fragment of the world’s oldest peace treaty was found on a clay tablet in Turkey.
• Nike founder Phil Knight made a $1 billion donation to found a college of engineering at the University of Oregon.
• Ragan Training is an excellent place for communications professionals to find inspiration and valuable resources.
• You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!

Sean Devlin the senior internal communications editor at Ragan. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.