Let's Talk It Out – The Role of Good Internal Communication.

Trust is the foundation of any strong relationship, and the workplace is no different. At CTL, I’ve seen firsthand how our leadership has built trust through openness and honesty, and as a fully virtual agency, this is no mean feat! In the five years I’ve worked here, we’ve grown from 15 employees to nearly 100. Through transparent and consistent communication, we’ve managed to maintain a culture where the team feels secure and supported as we’ve grown. Keeping everyone informed about company goals, challenges, and successes in a way that is right for them has made the team feel valued and respected, gaining and maintaining their trust.

When I started out as a professional communications executive, I thought ‘good communication’ was just something that came naturally.  However, the more I’ve learned and the more experience I’ve gained, I’ve realised increasingly how our communication skills need to continually evolve. We need to stay abreast of how our audiences are consuming content in an ever-changing media-rich world and design cut-through communications that drive behaviour change.

When a new transformation, restructure, business initiative or strategy is being introduced, it is typically met with a variety of reactions, from good, to bad, to ugly. Why is this, and how can we address the challenges?

At our core, we still possess the instincts of our ancestors, who were cautious of strangers and potential threats. So it stands to reason that as soon as something doesn’t make sense, we resist. Fight or flight syndrome kicks in. With organisations increasingly using communications as a business-critical strategic function, we must prevent the risk of the change being seen as a threat, and people disengaging. 

The value of genuine connectivity

Genuine, accurate and honest communications build communities ready to embrace change. When employees are informed and motivated, the whole company is united with a sense of collective purpose, woven together by collaboration and unity. Regular updates, clear messaging, and opportunities for feedback keep employees engaged. They understand their roles, see how their work contributes to the bigger picture, and feel a sense of belonging.

Firsthand at CTL, we take time communicating the bigger picture, committed to building trust, and I don’t just mean through fun away days or nights in the pub. Our success has been from genuine engagement, treating employees as real people who have feelings, making us feel connected, part of the journey and equipped with the skills to make and embed changes that come along. This in turn has led to a more productive and innovative workplace, because when employees are truly valued, the whole organization benefits.

Communication fundamentals for successful outcomes

Over the years I’ve realised that effective communication isn’t just a natural instinct. It’s a skill that needs to be learnt. A skill that must be finely honed and shaped through years of experience. It has many layers, requires time and commitment from key stakeholders and involves a strategic plan to do it well. Here are my topline five fundamentals to consider when making your plan:

1. Personalising Your Messages: Take time to understand who you are talking to and deliver the key information they want and need to hear. One size does not fit all.

2. Transparency: Be open and honest in your communication. The more you can do this, the more respect you gain. Share both the good and, judiciously, the bad news and explain the rationale behind decisions.

3. Consistency: Provide regular updates help to reinforce key messages and keep everyone on the same page.

4. Two-Way Communication: Encourage feedback and active participation from employees. Create opportunities for dialogue and listen to their opinions.

5. Accessibility: Make sure that information is easily accessible to everyone in the organisation by providing a multi-channel approach.

Introducing Campaign Think™

At CTL, we’ve introduced a framework to guide how we craft our internal communication strategies: our Campaign Think™ model. Based on behavioural change techniques and proven methodology, our solution partners strategy with activations, prioritising practice over theory and giving you the maximum output for your investment. Campaign Think™ provides a framework for addressing your challenges, a strategic approach for multichannel content activations that build trust and deliver results. It’s certainly not rigid as every project is different, but it guides our thinking to help our clients craft the right strategy for them. One that talks to their audience the right way at the right time to ensure that trust is built, and change is built to last. Our approach leads to effective internal communication that creates higher productivity, a stronger company culture, and better employee retention.

So, let's talk it out and keep the conversation going. We are passionate about working with our clients to build thriving, engaged organisations, where employer and employee are in sync and where employee relations are built on trust.

If you want to know more about Campaign Think™ or would like to talk through an internal communications challenge you are facing, contact us today at [email protected].  We’d love to connect!