Excellent internal communications are consistently rated as one of the signs of a great workplace. Each year the Globe & Mail publishes a list of top workplaces that focus on building trust and are using internal communication tools to effectively do so. Communication is also often noted in research as a key driver of high-performance teams. And it is not an after-thought. Excellent communication supports need to be built into workplace culture and work practices. The open exchange of information and ideas, being able to debate ideas or to give tough feedback well, or even ensuring information is not suppressed internally are all examples of good workplace communication. When teams are communicating well it can help provide a clear purpose, avoid confusion, and create accountability.
Think it’s only HR who has to worry about “Internal Communication”?
Think again. Internal communication is no longer just a topic for HR to consider. Well, that may be where you first hear about it if you don’t have it on your resume or discover it’s holding you back from getting hired or promoted. “Excellent interpersonal communication skills” is often one of the most sought after skills when hiring. Today’s high-performance teams are not leaving it to the HR departments to pick up the slack and keep employees informed and engaged. They expect every team leader to focus, encourage and develop excellent communications in the workplace. Often, effective communication in the workplace is what distinguishes a good leader from a great one.
“Effective internal communications can keep employees engaged in the business and help companies retain key talent, provide consistent value to customers and deliver superior financial performance to shareholders.” Effective Communication 2009/2010 ROI Study, Watson Wyatt
A 2013 HBR Article on “Creating the Best Workplace on Earth” also highlighted the key role communication plays. Why having multiple, open lines of communications internally was critical – why “employees’ need to know what’s really going on so that they can do their jobs, particularly in volatile environments where it’s already difficult to keep everyone aligned.”
Here are 7 key things to consider when revisiting or reworking your internal workplace communications:
- Use tools that encourage the free-flow of information. Consider which channel is right for the team (social media groups, SMS/text, email, intranets, Microsoft Teams, Slack, etc.).
- Ensure the tool(s) allows you to organize internal communication “hubs” for each team. It will help drastically reduce the volume of noise employees will need to wade through in order to access and consume important information.
- Set up targeted distribution lists or parameters to ensure the information you are communicating broadly is sent to the right teams.
- Minimize the likelihood of people missing out on critical updates – choosing a platform with notification alerts is an excellent way to make this easy to manage. Even email has “priority” flags or colour options you can leverage.
- Create opportunities for feedback and discussion. Again platforms with comments, chat, shares and likes can be invaluable ways of quickly gathering input and feedback.
- Ensure your tools / platforms can also measure and track viewership, engagement and participation rates. It will give you a better handle on how your information is being consumed and / or acted upon.
- Don’t forget to encourage employees to share success stories and wins. Peer recognition sets a positive attitude for the company culture, reminding everyone of our shared goals and what the team is working towards. Peer recognition in high performing teams can also help strengthen the bonds between colleagues.
With new, accessible, information technology options, employees now have the power to work from any location. COVID-19 is also changing the way we work and teams are open to trying out new, innovative, internal communication tools and tactics that can boost employee engagement. Maybe it’s time to revisit the standard employee enewsletters if teams aren’t reading them or reporting they find them helpful – and ask the team about what new tool they have found useful?
