Introduction to internal communication:
Written by, Ahmad Odeh: TURJUMAN'sFounder and CEO.
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How many organizations
are under-performing because of misunderstandings and poor communication with employees?
How many crises could have been prevented with better information management? How
many organizations give as much attention to internal audiences as to their external
audiences?
Communication scholars now argue that if an organization has enough budget, a perfect
plan and a qualified team for external communication, it can all be lost if internal
communication with its employees is not also managed in the same way.This is enhanced
by a Crises Management Academy study in America that showed that many of the crises
that happen to organizations are due to weaknesses in internal communication.
Leading firms across the world now understand the importance of "Employee Communication
Rights". In Europe, there is a directive about internal communication that organizations
have to follow by law. The directivegives employees the right to be informed about
the business's economic situation, informed and consulted about employment prospects,
and informed and consulted about decisions likely to lead to substantial changes
in work organization or contractual relations, including redundancies and transfers.
Although not every organization has a whole department for internal communication,
there are still some organizations that do not careabout internal communication.
Internal communication includes planning for all the communication efforts inside
the organization for a better understanding of its culture, values and beliefs and
to support employee engagement. In large organizations, the need for planned internal
communication increases,especially in organizations with multiple cultures.
Internal communication is about uniting the beliefs and values that determine the
culture for individuals in the organization. The aim of communicating those beliefs
and values through different channels is to make the organization’s overall identity
clear and understandable. Internal communication helps employees to make sense of
what is happening and to align their work with the organisational strategy and goals.
We know for sure that there is strong relationship between internal communication
and the way that employees behave. Good internal communication results in a more
positive attitude and this can be linked to better performance and higher levels
of customer satisfaction. And thus there will be a more negative attitude whenever
internal communication is poor. In a way or another, many problems in any organization
are due to weaknesses in communication with employees.
- How can we establish an internal communication department?
- How can we plan and manage this department?
- What are the most effective internal communication channels that suit your organization
environment?
- How can our internal communication be more effective?
- Who should be in charge of internal communication? HR or PR?