Simple rules for GR functions

Simplicity in planning fosters energy in execution. Strong determination in carrying through a simple idea is the surest route to success. The winning simplicity we seek, the simplicity of genius, is the result of intense mental engagement.

(Carl von Clausewitz, On War)

Cochise Country, Arizona. Pic by Ansgar Baums

1. Why you need simple rules

GR is three-dimensional chess: Aligning corporate developments with regulatory trajectories, understanding very complex systems on short notice, translating between corp and politics. GR managers are highly skilled “translators” between systems. Given these capabilities in your team you might come to the conclusion that GR organizations are really good in dealing with complexity. So how important could simplification be?

Well — very important, we think. Firstly, research on the “paradox of choice” suggests that simplification can lead to better decision-making. Secondly, simple rules are much more likely to be applied independently. So instead of crafting detailed process manuals, it might make sense to start with simple rules instead.

What qualifies great simple rules? Three things:

• They are limited to a handful. Aim at five rather than fifteen. That makes them easy to memorize and limits them to the really important ideas.
• Simple rules are concrete and relate to clearly defined processes. Rather than vague messages like “Always focus on your customer”, you should aim at specific tasks. A good examples are the rules medics use to prioritize what to do in emergency cases: It’s not “Focus on the injured”, but rather “Categorize the injured according to the severity and urgency of health status — stabilize group A, prioritize stabilization of group B”, e.g.
• The rules need to be tailored to the specific task of your organization. Simple rules for GR should be really about GR core tasks.

2. Three kinds of simple rules for GR

For GR work, three kinds of simple rules are key:

• Boundary rules tell you what to do and what not. These are the bouncers in front of your exclusive GR club (as every club owners knows: Bouncers are key assets. Not that we know a lot about running clubs — we just assume that club owners know). A practical example of a GR boundary rule: “If we have no differentiated interest from other corporations in this policy matter, we do not take the lead”. Sounds familiar? We hope so! We wonder how much resources could have been saved on GDPR lobbying if all companies would have followed this boundary rule.
• Prioritizing rules help to rank options under resource constraints, be it money, time or attention. Every organization has bottlenecks — managing those requires prioritization rules. “GR support for product launch x is top priority this quarter — nothing can get in its way” is simple and powerful.
• Process rules are simple “how to”-rules. “All briefings must have our agreed-on structure — no exceptions” is an example. Process rules are particularly powerful if they set deliberate constraints, which sounds counter-intuitive. However, we find that limiting choices is key for successful GR management. “We do no team calls without pre-read documents and a clear agenda that includes a specific goal for each item” prevents unnecessary calls that are just “in the calendars”.

3. More examples

Simple rules need to be tailor-made for each organization, so we will not recommend any specific rules that all GR organizations must have. Rather, in order to inspire you, we give you some examples that you might consider:

Zero surprises for Team One. Briefing and providing decisions points to the corporate leadership team is our primary task. Always think about keeping them in the loop about important developments in the regions.

This is an important prioritization rule. “Team One” refers to your L1 and L2 level — the persons you should keep in the loop. Although it sounds silly to remind everyone that this is the organization’s task, we find that keeping them actually well informed often gets drowned in the daily churn.

Keep it simple and beat the curse of knowledge. We are all victims of the “curse of knowledge”. Our job is to inform non-GR experts, so check if your content provides all relevant context in an easy to understand manner. Complexity is not an asset.

A how-to rule that addresses an important misunderstanding of many subject-matter experts: Showing that a topic is complex isi not an asset. We find that many GR managers are kind of proud of the complexity they manage and like to show it in their briefings by adding many details and acronyms. Bad idea!

Nothing is finished until the feedback loop is closed. Feedback keeps us growing. Give feedback on processes and products — it’s the only way to progress.

Another important process rule. We found that a lack of feedback has severe impact on the motivation of a team: All those briefings and never a comprehensive feedback… it also deprives the team from important learnings.

Sharing is caring. GR functions are all about connecting dots. Share your content often and early with colleagues — their feedback will get you there faster.

A simple rule that addresses culture — particularly important as “culture” is a very broad concept that needs to be operationalized.

4. How to get there

The main problem with simple rules is that they are not that simple to define. You will not be the first one to experience this. It is tempting to drop a number of simple rules on a team. While this might be a quick fix, it does not create a sense of ownership. We therefore recommend to make it a process rather than an air drop: Users make the rules.

Apart from that, some practical tips:

• Start with bottlenecks that are both specific and strategic: Discuss the pain points of your organizations first — simple rules are there to help managing them. Avoid general rules and try to be specific!
• No buzzwords: A simple rule about creating simple rules! Avoid the usual “strategic”, “innovative”, “synergy” speak in your simple rules. These terms are not helpful if you want to direct action.
• Rewrite rules: The ten commandments are a great example of the power of simple rules. However, don’t think your simple rules will age as well as the commandments. Revisiting and rewriting them should be part of your annual business plan exercise.

We hope these ideas will help you to clarify the mission and the processes in your GR team. Let us know how it works!