May 2009

Why You Need an Internal Communications Strategy

When companies think about their key audiences, they often leave out one important group – their own people. They assume employees know what’s going on and understand their role in the big picture. But more often than not, they don’t.

Employees play such a big role in driving a company’s success – or its failure. So it’s time to really start talking to them.

A solid internal communications strategy provides an opportunity to convey your company’s vision, mission, goals, values, and why it all matters to employees. Here are some more benefits:

• Employees work towards a common goal. They understand this goal, are motivated by it, and see the “big picture,” creating more directed work patterns and ensuring more efficient use of resources. It’s all about loyalty.


• You reduce the potential for workplace confusion or conflict by maintaining a consistent flow of the right information to employees.


• Workers understand each other’s needs, which enables them to respond better and maintain a more positive environment and culture.


• Change is easier when employees see the bigger picture and understand why it’s necessary.

In short, internal communications enriches your business from the inside out. And with consistent messages that support your business strategy, leadership from management, consistent communication throughout the organization, and knowing what works best for your company, you too can achieve these benefits.

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The Internal Communications Toolkit

Communications tools have a lot of bells and whistles, but if your employees don’t use these tools and don’t buy into what you’re saying, the tool – along with the bells and whistles – is useless. Finding methods that fit your company culture, your strategy, and – most importantly – your employees’ preferences is key.

Consider the following tools for your internal communications toolkit:

• Internal company newsletter. This tool is ideal for communicating information to your employees on a regular basis. It can be electronic or paper, and delivered weekly, monthly, or even quarterly. A company newsletter should strike a fine balance between delivering important information, conveying company messaging, and engaging employees. Success stories, customer testimonials, best practices, updates on company news and events, and employee or department profiles are all good starting points to grab one’s attention and speak directly to your audience. Employee input from all levels is important – the newsletter should be the voice of your company as a whole, not just from management.


• Intranet site. A company intranet is an easy-to-use way to get information to your employees. Contributors can post topics of interest, news items, or event info to keep employees up-to-date. Integrating tools such as an RSS feed, discussion forums, photo and video sharing, and links to social networking sites to share favorite posts can turn your intranet spectators into participants. Be sure to update regularly to keep employees interested and coming back for more.


• Small group meetings. Whether it’s a weekly departmental lunch or a coffee break with your team every few days, face-to-face interactions are one of the most effective ways to communicate with employees. Fostering an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect will turn these small get-togethers into open and honest conversations, rather than just one person relaying the message. Have a clear agenda, but don’t be afraid to socialize.


• Quick, visible displays. Tools as simple as the company screensaver on all computers, a scrolling news feed on the intranet site, or large posters in the cafeteria can be effective drivers of internal communications. Using another vehicle, such as the internal newsletter, to support these attention-grabbing methods can make them even more successful.

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Creating an Internal Dialogue

Sir Isaac Newton said that what goes up must come down. But an internal communications pro would tell you that what goes down must come back up. Successful internal communications necessitates a two-way flow of information that moves it from the top to the bottom, and then moves feedback back up to the top.

But you can’t accomplish this without engaging executives with employees. Creating internal dialogue has value for all members of the company because it gives them a sense of belonging and working towards a common goal. When employees communicate directly with executives, it builds trust and loyalty, fosters camaraderie, and reduces ambiguity and aversion to change.

The settings can vary – a small meeting, video conference, a major team “pep rally” or a store visit. But no matter where the interaction happens, executives should be ready to listen; employees can offer a fresh perspective if the top team is willing to embrace it. And while not every idea will fly, you’ll be surprised at the number that do.

The added bonus of getting your executives involved? Many say that putting them in more contact with employees has helped them make better business decisions. Now that’s ROI.

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