Presenting the 35th edition of Intraskope’s Spotlight on Internal Communication Series featuring Elizabeth Chen. Watch the complete video interview on You Tube or read the transcript below. Elizabeth manages internal communications for a worldwide leader in information technology and networking and has over 13 years of experience with branding and external communications as well. Her background with PR agencies that managed brands in India, UK, Americas, and Dubai and her strong program management and measurement mindset allows her to uniquely shape the internal communications agenda at her current employer. Learn more in this interview.
Interview
- What does internal communication mean to you?
Internal communications is all about amplifying the organization’s image and being a bridge between internal constituents and the employer.
2. How is it practiced in your organization?
The internal communicator is a business partner to an executive and the leadership team. From being involved in the leadership and strategic communications to driving change management and enhancing the employee experience; there are many aspects where the internal communicator plays a crucial role.
3. What is the biggest challenge you face while going about managing internal communication?
It is stereotyping the role of internal communications to newsletter creation, writing ‘feel-good’ emails, or copy editing and treating the domain like the poor cousin of external communications!
4. What, according to you, is the most significant opportunity that internal communicators have?
The challenges I see are also an opportunity for passionate internal communicators as they highlight the need for strengthening this domain. The engagement landscape has evolved over time and the advancement of digital transformation is today an opportunity. By embracing these changes and adopting an integrated approach towards communication – been adept in branding, strategic thinking, business analysis, marketing and content creation, internal communicators can change the stereotype!
5. How can internal communicators add more value to the business?
Internal communicators can add immense value by understanding the business, decoding inter-functional collaboration nuances, challenging leaders and teams to approach their roles differently, and advising on solutions to complex problems that can be addressed through effective communications.
6. What skills must they have or develop?
I believe the following are much needed skills: a Solution and Growth Mindset, having the ability to nudge, negotiation abilities, change and project management, and design thinking.
7. What is your advice for people who are keen to join internal communication and make a career?
The role of an internal communicator is evolving at an accelerated rate It is no more about sticking to one’s job description but being a trusted partner and advisor to leaders, executives, and the people. Strengthen the knowledge about your organization’s business to be able to make the right interventions and elevator pitches on behalf of the teams.
8. With COVID-19 and other crises, how must internal communications engage? What has changed or will change? Examples of how your organization has helped reassure employees and navigate the crisis as it unfolds.
Internal communications, in unprecedented times, need to be proactive, relevant, real-time, and human. In my current organization, the executives and leaders ensure open and transparent engagement with the teams with increased frequency and channels of communication. They remind the teams that their wellbeing will always be a leadership priority and always having the pulse on employee sentiments.
9.
If there is one aspect of internal communications you would like to change, what would that be?
Internal Communications is vital to every organization. I want to accelerate the changing perception among people on internal communications and move it to being known as trusted advisors.
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Keen to contribute and participate in the ongoing series on Intraskope where we put the spotlight on thought leadership, great ideas, and practical solutions? Look up the previous stories from organizations featured on the Intraskope’s Spotlight on Internal Communication Series here – Times Group, Samsung, Falabella, Brillio, UAE Exchange, Apeland, M.H. Alshaya Co, Proctor & Gamble, Infosys, SOBHA Ltd., ICICI Securities, First Advantage, CK Birla Group, TVS Motors, GE, Suzlon, Tata Sons, Percept, Knight Frank, TCS Europe, Vedanta, Oxfam, Danske Bank, Diageo, Pandora, Symantec, ISS Global Services, Telia, Thomson Reuters, IBM, General Motors, Intelligence India Software Solutions and Philips.
Intraskope (www.aniisu.com) is the first blog on internal communications in India and among the earliest around the globe. Begun in 2006, the blog has over 1000 posts on topics such as employee engagement, leadership communication and employee branding and receives thousands of visits from across the world. The blog, receives over 1,50,000 visits every month from over 50 countries globally, offers learning resources for practitioners, academicians, and students including industry workshops, research reports, and checklists. Intraskope has been featured on leading global internal communication forums like Simply-Communicate, IC Kollectif and International Association of Business Communicators. It is hosted by Aniisu K Verghese, author of Internal Communications – Insights, Practices & Models (Sage, 2012).
If you are an internal communication leader working in a firm or a not-for-profit anywhere in the world and have an internal communication case study, campaign, research insight or a guest blog post to share please contact me on [email protected]
Here are Internal Communications resources you can use:
• 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.
