If your company has people, you need to be able to communicate with them clearly and regularly. Internal communication is a function that uses information and interaction to inform and motivate employees. Most business leaders make statements that their people are their most valuable asset, but how do you actually live up to that?
The number one priority is to build trust to tap into the full effort and commitment of your employees, which can only be achieved with transparent, consistent and empathetic internal communications. The following list includes actionable steps to activate your internal communication:
Define your Mission & Vision
Take the time to define your company values and mission, so you can share this as part of corporate training and as a regular reminder to employees. When employees are united in their understanding of the company’s ultimate goals, they will be able to cooperate with one another more effectively in order to achieve them.
Make Information Accessible
Every organization has its own set of internal knowledge and information that all employees need to come to understand. It can take time to learn how the company does things to reflect its mission and vision, such as protocols for dealing with customers and other types of best practices. Help employees learn this information faster by including it as a part of your induction training and by creating internal documents to be used for reference.
Internal Communications Platform
If you are looking for an effective and real-time way to introduce teamwork into your workplace, consider an internal communication and project management platform. Built-in tools allow you to create a social space where employees can meet, chat, track projects, workflow and share vital information. An internal communications app offers the tools to help you instill a positive culture of recognition and enablement via a range of two-way channels and social platforms.
Two-Way Communications
Your employees need the opportunity to ask questions. Promote dialogue and understanding to ensure communication efforts help engagement. Managers must have two-way dialogue with employees directly. This is particularly relevant where there are social distancing and working from home measures in place, which can make employees feel disconnected, demotivated and isolated.
Create Ongoing Dialogue
Keep employees up-to-date on company changes, progress, and future plans to keep them invested. This could be through a monthly newsletter or at company meetings. Allow employees to be involved in this discussion. Encourage questions and comments and show that all ideas are welcome. Employees are more likely to communicate well when they understand where the company is headed.
Encourage Innovation
Innovation is vital to the success of your rganization. When your employees are proactive in suggesting new initiatives, it has a dramatic effect on your business outcomes. Efficiency is improved, the quality of work takes an up-turn, and your customer base increases. With a good internal communications strategy, you will have internal channels in place that allow employees to contribute their own ideas. Once they start driving change and make it their own, you will benefit from a boost in engagement levels.
Employees as Brand Advocates
Your employees are powerful brand ambassadors. Customers see the voice of your employees as more important than the voice of CEOs. An internal communications strategy will harness this strength to your advantage. Your approach can directly influence the way employees will communicate to customers. Typically, employees will adopt and reflect the tone set by you to will actively promote your company through a true belief in your products or services. In times of negative media attention when you need all hands-on deck to defend the organization, your employees can make all the difference.
