By Alfred Tora and Simione Sevudredre.
Communication has always played a significant role in relationship building and maintenance. Indigenous societies understood the importance of crafting the right message for the right audience. In a world where messages held the key to unity and alliances or death and destruction, our ancestors became master wordsmiths and crafters. The communication processes and systems that they created can be uprooted from their society and planted in a modern organization…and that company would be better for it.
Take, for example, the iTaukei (indigenous Fijians) communication constructs of crafting messages for different audiences. Traditional iTaukei societies had well established lines of communication that ranged from internal heralds to external envoys. The objective of these lines was to articulate, in compelling and refined oratory, the metaphors, expressions and poetry that invoke and appeal to the better and higher person(s) they were addressing. They expound on new relationships and strengthen old ones. This notion may be alien to the western world for they would refer to this as being patronizing or presumptuous.
Now in the business world these are all components that make up something we now call Strategic Business Communication and it plays a huge role in differentiating successful organizations from mediocre companies.
Much like how iTaukei societies maintained transmission lines for internal and external communication, so must an organization nurture similar routes in order to remain successful and competitive. Imagine an organization that is in the process of launching a new product or service – Apple with a new iPhone, Shangri-La opening a new hotel, or a national government redefining its national policy. In order to successfully launch and sustain the product, the organization would have to craft two very different messages – an internal message for employees, managers etc, and an external message for the consumers. Though these messages may cover similar talking points, they would vary in the language used and the underlying reason for such messages.
For example, as Apple launches a new product its internal message would cover the launch, the details of the new product, and how the employees and managers fit into making this launch a success. The message is one of motivation and goal-setting, where the organization tries to instill an “Us” mindset into the stakeholders within itself. These same concepts apply to an iTaukei community as well! The village, as a self-sustaining entity, relies on the continued support from sub-units composed of the various families. The village leaders craft messages to establish unity and balance within the community. The messages communicate the roles that each sub-unit plays in the village while conveying an untold truth – that the village cannot survive without the family and the family without the village. In both examples of internal communication, communication within modern companies and indigenous communities, the messages are the same: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts; and the part you play is integral in the success of the whole.
On the other hand, another message would be crafted for the public. Although this message would also cover details of the new product, the aim of this message is to encourage its loyal customer base to purchase the product while also enticing members of its target demographic, who aren’t users, to make the switch. In an iTaukei setting, this could be likened to messages that are communicated to external recipients such as other communities or groups. Much like how organizations cultivate and maintain relationships with their target consumers, traditional communities also strive to nurture alliances with other communities. In Verata Traditional Envoys and the Importance of Representation, a wonderful article by Simione Sevudredre, he highlights the role of the traditional envoy or Mataki. Like modern advertising and public relations gurus, the envoys were masters in finding a way to relate to the audience. This came from genealogical and political “closed” knowledge – closed knowledge meaning that this information was closely held by the mataki clan. By weaving stories that told of common ancestors and familial ties, the mataki was able to renew covenants with old allies and forge new alliances. Ask any PR guy how they attract new customers and build the loyalty of their users and they would tell you that it has to do with finding commonality. They weave stories that the audience can relate with – think of Nike’s “Just Do It” or Apple’s “Think Different”. These slogans, and corporate stories, call to kindred spirits who want to become more active and to “just do it” or the ones that want to push the boundaries of their fields by thinking differently. The goal of the PR gurus and the envoy is the same – to build a relationship with external shareholders by finding out common causes and interests.
We need to ensure that we have the intended audience in mind as we craft our message, ie. knowing who the message is for to understand what we want to say. Imagine sending your externally crafted messages to your employees and managers? Sure they’ll learn cool stuff about the product but they won’t have a WHY. They won’t understand their role in the process and won’t be as intimate with the product, which would lead to drop in motivation and morale – Product Launch Failure. Now imagine sending your internal messaging to your customers? They’d be bored out of their minds reading about features and components that have nothing to do with their purchasing decision. They don’t want to know how many chips the newest device has or how many units the company needs to sell in order to make profit. Outcome? Eroding Customer Base.
Much like how indigenous communities had established communication lines for internal and external audiences, so must modern organizations. Indigenous communities understood that establishing and maintaining strategic communication was essential for their survival. It created camaraderie within the community itself while also creating alliances and relationships with external groups. These are concepts of strategic communication that we, in the modern business world, have come to understand and appreciate ourselves. In an environment where slow adaptation to change spells extinction, having clear and concise communication channels that convey the correct messages to the correct audience, makes all the difference.
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Alfred Tora 
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