ROI Forum hosted by Uber: Making the Case for Internal Communication
October 17, 2024
Demonstrating the value of internal communication can be particularly challenging in tough business climates. Our recent ROI Forum, held at Uber’s beautiful Mission Bay campus in San Francisco, brought together senior communication and HR leaders from a diverse range of companies, including Checkr, Clif Bar, FibroGen, Franklin Templeton, Freshworks, General Catalyst, HP Inc, Kaiser, Nextracker, NVIDIA, OpenText, Palo Alto Networks, Qualcomm, Robert Half, SurveyMonkey, and Uniphore Technologies to discuss best practices and insights.
Taking a Ride with Uber
As our forum host, Uber shared their company’s internal communication landscape, detailing how their team provides support and the channels they utilize to connect with their more than 30,000 employees. This includes a biweekly all-hands meeting, which has proven to be highly successful, thanks to their highly dynamic and outgoing CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.
Given that Uber’s mission is to “reimagine the way the world moves for the better,” we started the day by inviting everyone to share one move they’d like to make in their communication strategy during the upcoming year. We then dove into the topic of the day: Making the Case for Internal Communication.
The Power of Influence
As communicators, we recognize the critical role internal communication plays, yet business challenges often make it difficult for leaders to fully appreciate its value. A crucial element to making the case for internal communication is leveraging the power of influence, an essential skill for achieving success in the workplace. Effective leaders don’t just command; they inspire, persuade and encourage. They tap the knowledge and skills of a group, point individuals toward a common goal, and draw out a commitment to achieve results. One way to do this is through the six principles of persuasion described by Robert Cialdini in his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion:
- Reciprocity: People feel obligated to return favors.
- Commitment: People stick to what they have committed to.
- Liking: People prefer to say “yes” to those they like.
- Scarcity: People want what is limited or rare.
- Authority: People obey experts or those in power.
- Social Proof: People follow what others are doing.
The conversation was vibrant throughout the day, with participants connecting, sharing experiences and asking insightful questions.
ROI Forums
The ROI Forums, which started in 2007, are events designed for senior communication and HR leaders who work in Fortune 500-level companies. These in-person events are hosted at client campuses and provide an opportunity for attendees to share best practices, exchange ideas, and discuss issues, trends and emerging needs.
In addition to the ROI Forums, we host events exclusively for ROI Partner Group members, including summits, lunches and coffee chats. Learn more.
Contributors:
Linda Pederson
Vice President, Interim Account Director
Linda is a seasoned communications professional with two decades of experience in internal and external communications, media relations, crisis management, and more. She excels in crafting clear and effective communication strategies, helping leaders simplify their message and engage both employees and stakeholders.
