Building Internal Communications: Message Distributor to Strategic Partner
By Shawna-Kay Thomas
Internal communications is dynamic and requires strategic thinking, flexibility, consistency, transparency and the hero of building trust (drum roll please …) - two-way communication. When done right, internal communications aligns employees and company goals, drives engagement, productivity and cohesion.
Whether you’re stepping into a new job, changing roles in your organization or just feel like you’re hitting a wall in your internal communications role, don’t scroll too quickly. Let’s help you succeed with these four tips!
Understand the business
Internal communications is not just a checklist or doer role, it is a strategic business function that helps the organization reach its goals. While it is not uncommon for communications professionals to join an organization, see gaps and have ideas of how to fill them we must take a step back. The long term win lies in pausing and getting to know the business. This doesn’t mean stopping all the work already happening but it does mean assessing them in the context of the business goals.
Start building relationships with leaders within the organization and hearing from them what the organization does, what matters, challenges they may be experiencing and what changes or milestones may be coming up for the next year, and/or three to five years. As you are having these conversations and building relationships you will hear stories, experiences and perspectives that will help build a meaningful strategy.
2. Listen and observe
After understanding the business goals and priorities, follow up with understanding how communication is experienced in the organization. Look at past employee surveys and interviews that may provide information about the employee experience. You can also conduct focus groups or informal chats. These activities will help you build a picture of the current situation within the organization.
What are the messages that are being communicated and the channels used?
How is information shared and who is involved in that process?
What do people like or dislike about current communication practices?
What kinds of information would they want and how often?
Is there information overload and are messages concise and actionable?
Are there operational bottlenecks with rigid hierarchies that slow down decision-making?
Are there tools and processes people are unaware of or don’t know how to use effectively?
Assess what’s working and what’s not. This will help with documenting the process and progress for the changes you will be making.
3. Clarify your purpose
Now that you have a good idea of the business and what’s important to the organization, you cannot skip this next step! It’s going to keep you from dabbling in everything with no results or success. It’s going to make the difference between doing busy work and being productive and impactful, moving in alignment with business goals.
Clarify the purpose and value of internal communications in the organization.
Is it to strengthen alignment and have team members move in the same direction?
Is it to help people know and feel they belong and have a safe space to work and grow in their career?
Is it to help with providing the right information in a timely manner so employees can do their jobs well?
Is the organization undergoing transformation and change and needs support to help staff navigate with confidence?
The purpose of your role can be multipronged but knowing this makes a big difference. Understanding your purpose helps you become a strategic advisor, planning work that truly matters!
4. Build an internal communications strategy
It’s now time to wrap it up and pull together all you have learned from the first three tips to inform your internal communications strategy. Your strategy should show an understanding of the business goals and priorities and show how internal communications will support these goals/priorities, driving success and results.
Tactics will be a part of your strategy but it is much deeper than that - it’s what you are trying to achieve and why it matters. The strategy should also show how you will measure success and prove that what you are proposing is worthwhile and impactful for the business.
Many internal communicators are a one-person team and these tips may seem impossible since it will require you building the plane while flying. And even if you are a team of three to 10 people or more, you may have many competing priorities forcing you to leave developing a strategy on the back shelf.
pipikwan pêhtâkwan can help you take a step back and position you and your team to drive business success through communications. We can help you move from message distributor to strategic partner. Connect with us and let’s visit! 🍓
