8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in ...€¦ · 8/07/2019 · 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business Change communications

8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business

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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business

8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business

Internal communication is often used as a blanket term but in fact, there are a huge range of different types of communication happening in your organization right now. Are you making room for them in your internal comms plan?

When we talk about internal

communication, what do we even mean?

There are many different definitions out

there, but the truth is, the term is a bit

of a capture-all. There are a multitude of

different types of internal communication:

from top-down memos to peer-to-peer

acknowledgment, from crisis comms to

information campaigns and more.

Business Dictionary

Each is designed to serve a different

purpose, a different audience, to

deliver a different outcome. Many

will already be happening in your

business, with or without a dedicated

plan. And while we may pay more

attention to certain types as an

organization, each has its own value

and is important to your overall

internal communications strategy.

For those charged with managing,

driving, or overseeing internal

communications, it’s critical to

understand the different types.

You won’t necessarily be responsible

for every type: but you will be a key

facilitator.

Identifying, nurturing, and promoting

the different types of internal

communication requires us to

understand their different goals, what

tools work for different types, where

each type has its place in the wider

internal communications strategy,

and the appropriate tone and style for

each.

Internal communication is

the sharing of information

for business purposes.

,,

Many types of comms will overlap, but

all deserve a spot on your comms line up.

We identify the common types as:

Leadership andtop-down comms

Bottom-up or two-way communication

Change communication Peer communication

Crisis communication Culture comms

Information comms Campaign comms

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Leadership and top-down communications

01

They’re first for a reason; when internal comms rises onto the business agenda, it’s traditionally to facilitate the distribution of top-down information from the business to its people.

Senior leaders play a crucial role in

defining the culture and direction of a

business, so getting them visible and

heard across the workforce is essential. In

larger organizations where many staff may

never meet their senior leaders in person,

internal communication has a challenging

task and even more important role to play.

Top-down comms are used to

inform staff of the overall business

strategy and direction, and therefore

are largely company-wide and

traditionally formal in nature.

Hearing from the boss makes a difference to how staff define purpose in their work – one of the increasingly important components of employee engagement, according to Gallup.

Due to the senior level interest and

input, it’s likely these types of comms

are already firmly placed on your

internal communications calendar.

However, reviewing the channels used,

the reach and response from staff, and

sanity-checking for ‘corporate speak’

can help keep engagement up.

Delivery channels for top-down comms can

range from a town hall meeting or video stream

to a corporate newsletter; for the most part,

they’ll tend to be scheduled or come with

decent notice, with supporting input from

Internal Comms, Marketing, HR or any other

number of departments.

Under this category we tend to see comms including:

Business strategy overviews

Company updates

Performance or progress

Formal announcements

Company-wide accolades, awards, or recognition

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/238073/millennials-work-live.aspx

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Change communications02

They’re closely related to the first type, but still deserving of a category of their own.

No matter what your industry, size or

strategy, change is part of the natural

evolution of business: whether that

comes from within or something

external that will impact your

organization. And communication

is perhaps the most fundamental

ingredient for successful management

of change.

Communicating change internally

requires careful planning and an

understanding of your staff concerns

and needs to reduce any negative

response and increase buy-in.

Manager cascades, small group face-to-

face meetings and drip-feed campaigns

of information over time are all

powerful tools for this type of internal

communication.

Communication is perhaps the most fundamental ingredient for successful management of change.

Tailoring change comms to distinct

employee groups is also proven to be

more effective than a company-wide

blanket approach, as it enables us to

focus on the ‘why’ or ‘what’s in it for

me?’ (WIIFM) factor, securing greater

support from employees. Leaving room

for staff to feedback, ask questions, and

have their voices heard can also reduce

negative response.

What sort of comms fall under the ‘change’ category? Examples include:

Structural business change, such as a merger, acquisition, or

internal restructuring

Changes to organizational brand or offering, such as new/

discontinuation of products or services, new branding/website,

entering new markets or territories

Office openings, moves, or closures

New software, tools, suppliers, distributors or internal processes

Industry-related change such as regulatory or compliance changes

Political, economic or social change, such as a change in law or

policy, shifts in financial markets or social campaigns (for example,

the current ‘war on plastic’, which is leading to packaging and

production changes in many FMCG organizations.)

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It can also be messy to manage.

Information tends to live in many different

places: buried in folders in your company

DMS, stored on your intranet, your HR

or payroll systems, within emails, or on

colleague computers.

Gathering, auditing, organizing, and

distributing that information effectively

is a central responsibility of the internal

communicator, even if the information

itself isn’t owned by you. You need to

consider how to create a ‘single source

of truth’, avoiding duplicates or the risk

of outdated content, and ensure every

employee – regardless of where or how

they work – can access it when needed.

In today’s knowledge economy, we trade in information. This is true both within organizations and society as a whole.

Information ensures our employees are

equipped with everything they need to

perform their roles efficiently, safely,

and to the best of their ability. It impacts

on the service and experience they, in

turn, deliver for our customers and

clients. Access to information improves

productivity and morale, reduces risk

and improves employee engagement. It

is – in a word – crucial.

Information comms 03

Access to information

improves productivity and

morale, reduces risk and

improves your employee

engagement. It is – in a

word – crucial.

You need to consider how to create a ‘single source of truth’... and ensure every employee can access it when needed.

,,

Who has responsibility for updating

it and when? Who owns it, approves

it or signs off on it? How do you pull

information from across different

systems or folders? What governance

do you have around tagging up and

naming of information? Do you have an

effective search function, to ensure it’s

found? Can staff access it from different

devices, or without a company email?

All these questions need answering as

part of your internal communications

strategy, to ensure information comms

is effective.

Policies and procedures; for example, HR or IT information

Legal or compliance information

'How to’ information for common business processes

Organizational information – about the business, brand, products/

services, positioning and more

Colleague information for when staff need to connect with others

for additional support or help

Training tools and content

Information-focused comms will often include:

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Crisis communication04

Getting the right information to the right people in a timely, efficient and effective way, is never more important than during a crisis situation.

Unlike other forms of internal

communication, crises don’t tend to

come with much notice. However,

having a solid crisis communication

plan in place before a situation arises

can mitigate risk, reduce impact, and

keep staff safe.

Channel options is one of the biggest

considerations for this type of internal

communication. Simply put, can you

reach everyone you need to, regardless

of where they are?

This includes front line or transient

staff, who aren’t sat at a desk or don’t

have easy access to a computer.

A broadcast tool is invaluable as it will

push a single message out through

multiple channels, including text

message, push notification, email and

more. Ensuring you can confirm staff

receipt or safety is also vital.

Alongside this, pre-crisis protocols

are a crucial part of the internal

comms portfolio. Falling under the

‘information comms’ category as well,

these cover the responsibilities and

response protocols for staff in light of a

crisis or emergency situation.

While responsibility for managing

a crisis tends to reside with senior

management, the act of information

flow before, during and in the wake of

the crisis is one of the most important

jobs for internal communicators. If you

haven’t already factored crisis comms

into your internal communications

plan, you need to.

What constitutes a ‘crisis’ is surprisingly broad:

Natural disaster, such as earthquake, flood, or extreme weather

Technological crisis, including a cyber attack, outage, or virus

Environmental crises, like a pipeline leak, or spillage of hazardous

materials or waste

Misconduct of an employee or management

Leak of privileged or internal information

Product failings, faults, or recalls

External threat to business or employees; which can range from a

terrorist threat to fire, sabotage, or police incidents

Conflict with interest groups, whether political, social,

environmental, cultural or purpose

Financial crises such as significant losses, fraud, bankruptcy, or going

into administration

Organizational misdeeds such as deception, or collective

management misconduct

Process disruption, such as issues within the supply chain or

distribution process

A multi-channel approach

is normally the safest bet;

however, in the pressure of a

high-stress or timely situation,

ensuring they’re all set up and

that messages can be pushed

out efficiently is crucial.

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Bottom-up and two-way communications

05

Information flow in an organization shouldn’t be purely top-down. To engage, retain, and tap into the knowledge of staff, two-way and bottom-up communication is vital.

As employee engagement and the

employee experience at work become

more widely recognized as big

contributors to the business bottom-

line, we’re understanding the value of

this type of internal communication

more than ever. It’s the job of internal

communicators to ensure staff have

the right tools, support, and channels

to get their voices heard and contribute

employee-generated content.

Internal communication

is the way a company

interacts with its people

and they interact with it.

,,

Definition of Internal Comms by Rachel Miller, AllThingsIC

Discussion forums, staff blogs and

social tools such as the ability to

comment, like or share are all informal

ways for staff to contribute.

Virtual ‘suggestion boxes’ and focus

groups can get people innovating,

while the rise of pulse surveys

shows the need to tap into how

our staff are feeling.

Bottom-up or two-way communication requires us to facilitate:

Giving staff – all staff, regardless of

role, seniority level, or location – a

voice and active role in contributing

to the organization and its direction

can be hugely empowering. The

best organizations don’t talk at their

employees; they talk with them. This

type of internal communication is

arguably the one that can have the

biggest impact on overall business

performance.

The best organizations don’t talk at their employees; they talk with them.

Ideation, for staff to put forward suggestions or ideas

Employee feedback: presenting something to staff and

requesting their input, or creating a process and space for staff to air

concerns and complaints

Question and answers, when staff require further information or

clarification

Staff surveys and pulse surveys, to gauge employee sentiment,

engagement, or mindset

Polls or staff votes, to gather popular opinion or input on specific

issues and decisions

https://www.allthingsic.com/what-is-internal-communication/

https://www.allthingsic.com/what-is-internal-communication/

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Peer-to-peer communication 06

Connecting staff to one another in today’s workplaces comes with a range of different challenges.

Our workforces are increasingly diverse

and dispersed. However, being able to

collaborate with others, find a peer who

can provide help or share knowledge,

or simply build connections with our

colleagues all make for more engaged

and productive workplaces.

Peer-to-peer communication isn’t something internal communicators do, so much as facilitate.

Different channels are suited to

different types of peer-to-peer

communication. Collaborating

on a project or piece of work, for

example, may call for specific project

management platforms or a DMS;

one-to-one and group conversations

may be best suited to an enterprise

social networking tool, such as Slack,

Yammer, or Microsoft Teams.

When staff share their stories and

experiences with peers, it can support

a positive company culture, facilitate

greater ideation, improve morale and

retention rates, drive greater problem-

solving, and more. Peer-to-peer

recognition is also a powerful tool in

today’s workplaces.

Peer communication can cover:

Collaborating on a specific task, project, event

Connecting with individuals who can help or provide knowledge

on a specific topic or task

Team or community communication, including the sharing of

information and files, discussion, imagery, events and more

Storytelling or sharing of knowledge and experiences; for

example, through blogging or within a discussion forum

Recognition of peers

Problem-solving and ideation

Private and small group conversational communication

Again, peer-to-peer comms isn’t

something internal communicators

do, so much as facilitate.

Making room for it on your comms

plan includes offering staff a

comprehensive and accessible People

Directory: with rich profiles that go

above and beyond the standard job

title and email address to help staff

find peers with shared interests,

specific skills, and more.

When staff share their experiences with

peers, it can support a positive company

culture, facilitate greater ideation, drive

greater problem-solving, and more.

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Company culture is an often intangible yet hugely influential aspect of an organization, linked to everything from talent attraction and retention, through to engagement, financial performance, business stability or longevity, and more.

Purpose-driven organizations are

shown to outperform those that are

profit-orientated and drive engagement

among staff; 49% of employees would

trade a portion of their salary to

continue in their current role with an

added sense of purpose.

Culture comms 07

Organizational culture can

be defined as the shared

values, beliefs, perceptions

held by employees within an

organization.

,,But how is a collective mindset,

that typically evolves over time, the

responsibility of internal comms?

Defining and then pinning a set of

values up on the office wall doesn’t

define or create a company culture.

However, there are a variety of types

of internal communication that can

help nurture, communicate, and

facilitate its foundations. It’s the sum

of these multiple elements that help

grow and embed a healthy common

culture among staff over time.

78% of CEOS and CFOs believe that culture is within the top five value drivers for an organization.

- Corporate Culture: Evidence from the Field

‘Culture comms’ can cover everything from:

Often, communication that helps portray your company culture won’t come

from those invested in creating it: it comes from those living and breathing it,

your employees.

Your company mission and values

Onboarding communication for new starters

CSR comms, including any initiatives, campaigns, events

and policies – such as charity events, or your commitment to

environmental initiatives

Leadership comms: although we’ve pulled these out as a separate

category, senior leaders play a central role in shaping organizational

culture; hearing from those at the top helps communicate that to

your organization

Rewards, recognition and encouragement: recognizing

individuals, teams, or communities – especially those

demonstrating desired behaviours or the values of an organization

– further embeds organizational culture

Social communication; whether organized social events within

an organization, peer to peer sharing and engagement, or non-

business news and information

https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/conference/2015/econ_culture/Graham_Harvey_Popadak_Rajgopal.pdf

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A campaign typically consists of a set of communication activities, designed to generate a specific outcome or objective in a specified period of time.

Many of the other types of communication

we’ve mentioned can be executed as a

campaign: delivered through a course of

different methods over a period of time.

From an internal communications

perspective, campaigns are a valuable

tool to deliver a message across multiple

audiences, channels or audience

demographics, because they provide a

multi-faceted way to deliver a core message.

Campaign communications 08

If you have a dispersed

workforce, or perhaps staff

who work on shifts or out

on the frontline, one-off

communications can be easily

missed. When it’s important

the message gets through,

a well-crafted internal

communications campaign

covers all the bases.

Campaign communications are typically assembled around a defined goal,

ranging from:

In today’s overcrowded, busy and

high-volume digital workplaces,

an internal campaign can help

cut through the noise and capture

attention: whether that’s to

communicate change, gather

support, build anticipation, and

more.

Their more diverse and flexible

nature also allows for a little more

creativity and fun than other types

of communication. Try out a mix

of media, play with the tone of

voice, use of imagery, or colour, and

consider outside-the-box approaches

to hammer the message home.

Promotion, for example of an event, activity, or initiative

Education, using the campaign as a drip-feed to provide bite-sized

information or to embed a message through repetition: for example, of

a forthcoming change in process, law, or procedure

Awareness, using a multi-channel or multiple exposure approach to

maximize visibility of a particular message: perhaps of a company HR

benefit, or a safety message

Interest, buy-in and engagement: ‘teaser’ campaigns that pique

interest are a particular hit for these types of internal communication,

providing staff with sneak peeks or hints of a forthcoming

announcement, for example

Participation, for example to garner staff support and participation for

a survey, or to opt-in to the company pension – a campaign can provide

multiple ‘touchpoint’ reminders

In today’s overcrowded,

busy and high-volume

digital workplaces, an

internal campaign can

help cut through the noise

and capture attention.

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@IntranetExperts

Interact Software

@IntranetExperts

interactsoftware.com

A communication type for every business need

Communication is perhaps the most powerful act we undertake every day: at work, and in our day-to-day lives.

As internal communicators, it can feel

overwhelming to consider just how many

different forms that can take. However,

as these types show, it’s often not the

communication itself – the ‘what’ – that

needs to be picked up by internal comms, so

much as the process, or the ‘how’.

When mapping out your internal

communications strategy, make

room and time for the different types

available. Whatever the message or

objective, taking the time to consider

format, audience, and approach can

greatly enhance its success.

Ultimately, a successful comms plan is

diverse, agile and adaptive: providing

a 365-degree experience of connecting

your people, information, and

organization overall.

Enjoyed these tips? Why not explore our library of free

resources for internal communications here.

The process of passing information and understanding from one person to another.

,,

https://www.interact-intranet.com/free-resources/

Station House,

Stamford New Road, Altrincham,

Cheshire WA14 1EP, UK

+44 (0) 161 927 3222

[email protected]

21 W. 46th St. 16th FL,

New York

NY 10036

+1 (646) 564 5775

[email protected]

8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in ...€¦ · 8/07/2019 · 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business Change communications

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