Internal communications is an essential part of a business’s overall communications strategy. And its importance has only grown in recent months. Whether regarding COVID-19 and the forcing of widespread work-from-home arrangements, the ongoing discussions about racism in the workplace, or the quickly accelerating trend of digital communications, now is a fitting time for internal communications teams to revisit their strategies and prepare for the future.

Over the past few months, we have developed a series of articles covering the various aspects of internal communications. Below is a round-up of the need-to-know takeaways.

On internal communications and talent development

Be strategic with what you say - The measure of effective internal communications is the value it adds to a recipient’s workflow and their overall experience as a member of the workforce. It is therefore important to think through what kinds of content will have the greatest impact on the intended audience.

Be deliberate about how you say it - Developing and sharing effective messages is indeed essential. But how they are delivered is equally important. When engaging internal audiences, it is particularly important to think through a planned message to ensure it presents its ideas clearly and adds its intended value as immediately as possible.

Be targeted in who you say it to - Not all communications are relevant, or even appropriate, to all employees. Sometimes it is necessary to segment your audiences, to distribute to staff only those messages that are relevant to their workflow or position. It is also important to personalise messages whenever possible.

On using a communications filter to protect against damaging leaks

Be realistic about the risks - Just because a communication is marked or intended to be “internal” does not mean it will stay that way. These days, there is no infallible protection against information leaks and other forms of distribution. So it's sensible to assume the worst might happen.

Use the “PASS” filter - Thoughtful internal communication is as much about engaging and empowering the workforce as it is about protecting the company from potential negative fallout. With this in mind, it's worth putting your communications through what we call the “PASS” question filter before you send or publish them:

• Polite – Does my communication meet basic standards of politeness? Would I feel comfortable using this tone of voice across all levels of my organisation?

• Appropriate – Is what I am saying appropriate to the context? Is it possible for my words to be misinterpreted or otherwise taken out of context? Am I using the right communication channel?

• Sensitive – Have I considered the interests of all my stakeholders, both internal and external? Am I saying anything that could come across as offensive or divisive?

• Sincere – Is what I am saying accurate? Am I shading the truth or obscuring an otherwise honest description? Am I contradicting company values or writing anything that may bring them into question?

On aligning internal and external communications against damaging leaks

Determine what your key messages are and obtain buy-in from the necessary parties - If you're not deliberate about the key messages, themes and ideas you want to permeate your internal and external communications, it will be hard to stick to a coherent message over time. Take care to develop clear messaging and communicate it consistently across communications functions.

Ensure the right person delivers each message - For example, if your company needs to lay off employees due to the economic downturn, ensure that a familiar face conveys the news through the least impersonal medium – and preferably in person.

Be as transparent as possible - Outside of confidential or legally binding information, it is a good habit to be transparent about the goings-on within the company. Internal stakeholders deserve to know things first – good or bad – before they are reported externally.

Reiterate the importance of compliance with external/media relations guidelines - Schedule regular training sessions and ensure compliance is widely understood and enforced. Media relations guidelines should leave no one in any doubt about their responsibilities when it comes to protecting the company's reputation.

On internal communications and nurturing thought leaders

Encourage a culture of inquiry – Really cutting-edge thought leadership is only possible when a culture of inquiry is present. One way communications professionals can help this process is to work with company leadership to formulate high-value questions about their business and industry that will yield divergent responses.

Create the conditions for critical reflection - Another role of communications in creating a culture of inquiry is making sure everyone understands that rational and respectful disagreement, or the expression of differing opinions, will not result in backlash or threats to an employee’s job security.

Empower the ownership of topics - When an employee’s knowledge is seen as relevant to the company’s business objectives, communications can step in to provide momentum to and a platform for that person’s views to be heard. There are a few ways to approach this:

• Provide opportunities for a prospective thought leader to “stretch their legs” in publicising their knowledge.

• Create channels for a budding thought leader to build a personal brand.

• Allocate budget to enable the testing of creative ideas.

On internal communications and remote working

Revisiting internal communications strategies – COVID-19 forced widespread work-from-home arrangements. However, does that mean communications professionals should invariably adopt remote- or flexible-first strategies? Regularly revisiting communications strategies during times of uncertainty is important to ensure workforces remain engaged.

From strategy to implementation – Below are a handful of areas for those in communications to consider as they reflect on their strategies:

• Technology - The role of technology is central to a remote or flexible working arrangement. Remote working technology is necessary to keep a workforce adaptable to sudden changes.

• Training - As internal communications strategies evolve, so too must training and development programmes, to ensure communications remain effective. For example, feedback lines are critical for identifying learning and development opportunities – around the usage of tools or remote communications etiquette.

• Performance reviews - Another important issue for communications professionals to think through in the current context is performance reviews and feedback. Because these are personal and potentially sensitive areas, they may be better communicated in person.

• Project management - Poor communication is and has always been one of the leading causes of project failure. By establishing norms regarding daily check-ins, progress updates, reporting lines and the structure and management of virtual meetings, communicators can help to maintain meaningful interaction among remote teams and increase the likelihood of success.

On how internal communications can use data analytics

Identify target audience and channels - The first step is Communications 101: having a close understanding of your audience and their preferred channels. For example, if you are targeting your employees, then data on their demographics and the most preferred channels of communications at work will provide useful insights on how to improve the effectiveness of campaigns.

Measuring the current effectiveness - Once the audience is identified, data can also be used to measure the effectiveness of current internal communications channels. For example, if the data shows that an internal newsletter is being opened by only 10% of recipients, then there is an opportunity to investigate the cause. More subjective sources of data can also be used, such as an internal survey or a workplace temperature check.

Plan for the future - Finally, data analytics can help with planning future internal communications initiatives through the identification of trends. If a company is seeing a gradual shift towards younger and more tech savvy employees, this might suggest that it’s time to appeal to those demographics by implementing more visual and interactive methods of communications like infographics or videos.

In summary

Internal communications plays a critical role in how a company operates and succeeds across wide range of important areas. Whether it is developing internal talent, nurturing new thought leaders, protecting against leaks, navigating the new remote working conditions or leveraging data, having in place a thoughtful internal communications strategy can result in important competitive advantages. After all, there is nothing quite like saying the right thing at the right time in the right way.