clarity comes from within
When people think about corporate communications, they usually think about company announcements, press releases and events. All the external stuff.
But I believe the most effective external communication begins with clear and focused internal communication.
If your people – your own team doesn’t understand what you do and why you do it, how can you expect the rest of the world to understand?
Talking openly, sharing your goals and vision and objectives (and yes, also your challenges and weaknesses), strengthens an organization from within.
So how do you create effective and inclusive internal communication?
1. You need a Mission Statement
What is a mission statement? It’s a short statement of why your organization exists, a summary of the aims and values of your company. It’s your “why”. As Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
Why do you need one? Because it’s something all team members can buy into. A way to ensure everyone is on the same page. It’s your “North Star”. I could talk about mission statements all day, so stay tuned for an upcoming blog all about them where I will deep dive.
2. Share information
Share company news. This may sound super-basic, but I have seen so many organizations forget to do this. Some hoard information. Those companies treat knowledge as power. They store up nuggets of info like nuts for winter. Others just don’t think about it. These orgs tend to work in silos, where no one knows what another department is doing. Even in small companies.
How could this be effective? How could this help achieve shared objectives? It doesn’t.
Post news on your company intranet (or create an intranet if you don’t already have one). Share really important news through email or video messages.
Hold regular company town halls – (Some do this quarterly, some do it monthly doesn’t matter, just do it!). Town Halls are an important touchpoint for everyone to feel connected and a part of things, and for different departments in the org (who normally don’t have contact with each other) to hear what’s going on.
OK, turns out I have a lot more to say about this one too, so stay tuned for another post all about the most effective ways to share information so people will engage!
3. Celebrate the wins
This is the fun part. Effective internal communication isn’t just about transferring information, it’s ultimately about building a culture. Creating a “place” (be it brick and mortar or virtual) where values align. Where people feel they are a part of something bigger. An easy and wonderful way to do that is to celebrate the wins, both big and small.
No matter your role in an organization, wins go a long way in creating a culture of togetherness, in fostering a shared sense of purpose, and a sense of pride. For example, I’ve never worked in Sales, but I love hearing about Sales wins, because that means the company is doing well, and maybe I played some tiny, peripheral role in that.
We’re all in the this together, so we should all celebrate the victories, big or small. Take the wins where you get ‘em.
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