This article was originally published at Enplug.com
Open the lines of communication
Communication can’t always follow the top-down model. With the fluidity of information in business today, leaders need to be masterful listeners; they need to be able to receive as well as send.
Joseph Badaracco, Professor of Business Ethics, Harvard Business School
Don’t limit your “open door policy” to your physical office space. Your internal communications system should make it easy for any employee to contact another in the company, including upper management. When you open the lines of communication this way, team members will feel welcome to talk with each other rather than intimidated. Whether you’re a large corporation or a startup, this internal communications practice bridges gaps and helps build receptive, honest relationships between employees.
Related article: How Video Conferencing Can Take Your Business to the Next Level
Maintain transparency
“Transparency starts as a mindset change.”
– Kevan Lee, Content Crafter, Buffer
Like Kevan Lee at Buffer states above, transparency is more than just a policy, it’s a mindset. Transparency is crucial to your internal communications because it breeds trust, accountability, and open dialogue. If your team feels as though they’re being left in the dark on certain matters, they may be afraid to ask questions and share their thoughts on those matters. Not all information can be made available to everyone, of course, but maintaining at least some transparency can have tremendous effects on the harmony and rapport within your company.
Related article: The Importance of Excellence in a Telecommunications Provider
Encourage company-related use of social media
Not using social media in the workplace, in fact, is starting to make about as much sense as not using the phone or email.
Ryan Holmes, Founder and CEO, Hootsuite
We know what you may be thinking: “Social media has no place in the workplace.” However, what if we told you it should actually be encouraged in some ways? Have your team share photos of themselves working and having fun in the office on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., and tag the official company page. Not only is it great for employee engagement and morale, but also for company exposure and putting a face on who you are and what you do.
Related article: The Importance of Excellence in a Telecommunications Provider
Share industry news, trends, and insights
If you don’t give people information, they’ll make up something to fill the void.
Carla O’Dell, CEO, American Productivity and Quality Center
Your team is not just part of a company, they’re part of an industry. All team members should stay updated on the latest industry scoop, from your CEO to your web designer. Encourage them to share news, market trends, opinion pieces and other industry-related blurbs with one another. Similar to #6, you want your team to feel as though they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves and that they’re agents of change, which are powerful motivators.
Use internal communications to recognize and praise success
The slightest amount of praise can go a long way, especially in an age when employees want to feel valued and appreciated. A 2012 survey by the American Psychological Association found that employees who feel valued report “higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and motivation,” so it’s definitely something worth investing in. It can be as simple as announcing individual or departmental successes through your chat software, internal newsletter or other channels. This best practice is beneficial not just for employee morale but also for your company’s productivity and growth.
Create a customer-centric team with personas
The best way to help team members focus on customers? Bring customers to life.
Alison Davis, CEO & Founder, Davis & Company
Alison suggests using internal communications best practices to align your employees with customers. Create “profiles of typical customers, complete with photos, demographics, likes, and dislikes—including what TV shows they watch (Walking Dead or Downton Abbey?) and snacks they prefer (edamame or beef jerky?). That way, customers become vivid, tangible and top of mind.” Share these personas frequently with your team – in conversations, newsletters, or even using digital signage in your offices.
Promote employee resources and training
Employees want to know their company is as invested in their personal and professional development as they are. Communicate which resources your company provides so employees don’t miss out on fantastic opportunities.
Belén Alemán, Learning & Development Program Manager, Meltwater San Francisco
Your internal communications should consistently relay which benefits and resources are available to employees. This could involve everything from basic health insurance and 401K plans to company-sponsored seminars, off-site training opportunities, and career-building workshops. Use a combination of email, chat, digital signage, internal blogs, or in-person team meetings to get the word out. By encouraging employees to invest in their own personal and professional development through your company, everyone benefits in the long run.
Think like a Marketer
“It’s time for employee communicators to start thinking like marketers, delivering the right information to the right employee at the right time through the right channel.”
— Shel Holtz, internal communications director and advocate
Sometimes employee communication feels like an afterthought — getting the budget crumbs left behind by advertising, marketing, and PR. One of the most glaring examples is the lack of sophisticated tools for internal comms. Our colleagues in marketing are able to target messages and information to individuals based on a variety of criteria, yet most of what goes out to employees is one-size-fits-all.
As Dan Woods, the CEO of Evolved Media says, “Spotify knows what we listen to. Netflix can predict what we’ll watch. Uber knows exactly when and where to pick us up. All these tools make our non-work lives easier. So why are we still relying on antiquated methods to communicate with employees?”
We have to use data to know what employees need and when they need it. At least a decade ago, IBM’s intranet home page featured information about what the individual employee was doing that day and linking to resources to help the employee get it done. Today, this kind of communication should be drop-dead easy across many channels – with the data that allows us to target relevant content to the right employees.
Additional reading: WHICH SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SKILLS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO AGING?
