Forget the corridor talk: the 3 pillars of good internal communication.

These are a few questions that I ask the participants during my annual internal communication training at SBM.   They are not the first things that come to mind when we talk about internal communication. We rather think of intranet, WhatsApp groups, info sessions, ...

And yet, internal communication is usually at the bottom of satisfaction surveys.  We communicate too much, too little, too generic, too little tailored, too slowly, too top-down...   We do not communicate authentically, we say one thing, but do another. 

Everyone is convinced of the importance of good internal communication, but how can we improve?

Good internal communication starts with a good story. Make time to clearly articulate your mission and strategy, no slogans, but an authentic description of where you want to go with your company.

Then build on three pillars for internal communication: Inform, Connect and Engage:

1. INFORMis the first task of a good internal communication policy. 

Start with clear task information.  Many employees get lost in the tangle of rules, procedures, documents, manuals, ... provide clear and simple systems.

Employees like company information, such as the strategy, the results, interesting projects, successes, ... Make sure this information is relevant and interesting for your employees: your management team will have other interests than your sales team or your workers. Adjust the content accordingly.  But make sure that your communication is consistent, no matter who brings or receives the message: one team/one voice. 

Finally, offer social information that brings people into contact with each other: a good Who's Who, information on birthdays, births, marriages, deaths, information on new employees and leavers.

2. The second pillar of good internal communication is CONNECT: A good internal communication policy ensures that employees feel connected to the company and to each other. Possible actions include coaching managers to communicate well and promote connection, organising communication training, working on common values and Employer Branding. 

3. Finally, a good internal communication policy ensures that employees are ENGAGED or willing to go the extra mile. Celebrate successes, show appreciation, put employees in the limelight. Also: ask for feedback, involve employees in changes and show attention to their physical and mental well-being.