I had the opportunity to have a chat with Doug Downs who runs a successful podcast called Strategies & Stories. Doug is based in Canada and we spoke on various aspects of internal communications – from the current challenges to the state of measurement; from the need to reframe how internal communications is managed to my latest book – Inclusive Internal Communications which I published earlier this month.
Listen to the complete interview here:
https://pod.link/1512806323/episode/a211dc2312786a1f812d7fce8aa9f4d9
For the complete transcript, you can read below:
Q1 Aniisu let’s start up at the top then dig down. Internal Communications – for decades now it’s been stressed how important this is for organizational success, but more and more studies have shown in the last couple years internal engagement is declining. What’s your view on what’s happening from the 10,000 foot level. There are fundamentally a few shifts that have taken place in the world of work, workplaces and workforces.
- There is a deep rift between employers and employees – further exacerbated by trust issues within firms. Staff have realized that they can’t trust organizations and leaders – who say one thing during the pandemic and go back on their words right after the crisis is over. Staff can’t rely on them – stability in jobs is uncertain and they need to fend for themselves.
- Leaders and managers continue to be misaligned about what staff truly want and appreciate. Leaders believe staff want better pay, benefits and a focus on well-being while staff are looking for respect and recognition from managers, to belong and to have a clearer purpose. This mismatch results in friction and resentment
- Staff care about issues beyond work and want to see that reflected in organizations they work for. Also, they want to be activists of change and they are already doing a lot to make a difference. However, organizations aren’t playing along.
- Personal fulfilment, learning and growth are valuable for staff but organizations are investing in better benefits and infrastructure, which aren’t helping. Staff are looking at personalized experiences which can be hard to give unless organizations dig deeper and appreciate the individual from the context of personal, professional and the community angles.
All this creates an environment where staff look elsewhere or want to reclaim their lives, which we have seen result in the Great Resignation among others.
Q2 I know you believe strongly in measurement as well as identifying specific audiences
Yes, I do. As internal communicators, we can make and break our credibility and reputation with measurement. The more we are focused on demonstrating value through metrics, the stronger we can get in terms of our assertiveness when it comes to talking about better resources and opportunities for the function. The way we look at audience segmentation has also changed because in a world where staff prefer personalized communication, we are still in the catch-all communications mode. Understanding choices, preferences and attitudes towards communications can help internal communicators revisit their approaches.
Q3 Now let’s dig down a bit. In your newest book, you outline the Internal Communications Framework 2.0. What is that?
The Internal Communication Framework 2.0 builds upon its predecessor, Internal Communication Framework 1.0, which was articulated in my book – Internal Communications – Insights, Practices and Models in 2012. The earlier framework focused on aligning internal communication with the business, making assumptions about the practice, and remaining flexible with resources and opportunities. However, the evolving landscape of internal communications, particularly influenced by the pandemic and remote working scenarios, has necessitated a shift in the approach.
The Internal Communication Framework 2.0 goes beyond being solely aligned with the business and assumes a more proactive role as a catalyst for change within the organization. It recognizes that internal communication should now define the organization’s communication climate from the inside-out, rather than being limited to a functional role.
To effectively utilize internal communications and achieve the desired outcomes, the framework emphasizes the importance of cultivating a strong communication culture within the organization. This entails aligning with strategic priorities and employing a systematic approach to progress the corporate narrative.
The framework is structured into multiple segments: an appreciative approach, an evaluation approach, an implementation approach, and an assessment approach.
The appreciative approach involves assessing the current state of internal communications by understanding the team and organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Insights can be derived from existing studies, focus groups, or research reports to gain a comprehensive understanding of the communication landscape.
The evaluation approach focuses on measuring employee satisfaction with internal communications and their level of engagement with the messages. This assessment helps identify the areas that require interventions and guides decision-making regarding resource allocation and training to effectively manage budgets and expectations.
The implementation approach stresses the importance of principles for effective internal communication, including consistency, authenticity, timeliness, clarity, and simplicity. It introduces the 7Ps of internal communications, which encompass having a Plan, considering the People (audiences), knowing the Process (communication methods), appreciating the Practice (context and culture), deciding the Platform (communication mediums), focusing on Placement (message delivery), and formulating an appropriate Pitch (audience-specific narrative).
Lastly, the assessment approach analyzes the impact of internal communications on employee perception and engagement with the organization. When employees are satisfied with the communication they receive, they develop a positive internal image of the organization. This, in turn, leads to increased identification, ambassadorship, and advocacy for the brand. Engaged employees demonstrate extra-social and contextual performance, going beyond their role to benefit the organization. As a result, the organization’s reputation and trust improve, generating positive sentiments within the networks where these employees promote the brand.
In summary, the Internal Communication Framework 2.0 builds upon the earlier 1.0 version, recognizing the need for internal communications to go beyond alignment with the business and become a catalyst for change. It emphasizes the importance of a strong communication culture, aligning with strategic priorities, and employing a systematic approach to engage employees and achieve the organization’s goals. The framework is divided into multiple segments, including an appreciative approach, an evaluation approach, an implementation approach, and an assessment approach, each contributing to the overall effectiveness of internal communications.
Q4 Two key pieces from that I want to pull out:
1. How do people prefer to be engaged? That’s always been a thing. How
do you see that changing?
2. What is the narrative? This is such an important aspect of my own planning and I think lots of comms pros get lost in the messages and forget the narrative, how do you see it?
To your first questionon how people prefer to be engaged, I have a different take altogether. It isn’t the organization’s responsibility or even the manager’s role to engage staff. Staff join organizations coming in with the zeal and passion – so they are expected to be engaged. The role of the organization and manager is to ensure that the barriers and bottlenecks that prevent staff from bringing their full selves to work are removed and they get all the support they need to be delivered high performance. So if organizations are still expecting to engage staff, they are doing it wrong.
On the narrative, it is consistent and authentic pitch that you want your audience to take-away and go and take action on. It isn’t a flurry set of messages that leaders share to make staff happy. To get to the most appropriate narrative will mean investing time in learning about the audience, the context, the need, the big picture and the implications of changes taking place. Internal communicators need to be able to let go at times and try and control everything they think everyone will want to hear. Staff are smart enough to get the information they think is right from sources they believe is authentic and that isn’t usually the corporate channels. So, it helps to realize that inviting staff and involving them in the process of creating communications helps immensely. That way, you are doing it right from the start. And you don’t have to fake it.
Q5 I almost can’t do an episode these days without asking how Generative AI (you know that Chat GPT thing) is going to play a role. How do you see Generative AI coming into play for Internal Comms?
I did recently write on ChatGPT and if it was a bane or a boon for internal communications. I believe it is a blessing and a huge productivity saver if used well and right. ChatGPT or generative AI isn’t a crutch you use when you feel lazy. It is meant to be partnered with to create something better and smarter than what could have possibly done independently. I see the potential of it in analysing trends, teasing our insights, providing ideas and building on existing perspectives. It is as good as the prompts you feed in and also you have the responsibility to check what it spews out – often, there are issues with reliability of sources and content. So, always helpful to crosscheck the output before using.
Here are Internal Communications resources you can use:
· Learn: Internal Communications Fundamentals Course on Thinkific
· Read my latest book: Inclusive Internal Communications (2023)
· Internal Communications Series: https://forms.gle/KcqmPzLwq7NQi5Km6
· Chat with Aniisu – Internal Communications: https://www.instamojo.com/intraskope/connect-with-aniisu-60-minute-personalized-d/?ref=store
· Internal Communications workshops: https://bit.ly/2zdBRl1
You can also visit my website www.intraskope.com and You Tube channel to know more about my work.
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