The most effective way to develop a vibrant, meaningful connection between a company and its stakeholders is through two-way dialogue, says Mark Rivers, president and CEO of Strategic Connections.

“A company can capture truths, opportunities and issues through two-way dialogue,” he says. “A news service is the ideal vehicle for that dialogue.”

Strategic Connections is an organization that works with teams of executives from companies in a confidential, safe environment to think through issues and challenges and develop strategies to achieve higher performance and breakthroughs.

Rivers and Peter Pula, executive editor of Axiom News, have been meeting to explore ways Axiom News might be of use to Rivers’ clients.

Rivers is convinced an independent, stakeholder news service such as Axiom’s would be of benefit to his clients. One of the biggest assets for a company is consistent connections between executives and stakeholders, Rivers says. “Great truths and opportunities for companies are resident in the hearts and minds of stakeholders,” he says.

Those stakeholders can include employees, suppliers, customers and investors, he says.

A stakeholder news service reports grassroots news on an organization’s website with high frequency and on an ongoing basis.

Through a news service, a company can communicate its vision and values, direction, successes and other complex information to stakeholders and get live feedback, Rivers says.

A news service has tremendous value in providing a cumulative, live insight into issues and trends, Rivers says.

Surveys can also give you feedback but they are contrived and represent a moment of time whereas a news service provides an ongoing dialogue which has a cumulative positive effect, built over time, he says. “It is a continuous conversation with all stakeholders that allows executives to see and hear the emerging trends.”

This two-way dialogue is a much more meaningful connection than a survey where the answer depends on the question asked, Rivers says. “The input of stakeholders will give answers to some of the challenges a company faces.”

Companies who want to control the message find that it doesn’t stop people from thinking a certain way, Rivers points out. “A news service is a safe venue where you can find out what stakeholders are thinking.”

Companies that are open to two-way dialogue soon discover that most of what stakeholders say is helpful, positive and constructive, he says. ”Over time I want to incorporate a news service into each company that I have as a client. I believe it should be an integral part of a company’s strategy.”