Why do they build salmon ladders?

Why do they put windmills in the middle of the city?

What does that have to do with supplying electricity to 2 million people?

These were some of the questions that came up over dinner when we asked about our friend’s job. She works in change management at a large, multinational utility company. Her work is stressful but not hard. Her manager is extremely meticulous and focused on alignment - but not to the point of harassment. So she feels good.

Why?

• The company abides by the French work week model - 35 hours

• The onboarding process is lengthy and designed for low stress

• The general vibe is mellow; the general approach and feeling is that of calm

• There are 20,000 employees but you don’t feel lost

Not only that but the company is doing interesting things. In one major city, they have a mixed use park, open to the public. In another major city, they’re building salmon ladders in an urban stream. In another, experimenting with wind turbines that fit on top of buildings. Shareholders and senior executives are doing fine, but maximizing corporate profits isn’t the goal.

I learned all of this in 15 minutes from a relatively new employee - and brand ambassador.

How is that possible?

Because the company has effective brand messaging.

I realized that everything I was hearing from this young woman was messaging - and very good messaging at that.

Brand messaging isn’t just for improving specific sales and marketing materials and making them more consistent - it’s for building an organization from the inside.

Messaging helps organizations build better things and gives employees and other stakeholders better understanding and experiences of their work.

That’s why people talk about it at dinner.