Today more than ever, if you’re not routinely measuring your employee communication program, you’re missing an important opportunity to move from order taker to trusted advisor.

Here are 7 reasons you should embrace measurement:

	Measurement helps position you as an expert. You move from “the person who helps us get communication done” to “the professional who knows what employees need."
	You never have to say, “I feel . . .” when making your case. Instead, you can say, “The data indicates . . .” or “Employees prefer . . .”
	Metrics are available everywhere. A survey is not the only method for measuring effectiveness. For example, behavioral metrics are a good way to determine how communication channels are being used. For electronic communication, emails opens, unique website visits and page views are all valuable metrics. You can also track behaviors such as the number of employees who attend a town hall or who pick up a printed piece.
	Measurement helps you speak the language of senior leaders. Leaders are comfortable with data, so every time you bring metrics to the conversation it helps you gain a seat at the table.
	Employees have great ideas on how to improve communication. So if you’re stuck, simply ask the question, “What is one thing we can do to improve . . .?” and you’ll get lots of suggestions.
	Focus groups help you design communication that works for employees. Focus groups are “real” research that help you explore one or more topics to ask questions such as, “How does this work?” or “Why is this so?” While it’s true that a focus group study is not a direct substitute for a survey (which is the best way to collect data that you can analyze to demonstrate progress), focus groups do provide valuable insights.
	Measurement gives you power. The biggest mistake communicators make when it comes to measurement is . . . not measuring. Paralyzed by fear or perfectionism, many communicators measure seldom or—worse—never. A small, imperfect survey is so much better than no measurement at all.