Today, internal communication leaders play a pivotal role in ensuring effective information flow within organizations.
To provide some insight and guidance on how internal communication leaders can raise their confidence and gain the support they need from business leaders, we're sharing insights from industry thought leader and founder of #WeLeadComms, Mike Klein, and two highly regarded communication pros, founder of Results Map, Caroline Kealey, and former UNICEF comms chief and founder of ZEducatr EdTech, Abhijit Shanker, from our webinar on making strategic case for internal comms.
Let's delve into their discussion and explore actionable strategies for success.
Understanding Pain Points and Real-Time Communication
Abhijit emphasized the importance of building relationships with senior leaders. By stepping into their offices and understanding their pain points, internal communicators can align their strategies with organizational objectives. The ability to identify and address these concerns, whether it be employee retention, or the current challenges faced by the organization, enables communicators to provide valuable support to senior leaders. Abhijit also highlighted the limitations of relying solely on annual employee engagement surveys, emphasizing the need for real-time data and insights.
Becoming Research Engineers
To overcome the limitations of traditional surveys, internal communicators must adopt a research-oriented mindset. Mike rightly pointed out that communicators need to become research engineers in their own right. By developing systems and processes for data collection and analysis, communicators can gather real-time information from different parts of the organization. This proactive approach empowers them to engage in meaningful conversations with senior leadership based on evidence and insights.
Leveraging Internal Influencers
Abhijit further emphasized the significance of internal influencers. Just as organizations hire external influencers for marketing purposes, internal communicators can cultivate internal influencers within the organization. These influencers act as channels for capturing real-time information, providing communicators with valuable perspectives from different areas of the organization. Leveraging internal influencers enhances the communicators' ability to understand the pulse of the organization and anticipate future actions.
Defining the Scope of Internal Communication
Caroline raised a critical point about the need for internal communication practitioners to define their function clearly. She emphasized that many communicators tend to be tactical and reactive, lacking a comprehensive understanding of their role. Defining the scope of internal communication includes understanding its relationship with sister disciplines such as employee engagement, enablement, experience, recruitment, retention, and change management. By clearly delineating their responsibilities and authority, communicators can establish a strong foundation for success.
Replacing Noise with Evidence
Caroline also highlighted the importance of using data and insights to support internal communication initiatives. Despite the multitude of opinions, the internal communication profession often faces a shortage of substantial evidence to inform effective decision-making.
Caroline stressed the value of real-time measurement, such as quick pulse checks, to supplement traditional surveys. Additionally, she emphasized the role of active listening as a core function of effective internal communication. By actively listening to employees and collecting qualitative and quantitative insights, communicators can become sentinels and provide valuable feedback to leadership.
The role of internal communication leaders is evolving rapidly, requiring them to step up their game and proactively address the needs of their organizations. By understanding the pain points of senior leaders, becoming research engineers, leveraging internal influencers, and defining their function clearly, communicators can raise their confidence and secure the necessary resources and tools. Moreover, replacing noise with evidence through real-time instruments and active listening enables communicators to make informed decisions that drive positive organizational outcomes. As the field of internal communication continues to grow, embracing these strategies will be key to success in this critical profession.
For more valuable insights from Mike, Abhijit and Caroline, watch the recorded webinar: The Strategic Case for Internal Communication.
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