Rethinking Internal Communications

In today’s digital-first environment, the boundaries between external marketing and internal communications are increasingly becoming blurred. This shift necessitates a reevaluation and transformation of internal communication strategies to ensure they resonate as powerfully as external marketing efforts. This article draws on personal takeaways and insights from a keynote at ESPC in Vienna a few years back, coupled with evolving trends and technologies in workplace communication, to provide IT managers and business decision-makers with a comprehensive guide to modernizing internal communications.

The Cultural Shift in Internal Communications

The integration of new technologies within an organization’s communication strategy often faces resistance, primarily due to the misalignment with existing cultures and habits. As businesses navigate through the digital age, the challenge lies not just in adopting new tools but in transforming the internal communication culture to embrace these technologies effectively.

One pivotal conversation to highlight is the difficulties of introducing technologies that clash with the ingrained habits and culture of an organization. The key takeaway is the importance of strategizing, modernizing, and revolutionizing content narratives to align with today’s digital consumption patterns. This approach promises not just an information overhaul but a complete transformation of the internal communication landscape.

Bridging Internal and External Communication Strategies

The era of siloed strategies for internal and external communications is over. In the same vein as Seth Godin’s “Permission Marketing,” the modern workplace demands a seamless integration between the two, focusing on delivering anticipated, personal, and relevant messages. This strategy is not just about messaging alignment but about fostering a culture that encourages social collaboration, community building, and the leveraging of AI tools to refine content narratives.

Key Strategies for Modernization

1. Aligning Internal & External Strategies: The first step towards modernization is ensuring that internal content strategies mirror the dynamism of external marketing efforts. This alignment fosters a consistent brand voice and employee understanding, crucial for delivering coherent and powerful messages both inside and outside the organization.
2. Leveraging Community Insights with Viva Engage: Social collaboration platforms like Viva Engage offer powerful tools for building a more connected and engaged workforce. By encouraging dialogue and knowledge sharing, organizations can foster a community-centric approach to internal communications.
3. Mastering Content Distribution: Utilizing platforms like Teams, SharePoint, Engage, and Outlook in conjunction with Viva Amplify can revolutionize how content is distributed within an organization. This approach ensures that the right message reaches the right people at the right time, through the most effective channels.
4. Embracing Transformative AI Tools: The adoption of AI tools provides an opportunity to refine and redefine the content narrative, making communications more personalized and interactive. This hands-on introduction to AI in internal communications can significantly enhance engagement and collaboration.

Who Stands to Benefit?

1. Internal Communications Personnel who are striving to create a more impactful resonance within their organization.
2. Marketing Professionals aiming to seamlessly bridge the gap between external and internal content strategies.
3. People Managers looking to enhance team engagement and foster a collaborative work environment.

The Evolution of Email and the Rise of Collaboration Tools

Despite predictions of its demise, email continues to flourish, evolving into a vital data repository linked to other collaboration tools. This transformation has expanded its role from a broadcast mechanism to a platform for two-way collaboration. The integration of machine learning and AI into email systems highlights a broader trend towards more interactive and personalized internal communications.

A 2015 study by uSamp Research for CMSWire revealed a growing demand among employees for collaboration tools that mirror their personal communication habits. More than 44 percent of workers expressed a desire for broader adoption of such tools, indicating a shift towards more dynamic, two-way communication formats. In a more recent (2024) study published by Pumble.com, they found “that 86% of employees and executives cite the lack of effective collaboration and communication as the main causes of workplace failures. On the other hand, teams who communicate effectively may increase their productivity by as much as 25%.”

Permission to Communicate: Fostering a Collaborative Culture

Gaining permission to communicate within an organization is about more than just avoiding spam; it’s about fostering a culture that values and encourages collaboration. Organizations that recognize the benefits of enterprise collaboration see increased willingness among employees to participate in corporate dialogues, contributing to a more engaged and cohesive workforce.

Benefits of a more interactive communication strategy include:

• Establishing and supporting corporate culture
• Disseminating information more quickly than traditional channels
• Making communication more personal and relevant
• Fostering friendships and idea cross-pollination
• Driving a shared understanding of corporate goals and purpose

Overcoming the Static Nature of Traditional Intranets

One of the major pitfalls of traditional intranets is their static nature, which often leads to message blindness among employees. To combat this, companies must infuse their intranet design with elements of social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, which are visual, social, and personalized. This approach not only increases employee engagement on internal systems but also aligns with the modern expectation for workplace communication.

As we delve into the future of workplace communications, it’s clear that the line between external marketing and internal communications will continue to blur. The challenge for IT managers and business decision-makers is not just to introduce new technologies but to cultivate a culture that embraces these changes, ensuring their internal communications are as dynamic, interactive, and impactful as their external outreach. This is not just about deploying the latest technologies but about fostering an environment that encourages open communication, collaboration, and innovation.

The advent of platforms like Viva Engage and Viva Amplify, along with the strategic use of AI and machine learning, underscores the potential for creating a more connected and engaged workforce. These tools not only facilitate seamless communication but also empower employees by making them active participants in the narrative of the organization. By aligning internal strategies with the external, companies can create a cohesive and powerful brand voice that resonates on all fronts.

Furthermore, the transformation of traditional communication tools like email into dynamic, data-driven platforms showcases the evolving nature of workplace interactions. The shift towards more user-generated and interactive content, supported by social collaboration tools, aligns with the modern expectation for a more personal and engaging work experience.

Permission to communicate, a concept borrowed from the realm of marketing, has found a new and profound relevance in the internal communications landscape. By seeking this permission, companies can ensure that their messages are not just heard but welcomed, fostering a culture of trust and engagement. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of communications but also supports the overall culture and goals of the organization.

Rethinking internal communications is not just a matter of adopting new tools but of changing the very culture of communication within the organization. It requires a strategic alignment of internal and external messages, the leveraging of social collaboration for community building, and the integration of AI to personalize and enhance the communication experience. For IT managers and business decision-makers, the challenge lies in navigating this transformation with a clear vision and a commitment to fostering an inclusive, engaged, and forward-thinking workplace. In doing so, they can unlock the full potential of their organization’s most valuable asset—its people.