This article has been written by Kanishka Singh pursuing Diploma in Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Laws and edited by Shashwat Kaushik.

This article has been published by Sneha Mahawar.

Introduction

Liaison is often defined as cooperation among different entities or organisations. It is also referred to as the exchange of information among various organisations. In the corporate world, a business liaison is regarded as a trained professional who performs a variety of duties. These duties include maintaining and building relationships, exchanging information and promoting operations. These are the individuals who are appointed by the company to act as a point of contact outside or inside the company. Liaisons happen in both medium and large companies because direct communication from the top management is not practically possible. Communication often refers to imparting or exchanging information either by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. It plays an integral role as it helps to transmit information, ideas, thoughts, and emotions. Therefore, effective communication is a must to establish a successful business.

Meaning of business liaison 

Business liaison is one of the most commonly used methods in the corporate world. It helps to maintain and build relationships between the organisations and their external partners. It also aids in maintaining relationships between internal departments. With the advancement of technology, the scope of business liaison has also been expanded. It is done through equipment such as acquisitions, setting up for trade shows, outsourcing of data storage, designing an in-house end-user tool, etc. The other responsibilities of business liaison include negotiating contracts with Clients, securing new Opportunities for the Company, Communicating with customers related to changes in products, services, rates, and policies, Coordinating events such as trade shows, conventions, or seminars, assisting in developing market strategies, etc.

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Business liaison and government 

Business liaison is not limited to the corporate world. It has also expanded to the government sector. These days, business liaisons are working with government agencies. They act as representatives of corporations, business associations, and commercial organisations. They often coordinate activities with other departments, such as compliance, public relations, and business development. This led to the establishment of strong relationships with the businesses. It has happened because of regular face-to-face interactions, which help foster support as well as encourage participation. The main role of business liaisons in the government sector includes: 

  • Developing and executing effective government strategies that are business-friendly in nature. 
  • To establish a productive and cordial relationship with government officials.
  • To monitor and analyse the policies, legislation, and regulations of the state. 
  • To identify the government funding, grants, and partnerships that are aligned with the company’s objectives.

 Even India has taken steps to interlink business liaison and government. The country has established an office to act as a communication channel between the parent company, which has settled abroad. Moreover, foreign companies also started to register themselves in India to explore and support the business opportunities in the country. 

Business liaison and IT 

With the rise of technology, business liaisons have also integrated their approach with the IT sector. This has enabled the team to provide integrated support and services to the shareholders. The inclusion of IT has helped clients and partners understand, explore and acquire new technological solutions. Moreover, it also aids in the management and monitoring of budget allocations, as well as the preparation and finalisation of major purchase orders. 

The interconnection between Liasion and IT has helped the companies understand the business strategy as well as identify technologies that would help enhance the organization’s business goals. With the advancement of society, the inclusion of IT has become a necessity. One of the primary responsibilities of the corporate technology liaison is to represent the needs and requirements of the company. Aside from this, it is also used to track and trend software licencing, compliances, etc., as well as create and edit executive proposals for the leadership meetings. Moreover, it has been a great aid for nontechnical people to understand technology constraints in a simplified manner.

Business liaison and health care

Business liaision has expanded its scope in the health care sector too. It has helped in developing and maintaining cordial relationships with the partners, hospital system, and technology vendors. It is used as consultative support as well as to create value and identify effective solutions by managing research data. It also helped to maintain and build relationships with current and prospective healthcare clients. This encourages maximising revenue as well as a business relationship. Serving as intermediaries and admitting new patients or medical facilities are other roles for the business liaison. Aside from all this, liaisons assist in scheduling appointments, treatment, and follow-up with patients.

Overview of board of liaison 

For effective liaison within the organisation, there has been the establishment of a board of liaisons. It also facilitates the work of the Committee/jury as well as aids in communicating with the other members. It is responsible for facilitating effective communication between the CEO and the board of directors. The board of liaisons works directly with the CEO and Chief of Staff and reviews their day-to-day functions. It also coordinates with the CEO related to public board meetings and holds direct communications with the board related to CEO initiatives and priorities.

Functions of the board of liaison

Some of the functions of the board of liaisons are: 

  • Attending board meetings, Sub meetings, and CEO meetings on a regular basis. It also includes other meetings that are requested by the CEO. 
  • Information, questions, and feedback happened between the two parties as per their request.
  • To coordinate and facilitate strategic brainstorming as well as to prepare problem-solving sessions.
  • To prepare presentations and metrics for strategic invitations.
  • Communicate with the members as well as look at their progress throughout the year. 
  • To work closely with the executive director, executive leadership team, and development department on board communication and planning.

Members

The Board of Liaisons often comprises a committee, jury, advisory board, or task force (staff liaisons). They are appointed by the President and elect and maintain a connection between the Board of Directors and the Board of Liaisons. The committee assists in the preparation of the agenda as well as its distribution among the committee members. It also plans the agenda for meetings or conference calls and consults with the executive board liaison. The committee is handled by the committee chair, who works closely with the co-chair and vice chair. While the staff liaison assists in setting up conference calls or webinars. It acts as a support for the board liaison. Moreover, it reviews and updates committees or juries related to charges.

Executive managers

Executive managers are defined as senior leaders whose main responsibility is to supervise the company’s developmental, strategic, and financial decisions. It helps to meet departmental goals as well as focus on implementing policies and procedures. It assists in managing contracts and negotiations. It supervises departmental operations and activities as well as ensures that they run smoothly. The other responsibilities include cooperation with other managers, reporting to upper management, etc. To be appointed as an executive manager, a person needs to have at least 5 years of experience as well as a Master of Business Administration.

Executive managers and board of Liaison

Executive managers and the Board of Liaison work together in order to meet the organization’s objectives. They help to maintain communication and relationships between the board, committee, and staff. They are responsible for maintain confidential administrative support for Board and Executive directors, as well as provide administrative support by managing calendars, appointments, conference calls, etc. It also researches, drafts, edits, and compiles documents for the board. By providing High-level coordination, it ensures effective planning and coordination among the President, Ceo, and Board of meetings. Moreover, executive managers process invoices and cash advances as well as coordinate with executive travel and arrange logistics for a wide range of events.

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Liaison officers 

Liaison officers are considered employees whose main responsibilities are to build relationships and maintain mutually beneficial relationships, facilities, and communications. It also coordinates various activities with agencies or organisations. They are generally part of the public relations team and act as company representatives. They streamline operations as well as handle public communications and coordinate efforts by scheduling meetings for the organisations. They also act as technical or subject matter for a person, agency, or organisation.

Types of liaison officers

Liaison officers are often found working in both the public and private sectors. They are employed in various sectors such as education, government, law, enforcement, militaries, and large organisations. They help to build and maintain relationships between two or more companies or organisations. They are responsible for coordinating multiple agencies. For instance, in the military, liaison officers are responsible for acting as a commanding officer’s personal representative and acting as a communication bridge between the commander and other liaisons, commanders, and staff officers.

Responsibilities

Liaison officers often work in high pace environments. Some of the responsibilities of the liaison officer are mentioned below: 

  • Acting as a contact point for all agencies, organisations.
  • Acting as mediator.
  • Monitoring the status of investigations as well as ensuring they are completed on time. 
  • To conduct interviews and investigations related to alleged abuse or neglect cases. 
  • Facilitating meetings and conferences among the agencies.
  • Identifying the problem and conveying it to the groups where the dispute has arisen. 
  • Providing information during major events or emergency situations. 
  • Writing records as well as maintaining records of relevant information. 

HR as liaison officer 

Human resource managers act as a communication link between human resources and the company. They often coordinate with human resource activities as well as create a welcoming environment for new employees. They are responsible for other functions such as processing employees, time of the request, timekeeping, benefits enrollment, position descriptions, recruitment, hiring, onboarding, new hire orientation, training, performance management, etc. They also ensure hiring procedures, make checklists, and provide valuable resources to assist in the recruitment and hiring process. Human Resource Managers assist employees or supervisors with regard to the immigration process as well as help the new employee avail benefits from enrollment. They also redirect employees to gain appropriate benefits related to retirement, death and disability, and other personal insurance/benefits issues.

Middle managers as liaison officers

Middle managers are the people who are between the top management and the lower management. They are accountable for reporting to the top managers as well as guiding the lower management. Some examples of Middle managers are Factory Managers, division Managers, heads of Departments, etc. They hold responsibility for business functions within the company. They oversee the department administration and how lower management carries out the plans they have planned. They are responsible for making strategies at the departmental level that are based on organisational plans. They also interpret and inform organizational policies to the lower management. Moreover, they are the ones who deal with individuals, employees, and workers. They also monitor employees’ performance and assign them specific tasks. They are responsible for ensuring that processes and procedures are as per the organisational guidelines. 

Conclusion

Liaison deals with the facilitation and communication between agencies, organisations, and external partners. It also deals with communications within the internal part of the organisation. It plays an important role as it helps the organisation ensure effective administration through effective communication among individuals, agencies, clients, and organisations. It ensures that the company’s objectives are met. The article tries to explore the overview of executive liaisons and how they help companies, organisations, and agencies. It also observed the roles and functions of other actors, such as liaison officers and the board of liaison, and highlighted their importance in today’s corporate world. The role of other actors, such as human resources and middle managers, enhances the meaning of executive liaison.

References

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