Communication That Works
A Blog about Internal Communication for Leaders and Communicators
What if Everyone Already Knows?
30 years ago, this year, I started out in a Fortune 500 organization as a National Sales Training Developer. Was I a training developer before? No. I was a writer. Well, to be specific, I was on an academic track studying English literature and taught writing. As I was writing my thesis (on Anthony Trollope and the use of stagecraft in his novels; I know, contain your excitement) I was working in a retail chain and was offered an opportunity. As the interviewer said to me, “You’re kind of a teacher, right?” I was “actually” a teacher, but I took her meaning, as I entered the business world based on a set of skills they didn’t actually need, but could repurpose to the goal of communicating and training a national sales force.
As I worked the world of employee communication over 30 years, what became clear was that everyone has an opinion on what it is, and how to do it, but there is a strange paradox that exists: People, often very accomplished communicators, are incredibly confident they know what it is, while at the same time, they don’t always agree with the other, equally confident accomplished communicators.
The truth is, most of the “best practices” promoted aren’t objectively better so much as they’re common practices and are rewarded by people who are using their own desires or experience as the barometer for success, rather than what the business or situation requires.
The broad variety of expectations, lack of universality of skillsets or training, and, frankly, the ego-driven dedication of many to protect themselves from scrutiny, has created a kaleidoscope of understanding that isn’t acknowledged.
Recently, I was talking to a communicator who had never done employee communications before, but was taking over for an executive navigating a change and building a culture for a newly merged global manufacturing organization. She was confident in her ability to do this because she had spent years supporting candidates running for public office in the American South. As she moved forward, her approach was rooted in a building a heroic personality” that had worked in a prior life.
Another colleague took a (newly created) role of strategic employee communications in a prosperous healthcare company. He created a strategy and workflow that ensured steady communications from leadership among other accomplishments, but he faced scrutiny when a leader became invested in making sure a Disney pop star spoke at their annual meeting and made that her job. The role was eliminated, because what they really wanted was someone to provide content on the intranet.
Internal Communications That Work
A phrase I started using with my business is “(Internal) Communications That Work” because so much of the discussion, deliverables and advice people give are rooted in communications that don’t work. It’s just activity, or based on executive ego stroking, or it doesn’t hold itself accountable for results.
While people like to equate it with other communications disciplines, the great thing about internal communications is that it isn’t PR or advertising or entertainment or any of the other disciplines who use similar tools. Internal communications has the ability to direct and dictate outcomes with an audience that actually needs it.
So, unlike some other communication disciplines, measurement of impact is not only possible, it can be pretty clear and should be expected as with any business function.
Who Is This Blog For?
In many ways, it’s for me, 30 years ago. The world has changed a bit, mostly technologically, but I wish I had known some of this then. I want to share some lessons learned that might help a new communicator who was assigned employee communications because they write well and, “how hard could it be.” I want to help the leaders, like those I talk to every day, who are frustrated by the lack of clarity about what they should do and why what they’re doing isn’t working. I definitely want to challenge the dogma about “common” practices, and ask if they’re working. If they aren’t, why are you still doing it?
When I started teaching writing in the 90’s, the thing I found myself repeating (and it’s not remotely an original thought) is that writing is a discovery process. While I have strong opinions built over time, I also know that opinions, like records, were made to be broken with new information. I would love to make a key component of this blog a conversation.
ICTW Principle #3: Great internal communications should start conversations and activity more often than it ends them.
Over time, I’ve been building a list of principles that govern Internal Communications That Work, like the one above. Next time, I’ll talk about #1: Telepathy is NOT a Thing.
Thanks for joining.
David