Internal Communications - Using Your Inside Voice

While this post might not be about internal communications, it is about internal communicators. 

It’s our job to understand our target audiences and find the most effective and current methods for getting our messages to and from stakeholders, no matter the time of day or night. So, I’m sure you will agree, the job of a communicator has become a 24/7 role...making many of us a bit-time starved for those other things in life - you know, like family, food and sleep! And while DIYs may be taking over the world, food prep is taking over my family time! Added to which, I can’t count the number of times I’ve burnt the chicken on the barbeque to take a call or respond to a social media issue that is trending. I thought to myself, there must be a better way. And I found it. 

I recently downloaded an app you may have heard about called UBEReats. The app allows me to get the food I want, from the healthy local restaurants I love, delivered to my door (or office when working late), at Uber speed. I can find the local flavors I crave or browse new restaurants for inspiration on feeding my family, all at the tap of a button on my iphone. So, if you’re looking to reclaim some personal time while feeding your family healthy local options, this app is a great place to start. Here is my review and overall thoughts on the app. 

Let me know what you think and if you would consider downloading it.

Thanks for reading!

The Voice If you’re a communications professional like me, you had hopes of spending your days representing the voice of their organization with clients, employees, partners, shareholders and the community. And doing so in a way that brings the organization to life with a brand voice that aligns its verbal, visual and digital messages and activities with its mission and vision.

…And, such is the job description… and the hope of every communications professional that our days will be filled with gratifying positive media resulting in happy customers and engaged employees!

Reality


Your day becomes a whirlwind of unwelcome media calls, website crashes, social media trolls, unrealistic marketing deadlines and the executive unhappy with their interview (which will live on in perpetuity thanks to the web). And all this before noon. As we focus on fixing these things to protect the reputation of the organization, there’s that little voice inside your head asking - “what did we forget”?

Right…the internal communications or as I like to call it - using your inside voice.

George Bernard Shaw once said: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Sadly, the same problem is true of employee communications. Paul Barton, ABC, echoes this in Maximizing Internal Communications. He says, “It’s not due to a lack of information in the workplace. In fact, they are drowning in it… Emails, voicemails, meetings, memos.” There’s lots of information going out - but are the messages getting to the right people, in the right way, with the right clarity and purpose.

Josh Ong, Forbes Council, states in an article I read recently, “A proper strategy for internal communications should do several things…it should also serve to facilitate connections between employees of all stripes, from all divisions. This will help employees feel more connected to the organization, which will, …make them better external advocates for the company as a whole.” Truth is, most organizations pay far too little attention to their most important audience - employees.

Where To Start 


The start of a new year is the perfect time to take a look at what’s working well and what isn’t. Break out of old patterns to energize and improve your internal comms. Develop strategies based on the needs of your employees. Make those connections now. Don’t wait until it’s really needed - during a crisis.

Here are a few ideas to try that have worked for me:

The Next Gen


Younger employees are more and more demanding, especially concerning the ways their employers talk and listen to them. They expect fewer office politics and increased collaboration, transparency, and feedback.

Give Employees a Voice

Try adding social networking to your internal comms strategy and encourage people to connect with each other. It will give you really good insight into what they’re thinking. So remember to listen. Here’s a fun TedTalk on becoming a better listener. Works for anyone not just us communicators.

Video - Everyone’s doing it! 

It’s almost expected that companies will deliver information through video. According to a report by Melcrum, “93% of internal communication professionals believe that video has become essential.” It’s a lot more entertaining and engaging for your team than reading a long email.

So many good ideas, so little time…


We’re all busy, facing the same constraints - limited resources, time and budgets. It would be great to just focus on the latest internal comms platforms or the best new apps, but sometimes we have to work with what we have. Internal comms can take many forms - e-newsletters, blogs, town halls, intranets, video blogs, internal social networks. And they all have their merits. The most important thing is that communication actually occurs, occurs regularly, and is sincere.

Did you have some great strategies of your own? What are the exciting ideas informing your own internal communications strategies —and how are you implementing them? Let me know in the comments.