Top tips for effective
internal communications
3 January 2012
Effective communication is one of the most powerful tools available to an organisation, but often one of the most difficult to get right.
If an organisation’s communication is not engaging and involving, employees are likely to feel less valued and be unsure about where they fit within the wider organisation. This guide has been developed based on the extensive experience and expertise of ORC International’s Employee Research team, to help organisations focus and refine their communications strategies.1 Break down the hierarchy
Leadership and senior management buy-in are prerequisites for successful communications. Without support and involvement from the top, communications will not have the desired effect or be acted on, and their importance will ultimately diminish. Trust is also vital when communicating during times of change.
2 Invest in managers
Middle management plays a key role in the success of a large organisation, and a critical role in engaging the large number of employees below them. Investment is often focused on senior management level, so the managers who actually deal with the people are often ill-equipped to communicate effectively.
3 Share ideas together
Cross divisional communications, and in particular cross departmental meetings, are seen as fundamental enablers for sharing knowledge, collaborating and working together to achieve a common goal. Silo working is a frequent challenge in large organisations and inhibits an organisation’s ability to effectively communicate laterally.
4 Respond to hearsay
Large organisations focus heavily on managing informal networks and regulating the negative effects of rumour. Strong leadership, local sponsorship and trust are valuable mediators for supporting positive communications that occur through informal networks.
5 Keep things relevant
Information provided to staff should be meaningful and communicated at appropriate times. Messages that are delivered too late or early, and without enough context, can have an adverse impact on staff. Balancing the communication frequency and using simple and clear language dictates whether messages will have the desired impact.
