Internal Communications
Whatever you call it – it’ll keep your staff informed and engaged.
Little did I know that what I’ve been doing for the last 20+ years was internal communications in one form or fashion. It all started with a memo that was written by a very educated person high up in the ranks. Very lengthy and full of big words, it was to be sent to staff in our 500 stores, where English was often a second language. I read and re-read it. English is my first language, I’m educated, and I still didn’t get it. Frustrated, I did some digging and rewrote the memo in plain language. I can’t remember if my memo was the one that was sent to the stores or not, but shortly after my role morphed and writing memo’s for my department as well as the national newsletter became my responsibility.
Since then I’ve developed and written many more newsletters, guidebooks, and numerous other forms of communications. And events! So many that I’ve lost track of how many I’ve put on. Since 2008 I’ve been overseeing and producing internal communications for staff in my organization, as well as work with management and staff developing programs and helping them develop their communication skills. I never had any formal training, I just learned as I went. That is, until 2011, when I obtained my Masters of Communications degree from Royal Roads University. It’s always nice to have that piece of paper in your grubby little hands to make you legit.
What I do is known by a few names – internal, employee, or corporate communications. What I don’t do is “spin” material. Communications is a two-way street, otherwise it’s simply information. What I have found is that there isn’t a lot of one-stop shop resources for those who are keeping their employees informed and engaged. So my newest project is to curate information that internal communicators in every organization need to know: tools, resources, how-to’s, issues, strategies, and plans. Stay tuned to discover the inside scoop on keeping your staff informed.
