What we do
Internal Communications
Communication is representative of culture; it is the articulation of the strategy and it’s what we need to function as a group or community.
Why good internal communication matters
Innovation, growth, collaboration and remote working are all elements of organisations that need communication to succeed. A workforce that believes in the leaders, the mission, the strategy are a group who will be engaged, efficient and empowered.
Groups of any size need communication to succeed and any group over 150 needs structure, governance and support to operate effectively together.
What does organisational chaos feel like?
Individuals and teams are unable to make decisions to move things forwards and continue to work on things in ways that aren’t aligned to organizational goals. People off on stress/sick leave. High turnover of employees without leaving interviews.
Lots of meetings without things moving forward. Time spent together to discuss things with the wrong people in the room, a lack of good meeting management and therefore inefficient use of time.
Recovering from a global crisis with restructures and rebalancing activity. Structural changes like mergers or acquisitions, changes in financial ownership and significant changes around people structures.
Common problems in organisations
Restructuring
You need a communication strategy for different phases, an understanding of people to help them navigate change, an aligned leadership team and a consideration of the employee experience.
Trying to do more with less
Invest in the people doing the work and communicate with them to make sure they know why they are doing what they are doing and give them a chance to help you see other ways of doing thinks.
Communication isn’t getting through
Review the channels and the content you’re sharing and make sure the purpose of the communication function (if you have one) is clear. An internal communication audit will do this with clear outcomes to make changes.
People are off on stress/sick leave
This can happen when people feel overwhelmed and when managers aren’t equipped to manage people effectively. You need to get to the root cause of the issues and address them properly for any sustainable change.
Too many meetings and nothing gets done
This is more common than you think. Review and observe the meetings and find out why they aren’t working. It could be that there needs to be clarity of purpose, better chairing of the meeting or different ways to communicate.
People don’t know what they are doing
This is probably a mix of issues with broad corporate internal communication and managers/leaders behaviours. If there is just complete dysfunction, we have to look at the overall business strategy, the history and the vision for the future.
Our happy clients
FAQ on internal communications
Internal communication – also referred to as employee communication, internal employee communication, business communication, intra office communication or inter office communication – can be defined as everything that gets said and shared inside an organisation. As a function, its role is to curate, enable, and advise on best practice for organisations to communicate effectively, efficiently and in an engaging way.
Internal communication is: “Everything that gets said and shared inside an organisation. As a function its role is to curate, enable and advise on best practice for organisations to communicate effectively, efficiently and in an engaging way.” (Field)
Employee engagement is: “A workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to their organisation’s goals and values, motivated to contribute to organisational success, and are able at the same time to enhance their own sense of well-being”. (MacLeod and Clarke)
Employee experience is: “The way in which employees internalize and interpret the interactions they have with their organisation, as well as the context that underlies those interactions.” (Gartner)
Effective internal communication is the key to creating excellent workplace relationships. Here are some quick tips:
It takes time – acknowledge the symptoms of chaos, but don’t rush to fix. Take the time to delve into the root cause.
Great storytelling – make sure you’re telling a compelling story that takes people with you and helps them understand the journey towards achieving organisational goals. Know your desired outcome – focus on what you want people to “think, feel and do” to make sure your messaging elicits the desired response and behaviours.
Invest in yourself – we have to understand how we work and why we behave in certain ways to improve our relationships, so it’s essential to work towards increasing skills that improve communication, productivity, empathy and resilience (see links below).
Know your scope – what does internal communication mean as a function in your organisation and where does it sit? Being clear on scope is important. It doesn’t really matter where it sits, as long as it supports the business strategy.
Insights on internal comms
- Podcast, podcast guest
I was recently a guest on the Supercharged Change and Comms podcast. Hosted by Pete Hodges and Chris Bradley, the...
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In this LinkedIn Audio Live, I talk to Nicola Rylett-Jones, Human Accountability Leader and Executive Coach, about the importance of...
Latest podcasts on internal comms
Have you ever wondered what exactly an internal communications function does? In this episode, Jenni discusses the role of the...
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In this episode, Jenni talks about impactful communication skills, identifies the chaos that comes from not training people in communication,...
