What do you do if your Internal Communications strategy is falling behind industry trends?

1 Assess Needs

To begin addressing a lagging internal communications strategy, start by assessing the needs of your organization and employees. This involves conducting surveys or focus groups to gather feedback on what's working and what's not. Pay close attention to what employees say about the current communication tools and channels. Are they user-friendly, accessible, and effective? Your goal is to pinpoint the gaps and areas for improvement so that your revised strategy can directly address these issues.

2 Stay Informed

Keeping abreast of the latest trends in internal communications is essential. This means regularly reading industry publications, attending webinars, and participating in professional networks. You'll gain insights into new technologies, platforms, and best practices. By staying informed, you can benchmark your current practices against what's considered state-of-the-art in the field, and identify specific areas where your strategy needs to evolve.

3 Embrace Tech

Technology plays a pivotal role in modern internal communications strategies. You should evaluate the latest digital tools that can enhance communication within your organization. Look for solutions that offer real-time communication, mobile access, and integration capabilities with other systems. The right technology can streamline processes, facilitate collaboration, and ultimately contribute to a more connected and informed workforce.

4 Engage Leaders

Effective internal communications require buy-in from leadership. Engage your organization's leaders by demonstrating the value of an updated communications strategy. Show them how it can lead to better employee engagement, productivity, and overall satisfaction. Leaders can champion the change and help drive adoption among employees, so their support is critical. Ensure they understand their role in modeling effective communication and providing transparent, timely information.

5 Train Teams

Implementing new tools and practices means ensuring everyone is on board and competent in using them. Provide comprehensive training for your employees to ease the transition. Focus on how the changes will benefit them in their daily work and encourage open dialogue about the process. Training should be ongoing, not just a one-off event, to help employees continuously adapt to new tools and methods as they evolve.

6 Monitor Progress

Finally, it's important to monitor the progress of your revamped internal communications strategy. Set clear metrics for success and regularly review them. This could include employee engagement scores, usage rates of new communication tools, or feedback from periodic surveys. Use these metrics to make data-driven decisions and continuously refine your strategy. Remember, internal communications is an ever-evolving field, and staying agile is key to keeping up with industry trends.