The Sage Works Way

Stakeholder engagement “… is as important as other tangible assets and market conditions in terms of corporate success,” according to a Wharton School of Business study by Witold Henisz, the Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management. 

Employee engagement “… there are at least six benefits of employee engagement including a 17% higher profitability." 

Not only are there tangible benefits to healthy, sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders, CEOs are paying increasing attention to social responsibility and corporate citizenship (from a study by PwC reported in Strategy + Business, Summer 2018.)

Our solution is not rocket science - and an organization may think it is being authentic and socially responsible - but the best way to know is to delve into the nitty-gritty of everyday practices by taking the Sage Works Assessment.

Because people easily detect half-hearted and disingenuous communication and engagement, the Sage Strategy is authentic. 

It's based on thee principles.

     1)  Treating all stakeholders as important 

     2)  Acting with integrity in communication and engagement. 

     3)  Engaging with impacted people in an honest and respectful way.

With these three principles as a foundation, we have developed an 11-point research-based framework to guide organizations in how best to talk and listen. We help you create, mend, and maintain productive relationships with your important stakeholders.  

The Principles of Authentic Communication are the foundation on which Sage Works' groundrules for ethical and responsive communication are built.

The Principles of Authentic Communication were developed through extensive research and analysis by Bojinka Bishop, M.S., principal of Sage Works LLC.

Research Shows They Work

Research studies on both internal and external communication conducted at Ohio University and Northwestern University attest to the principles’ positive results. They are recommended by The Pacific Institute, AWWA Research Foundation, in a popular PR textbook, and are used in training by the International Association for Public Participation. 

An article in Public Relations Research (by Brad Rawlins) states  that the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board are reflected in the Principles of Authentic Communication.

Articles on The Principles of Authentic Communication have been published in numerous professional and academic journals, including PRSA’s The Strategist, Corporate Communications, An International Journal, and JournalAWWA.