Effective Internal Communication

Sayso’s Top Five Tips for Effective Internal Communication

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place".

You don’t have to be a literary genius like George Bernard Shaw to recognise that effective communication is not just about what is being said. In every type of relationship – both personal and professional – the why, how, when and where will also affect how successfully your messages are conveyed and received.

Whether your people work in a traditional office space or from home (like the Sayso team), a well-crafted internal comms plan is the foundation for an effective communication loop in which everyone aboard your waka is paddling towards a common destination.

The Sayso team regularly works with clients to design internal communications plans that are impactful and simple to execute. There are our top five tips to help get you started with yours:

1.       Focus on outcomes, not output.

Consider what you want to achieve. Whether you’re upgrading your intranet or planning a town hall meeting, your success will be driven by your ability to deliver the right outcomes. When you switch your focus from style to substance, you’re be much more likely to achieve your goal.

2.       Become a bridge builder.

In many cases, internal comms serves as a bridge between those making the big decisions and those who will execute them. If you want your internal comms to be useful, clear and relevant to the concerns and priorities of your people, you need to have a clear understanding of what makes your people tick. We’re not suggesting that you have the team over for family dinner every Sunday – just that you create regular opportunities to get to know and understand their key issues and aspirations.

3.       Integrity and authenticity is everything.

We live in a world where even seemingly obvious truths are closely examined, and where most people’s bullsh*t radars run on constant high alert – especially when an organisation’s messaging is perceived as insincere, misleading, or inconsistent with its actions. That’s why every communication must come from a place of integrity and authenticity. Honesty and transparency go a long way towards building loyalty and trust, even when your news is negative.

4.       Select your tools with care

Your internal comms toolbox should be stocked with a variety of tools that can be wielded based on the job at hand. Choosing the right channel to deliver your message will impact how it is received, understood and accepted by its target audience – you wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Good timing is also important – email bombing your team with endless snippets of news and information is likely to be less effective than a weekly update containing key points. If it’s well crafted, your people will look forward to its arrival in their inbox, knowing that it contains exciting news about what’s happening across the business and important information they need to be across.

5.       Change is a process, not an event

Change is the only constant, but your people are likely to more accepting of change if they feel that their buy-in is valued. In times of uncertainty, your team members want to feel that they are being involved in, and informed about, any decisions that relate to the organisation and their position within it. By creating a sense of engagement in the business and its goals, they’re more likely to stick around for the long term. Even if the forecast isn’t great, knowing what lies ahead is infinitely preferable to sailing blind.

If you need help from the Sayso team with planning and executing an effective internal communications plan for your organisation, we’d love to hear from you.