From the editor - iabc update

Measurement is to communication as exercise is to the body. You know you should be doing it. And if you do it regularly, it will keep all operations in good shape. So why don't we do it as much as we should?

The experts make measurement look so easy. Just take this and compare it to that, and then compare it to that other thing. Next, make a chart. Then work out the percentages, run the formula and there you have it! You've measured the success of your communication program.

Although I truly believe there is no problem that cannot be helped by using a chart, I'll bet I'm not the only one who finds it just a bit tricky to measure communication success.

But difficulty is not the only issue. Some high-level communicators have told me they lack the necessary resources to implement proper measurement within their companies. The irony is, of course, that measurement actually saves resources in the end by ensuring that your programs are effective.

As a signature of excellence, measurement is also a part of IABC's Gold Quill Awards program. Past Gold Quill Blue Ribbon Panel judge and measurement expert Angela Sinickas, ABC, relates that she began to think of March as "measurement month," because the final deadline for Gold Quill entries is--you guessed it--February. Sinickas recalls a classic line from some entrants that went something like this: "And our next step will be to evaluate the program [um ... next month]."

Here's a tip ... to have a good shot at winning a Gold Quill award, you need to include an evaluation with measurable objectives as part of the entry. And if you want the judges really to sit up and take notice, you'll tie those objectives directly to organizational goals.

Maybe the secret to integrating measurement into the communicator's daily routine is to introduce the measurement and evaluation mantra early on. Following this logic, Bob Berzok and the IABC Research Foundation recently launched the Gold Quill Sharon Berzok Student Award of Excellence. Sharon, Bob's late wife, was a strong believer in the vital role of research in building communication excellence. Through this new student awards program, young communicators will discover the importance of measurement before they actually start on the job.

I guess the rest of us will have to catch up on our own.

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