If you haven’t been following the latest fad – mewing – it’s a form of oral posture training aimed at altering jaw and facial structure (though there is no scientific evidence that it works). This trend has been catching on online among youngsters to such an extent that the American Association of Orthodontists issued a warning about its unintended consequences.
So, what’s this got to do with internal communication? Watch this Shorts to get a gist.
If you’ve worked closely with stakeholders long enough, you often hear impractical and unscientific recommendations on what they believe will help achieve communication goals. Attempting to alter the way employees think or act without research and rigor can result in the function, channel, or intervention being less valued or, worse, ignored.
Among the recommendations I’ve heard are:
- “Let’s send all mailers from the leader’s mailbox for maximum visibility.”
- “What if we place posters in the washroom for greater reach?”
- “Let’s post the news on the intranet – everyone will read it.”
- “Let managers share bad news – they are the closest to the teams, and their teams trust them.”
- “Let’s get all leaders to an offsite to align goals, build pride, and camaraderie.”
Now, we all know that such interventions (quite like mewing) won’t alter the organization’s ‘jawline’ let alone its overall health.
Only by appreciating how the organization works, understanding what employees want, identifying who is most trusted and who matters most, discerning what motivates people, and comprehending how change works, can tangible improvements happen.
InternalCommunication #WorkplaceTips #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #Mewing #Fad
