We were asked by a client to speak at an internal communication workshop for 21 communications managers held in Hong Kong last week. With an eye on our carbon footprint – and our client’s 2 eyes on budget – we had the pleasure of presenting to the group via a fantastic video conferencing suite. Our enjoyment of the technology and attention to detail of the facility were marred only slightly by our attendance at 5.30am…
Our topic ‘New frontiers in internal communication’ was an interesting one… We looked at lots of internal communications tools that were growing in usefulness and prominence (the role of web 2.0 internally, wikis, podcasts, every picture telling a story, feedback, feedback and more feedback) and also talked about the key drivers in employee engagement. Take a look at the presentation which is packed full of budget-proof statistics that prove internal communication matters. And what large conclusions global surveys of communication professionals drew.
What were our conclusions?
Leadership communication is the number 1 in internal engagement. Formal media are weak in impact compared to the words and actions – informal and formal – of the people at the top. Our leaders are judged on how they communicate, their reputation is vital and face to face is where they really make the most impact…
The future for internal communications is an interesting one – we’ll be ‘holding the space’ for the communication tools that allow unfettered interactivity. And we’ll be the personal brand managers of the leaders that count.
Are there really ‘new frontiers’? Probably not. The tools are different and we have more choice in what we use and how we use it. However, the business imperative and proving the business benefit are still – and always will be – the keys. There is nothing new there.
2 Comments
There is no magic skill.
Thanks for your comment. Absolutely right in our experience..but having some proven skills does help matters…