It’s that time of year: Strategies are being dusted off, reviewed, and revised, ready for the new financial year. And there’s none more important than the internal communications strategy. No matter how big or small your business is, the launchpad for success is internal communications.
Get it right, and your engaged and motivated workforce will deliver on productivity. However, get it wrong, and workers will become disengaged, unmotivated and ultimately unproductive. They may even vote with their feet – out the door.
However, planning an internal communications strategy can be a challenge. Here, we give your planning the best possible start by identifying some common mistakes to avoid.
1. Relying On Guesswork
Do you know the most effective communication channels in your company? How about which channels prompt the most action from employees? And do you know how workers like to receive information? You may think you know the answers, but there’s only one way to be sure: ask your employees.
Avoid guesswork by involving staff in the process. Gather views and invite feedback with focus groups, surveys, polls and pulse checks. This will ensure that your decisions are well-informed and based on real data, so you can be more confident your communication is hitting the mark.
2. Making It Too Complicated
Try not to overcomplicate your internal communications strategy. Instead, focus on providing transparent information and keeping it simple with a few overarching goals.
Many a good plan failed to deliver because it tried to tick too many boxes. It’s better to set one or two overall objectives that you can really get stuck into. Whether improving customer service or developing employee engagement, an overall goal provides a strong sense of direction.
3. Irregular Communication
Regular and consistent communication is key to keeping your workforce engaged and connected. Establishing a set communication pattern demonstrates the value and priority you place on keeping your employees informed. This, in turn, fosters a sense of engagement, participation, and ownership among your people, making them feel more connected to the company and its goals.
Use management planning tools like Workshop or Poppulo to plan, schedule and organise your communications.
4. Disconnected Communications
Two-way communications are essential. Traditional top-down communication leads to a sense of disconnection in the workforce. Poorly understood messages, lost information and a lack of trust are often the result. Rather than communicating with staff, all you are doing is sharing information. Instead, excellent communication is all about a genuine dialogue that makes employees feel connected to executives.
So, look to develop two-way conversations with activity feeds that staff can share, comment on, or like. Blogs and forums, instant messaging apps, and #channels like #employeevoice are other possibilities.
5. Overloading Employees
Internal communications need to be timely, consistent, and, above all, relevant for maximum impact. Ensure you align your internal communications strategy with employees’ current workload and projects. Your staff is busy getting the job done, so be thoughtful and selective with your communications.
The simple way is to tailor communications to the right audiences. For example, does your logistics team in Brazil really need updates about a marketing campaign launch in Canada?
If you’ve been charged with developing an internal communications strategy, then proper planning is essential. Get off to the best possible start by avoiding these common communication cockups, or get in touch with the expert team at Write Solutions for more help and advice.