Internal Communications, Employee Engagement and….. Mindreader?????

Internal Communications is an incredible area to work in; I find it interesting and motivating, and it is so exciting to see the value internal communications can add if it is done right.  

However, if your colleagues aren’t used to working with internal communicators, it can be challenging. One of the biggest challenges I have found is writing for people I don’t know, about a topic I’m not familiar with, on a very short deadline. This is the point where mind reading would come in really useful!  

To put it into context, imagine you are a script writer in the 90s. You’ve been asked to write a scene between Monica and Phoebe in “Friends”.  

You’ve never seen “Friends”.  

You don’t know what Monica is like or who Phoebe even is! 

The scene is due for first draft in 25 minutes and MUST be sent out by 3pm today. It is now 1.32pm.  

Are you sweating yet???? 

Of course, I haven’t actually been asked to write for any tv shows, but I think this gives a good idea of the kind of last minute requests Internal Communications are given.  

What’s the answer? I work with my stakeholders to increase their awareness of best practice regarding internal communications. There will always be something urgent that comes up, but generally speaking, a lot of the panic and stress can be avoided if Internal Communications are brought into the loop as early as possible.  

In my next post, I’m going to talk about my favourite people to write for and the number one thing I need from them.  

When is the best time to bring Internal Communications onto your project team?

This post represents my own experience providing comms support on projects, but its tried and tested. The answer is Early. As Early as possible. Or, failing that, not the week or night before go- live! 

I’ve created a scenario to highlight the reasons for this: 

An IT Team has been working all year on rolling out new software that will have implications for many of the systems that employees use daily. The team have done a great job, they’ve put in long hours, they’ve overcome all the challenges. There’s just one problem: 99% of employees don’t know it’s happening and will have a problem logging in or using important software after the go live. 

In this scenario, the hard work of the project team is potentially going to be overlooked because the lack of communication has upset the intended audience i.e. most of your employees! 

Here’s what I do and ask for when I’m brought in at the right time on a project such as this: 

1. I ask for the timeline of the project, especially the key delivery dates. 

2. I ask about the level of confidentiality and when we can start to communicate with our employees. 

3. I ask for the project to be explained to me in straightforward, non-technical, language. I use this to create project key messages that can be used repetitively in all project communications. 

4. I ask who the sponsor of the project is, because usually key communications will be signed off by this person. 

5. I ask who the project will impact and if everyone will be impacted at the same time. 

6. I ask if training will be needed for the end users. 

7. I ask for stories that we can use to make the project interesting and engaging to an audience. 

8. I ask for budget for a go live/launch day celebration! 

 
Those are just a few of the MANY reasons why it’s a good idea to include your #InternalComms team as early as possible to ensure project success. Or, if you don’t have an in-house team, work with a contractor like me to help you create your project comms strategy. 

The conversation: So what do you do?

When I meet new people and they ask me what I do for work, I often get a puzzled expression in response when I say “I have set up my own business; I work in Internal Communications, offering clients the opportunity to work with an experienced professional in a flexible way”.  

“Is that like social media?”, “So, you work in Marketing?”, or “Is that the same as PR?” are common responses.  

Internal Communications covers A LOT and can be different in every organisation.

I’ve had a think and these are the ways I’ve described what I do when I’ve met new people in the past, hopefully without boring them to tears and making them feel trapped with the boring person at the party!  

The one liner: 

“I help organisations communicate with their employees.” 

This makes me feel slightly pompous, but it’s the easiest way to sum it up. It usually invites further questions, which is why I prefer the two other answers below. 

 
The creative answer: 

“Picture where you work. Now, picture having a reputable journalist or writer on site. That person is a storyteller; they capture the history of a company as it happens. It is their job to capture employee interest and communicate messages in a way that is clear, understandable and engaging. 

They make videos, they write emails, they take photos, they write stories, they organise all the company events- they’re the “influencer” of the office.” 

That answer feels very dramatic and can underplay the strategic role of internal communications, but it does help people identify “that person” in their company and therefore, understand what I do.  

The genuine, earnest answer for when I know the person is genuinely curious and wants to understand:  

“There’s a lot of writing, videos, presentations, events, working with Senior Leaders, but at its heart, Internal Communications is about listening and understanding people. It’s about making connections and knowing your audience. If someone comes to me with a change project, I need to be able to visualise, from beginning to end, who is impacted, what kind of communications we need to include in our plan and how we can get feedback. Having good relationships across an organisation goes a long way towards internal communications success.” 

 After this, the conversation goes one of two ways: 

1. Ok, nice to meet you! (bored to tears) 

1. Oh now I get it, I was part of this project where we could have done with more communication, let me tell you about it……… boom, one more person who understands the value of internal communications! 

If these resonate with you, let me know! 

Summer holidays in April?

In late 2023, I set up my own business, offering clients the opportunity to work with an experienced Internal Communications professional, in a flexible way.  

But what inspired me to start posting?  

A few weeks ago, I sped through Dublin Airport before a flight thinking “Wow, it’s very quiet, this is fantastic!” Then I realised, most people don’t take vacation in late April/early May. I was taking a super early summer vacation, accidentally avoiding the  busy travel time during school holidays due to my aversion to summer heat.  The experience reminded me that during June, July and August, many Internal Communications teams will be under resourced.

Some will postpone projects or distribute workload to other members of the team. Where the “team” is just one person, that person will likely come back to a h-u-g-e amount of emails and meeting requests, because what’s the alternative? 

This is why I started my business, Two Way Communications. I know many organisations have a need for occasional Internal Communications support/guidance but they don’t necessarily want to hire someone for a 6-12 months contract. I offer a completely flexible service, working with clients when they need it, without the pressure of going through a lengthy hiring process. 

If this sounds like a good fit for your Internal Communications team, get in touch by emailing anita@twoway.ie to discuss how I can support your organisation.