Case study: News Canada focuses on empathy and communication

At its heart, the communication industry is built on cultivating mutually beneficial relationships. So it’s not surprising that a communications company such as News Canada, which supplies ideas and content to news media outlets across North America, fosters an environment that encourages open communication and personal and professional growth.

A relationship business

To build on this open culture, News Canada—which has a staff of 40 with offices in Victoria, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal—enrolled just under half of its employees in a two-day workshop in Toronto last fall. Offered by the Institute for Health and Human Potential (IHHP), a Canadian organization dedicated to employee performance and leadership development, the workshop focused on emotional intelligence and emotional quotient and how the two relate in interactions among colleagues and clients. (Emotional intelligence is the ability to assess and manage the emotions of one’s self and of others. Emotional quotient is a measurement of emotional intelligence.) Employees learned about emotional triggers and why they might have reactions to particular situations. They were also asked to take inventory of their own values and learn how they can affect business interactions.

“In the past, we had our sales team participate in training for sales practices, but this is the first time we brought an emotional aspect into our training [for all employees],” says Charlene Nadalin, executive vice-president, sales and marketing, with News Canada.

Nadalin, who describes the IHHP program as “unique,” says understanding emotional intelligence has helped News Canada employees become more empathetic. “It’s learning not to take things personally, because we can never really know what’s happening on the other side of a conversation,” she explains. “It’s all about taking a moment to stop and try to understand where another person is coming from.”

Prior to the workshop, participants had friends and colleagues complete a questionnaire, which helped them better understand how others perceive their actions. “It was really great for self-awareness,” says Nadalin. After the workshop, the employees had access to four hour-long telephone coaching sessions with IHHP staff. “Participants were allowed to use these sessions at their discretion,” adds Nadalin. “They could talk about work challenges or challenges in their personal life.”

Nadalin says she would recommend the IHHP program and programs like it for other companies trying to improve their corporate culture and morale. “This program really opens your eyes to your emotional triggers and impulses.”

So far, employee feedback has been positive. “In speaking with the team, they’re very excited and very engaged, and they all have goals for improving their relationships,” says Ruth Douglas, News Canada’s president. “One employee told us he was practising what he learned with his wife and children.”

One of the biggest changes Douglas has noticed is that her employees are listening more than talking in their interactions with colleagues and clients. But from her perspective, the IHHP program is just one component of the company’s holistic approach to managing the health, wellness and development of employees.

“We are an employee-centred business, so our company is focused on zeroing in on employees and discovering what their strengths are and what their gifts are,” she explains. “People really change when you take that approach. We’ve had employees start with us in one position, but within a couple of years, they’re doing something completely different because we take the time to understand their strengths.”

Meet and retreat

News Canada employees also have the chance to learn more about one another at the annual staff retreat. It takes place at a location no more than a two-hour drive out of Toronto in either the last week of December or the first week of January, beginning on a Thursday night and continuing through the end of the weekend. News Canada pays for all employees across Canada to attend.

As part of the retreat’s events, two newer employees and two veteran employees are selected earlier in the year to participate in an activity that Douglas calls “life lines.” These employees are invited to share their life story—from the beginning to the present day—with the attendees. “Everyone really looks forward to it,” she says. “Nobody has to do it if they don’t want to, but in the 10 years we’ve been doing it, only one person has declined.” Douglas believes the exercise has fostered stronger connections between staff members. “A lot of people tell me that [as a result of the activity], they have a better understanding of why a certain person is ‘that way.’ It’s an opportunity to share and promote team building.”

Aside from the retreat, employees from across Canada come to Toronto three times a year for quarterly meetings. The main purpose of these gatherings is to communicate how the company is doing. “Our open-book management policy allows employees to see how we’re doing financially and how they contribute to that,” Douglas explains. But she also arranges team-building activities around the meetings to encourage a co-operative atmosphere and add a social aspect. In the past, these activities have included cooking classes and bowling tournaments.

From a corporate culture standpoint, the company prides itself on an open-door policy, where the company lends an ear to anyone with an idea or suggestion. “Employee ideas and recommendations get taken seriously here and are most often implemented,” says Douglas. “Our philosophy is that they are the people doing the job, so they have the best ideas on how to do it.”

News Canada’s annual retreat was born from this policy, according to Douglas, who says an employee came up with the idea for a company getaway 13 years ago. This suggestion has turned into one of the most anticipated events for the workforce—a survey found that employees value the retreats a great deal.

To foster growth and movement within the company, News Canada also encourages professional development, paying for conferences, events or courses to help employees enhance their knowledge or develop a new skill set.

“There are so many people in jobs today [who] don’t like what they’re doing,” says Douglas. “I try to match people with something they like. If you like doing what you’re doing, you’re going to do it well. And if you’re treated properly, you’re going to be more motivated and enthusiastic—and that’s going to contribute to the bottom line.”

And that philosophy seems to be paying off. On average, News Canada has grown by 10% annually in revenue since Douglas took over the company almost 15 years ago. “I believe if you have 40 employees all striving for the same thing, a lot of good things can happen.”

Liz Brown is a freelance writer based in Toronto. lizbrown17@hotmail.com

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