Internal Communication matters to every organisation. While some may describe it philosophically as the voice of the organisation, many other pundits say, that it plays one key role – boosting productivity. In an excellent blogpost by Andreas Kyprianou from Preply the author believes that not only does it help boost productivity, but it also helps foster engagement and promotes collaboration. Here are some of the key points to consider:
Employee Engagement
Employees who are better informed automatically feel more connected to an organisation. The more connected they feel the more committed they feel. So, the flow of information has a key role to play here. Colleagues feel that they know what’s going on and have a part to play in it. Becky Simon in an excellent post for Smartsheet says, “Encouraging two-way communication motivates employees to share opinions, concerns, accomplishments, and general ideas with their coworkers, managers, and other members of the organisation.”
Increases productivity
There is a clear link between internal communication done right and a productive workforce. According to a study by McKinsey, organisations that keep employees connected also see a rise in productivity. This is true both for during the pandemic and after it.
Promotes Collaboration
Internal communication fosters a culture of collaboration – by demonstrating how colleagues can work together to achieve common goals, you can mirror the realities back into the organisation. In an article in Forbes Magazine about setting the right tone for intenral comms, the article states, “Creating a culture of collaboration and positive relationships among different departments can significantly influence collaboration.”
Company goals
Repeating stories and messages through the internal communications plan about company goals helps employees understand them better. Here’s where Internal Communications can play a critical role in delivering the messages and making is clear to employees what the company is aiming to achieve in that quarter or the year. Some good advice from this author at SnapComms, “Consult your organisation’s business plan for detail on KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and core projects at both company and departmental level.
Improves employee satisfaction: Acknowledgement can work wonders. It helps make employees feel a sense of pride where they work. The content could be a praise post, it could be a story about how a customer was helped or simply a note on Viva Engage from a senior leader. In this post by Vivian Zhou writing for Happeo, she writes, “Recognition among colleagues can have a long-term impact on employee engagement and job satisfaction. Leaders of engaged teams go out of their way to notice and acknowledge when an employee makes a positive contribution.”
In conclusion, internal communication is much more than the organisation’s inner voice and it isn’t just about giving out information. It helps create trust, foster dialogue, build partnerships and a sense of community within a team.