Internal communications (IC) is concerned with making it easier for employees within a company to communicate effectively. It entails creating and delivering messages and campaigns on behalf of management and facilitating communication with the organization’s constituents.
This could range from announcing a new policy or informing people about an upcoming event to conducting an organization-wide engagement or culture audit. IC is typically handled by HR, marketing, or public relations departments, but all departments within an organization can control it.
Crucial role of internal communication within an organization
Businesses with a solid internal communications strategy are more likely to outperform their competitors. It is costly and a significant loss if your employees are not aligned and on the same page due to a lack of internal communications strategy.
The demographics of the workforce have shifted in the modern world. The new generation is more critical of what their bosses say. They want to hear what they have to say, improve the workplace environment and improve collaboration. This leaves little time for office politics if any at all. The key to achieving all of these objectives is to improve internal communication. You won’t be able to align people towards these lofty goals without it.
If you work in an environment with informal communication, you’ll notice that information can be distorted in various ways. Word of mouth is easily misunderstood, resulting in misunderstandings. More than anything else, a company’s environment can be harmed by distorted information flow. As a result, establish a formal and flexible internal communication system.
Few reasons why internal communication is vital for businesses to include:
- IC Facilitates Innovation
- Helps Builds an Efficient Team
- It Builds Relationships
- Helps in Managing Employees Effectively
- It Ensures Transparency
- Internal Communication Is Critical in a Crisis
- It Assists in Maintaining a Positive Work Environment
- It Contributes to Your Organization’s Growth
- Inefficient Communication Can Distort Information
- IC Enriches Employees’ Lives
How to fix internal communications problem of your business?
A lack of communication can cause an organization to slowly deteriorate, just as it can in any relationship.
It’s difficult to spot signs of poor communication in a relationship before it’s too late. Tasks begin to fall between the cracks. Goals can come and go without being met if strong internal communication strategies are not in place.
Some of the most common internal communication problems faced by organizations are:
- Lack of transparent Internal Communication
- Employees are afraid to ask questions
- Vague requests from the management
- Too many customer complaints
- Misaligned employee and company goals
- Lack of consistent messaging
- Neglecting the requirements of your remote employees
- No active participation from the Leadership team
- Overwhelming Onboarding experiences
- Not tracking the results of your Internal Communication efforts
Tips to fix internal communication problems within your enterprise
Although most business leaders recognize the importance of communication for success, only a few can genuinely power effective and efficient communication throughout their organizations.
Low employee engagement, retention, and customer satisfaction scores are all indicators of workplace communication failures.
The following are a few practical tips that help to improve internal communication in your company:
- Turn internal communication into a two-way street
Internal communication may only be a one-way street in companies with communication issues. Instead, businesses should establish open lines of communication among executives, management, and employees.
Allow employees to express their thoughts and concerns and provide feedback to management. You can go a long way if you can create a company culture where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and that those ideas are valued and directed by management.
- Leverage all available communication channels
Beyond email and the intranet, there are various ways to communicate with your employees. To effectively engage employees with your message, use other modes such as in-person meetings, video conferences, conference calls, broadcasts, instant messaging, and videos. Consider which mode of communication will be the most effective for the type of information you need to communicate.
- Send messages that are relevant and targeted
When employees are bombarded with information that does not pertain to them, they begin to tune it out. When disseminating information, news, and alerts to the workforce, it’s critical to send only relevant employees’ information and tailor the message to be meaningful to them.
- Ensure employees are aligned with the company’s goals
Companies with strong communication practices make it a point to explain the “big picture” to employees and help them understand how their actions affect the bottom line.
Ensure that all employees are aware of the company’s key goals and objectives, and recognize employees who have gone above and beyond to assist the company in achieving those objectives.
- Important information & updates should be repeated
Don’t mistake assuming that updates only need to be shared once. According to research, people forget about half of what they hear in an hour. They’ve forgotten about 90% of it by the end of the week.
Therefore, it is vital to repeat a message across different platforms whenever you need to communicate something important, such as a new policy or an urgent safety hazard.
- Be transparent
Internal communication requires leaders to be honest and transparent with their employees to cultivate a positive culture. Employees who work for companies with communication issues may find their leaders untrustworthy. To fix a broken communication system, prioritize transparent communication from the top down.
Conclusion
Effective internal communication strategies make it easier for businesses to achieve goals and for employees to be more productive and satisfied in their jobs. It’s not always easy to spot poor communication before problems escalate and blame is thrown around. The bottom line is that effective communication is critical to the success of your business. However, it is vital to make sure the international association of business communicators is harmonious.
