How do you make internal communication interesting for your employees?

Tell them things they want to know before they hear it “externally”. Be a great source to them and they will not only “tune in” regularly but also be better informed ambassadors

To know your audience do not use only data! Meet with your teams! Celebrate! Enjoy « unformal little moments ». LISTEN! Open your mind. #BetterPlacesToWork

Treat employees like adults, not children. Often I see companies go over the board with visuals, and emojis, and use too many analogies when sharing a basic update. This is especially the case when it comes to communicating changes that may not be the most palatable to the employees. This is extremely reductive and patronizing. Be direct with your communication. Sugar coating and mollycoddling will only take away from the seriousness and objectivity of your message.

Turn it into gossip Seriously the quickest way to get any message across is make it a secret. I’m not supposed to tell you this and I’ll get shot for doing it is one of the most powerful comms phrases - start all your coms this way Also written comms are naturally boring - send them out in TikTok style! With scrolling and likes 👍

I always expect internal communications to become external communications. When you first consider how quickly your messages may become available to all, it’s likely you’re content will become more relevant, transparent AND more carefully crafted. You don’t need to share everything, but you do need to share some things - the big things; clear and transparent communications builds trust, report, and respect. Final thought - your internal teams (or employees, associates, colleagues, however you describe them) will weave their own narrative if you try to be cute and avoid clear messages. Most of your team member are very smart and can read through BS. Treat them as trusted collaborators and they’ll perform as trusted collaborators.

Employees connect with the stories of their colleagues, no doubt! They like to see themselves in their company's channels, they feel valued and recognized, it's a good tactic to keep employees interested in internal communication.

Consider using Christopher Booker’s Seven Basic Plots. Even employee stories can be framed around the hero, the quest, overcoming the monster and on and on. Bring some drama, tension and resolution to captivate the reader.

In internal comms, sharing your team's real stories is a winner. It's about spotlighting what your colleagues are up to – their wins, challenges, and day-to-day stuff. This approach makes every company update more relatable and interesting. It's like turning those dry corporate messages into engaging, real-life tales that everyone can connect with. Whether it's a big achievement or a small win, these stories help bring the company's values to life in a way that's more down-to-earth and memorable.

To inspire colleagues to take action, make your internal comms relatable. Reflect on the user journey and create comms that speaks to the nuances associated with the experience. I've tried this, it works!

People-oriented stories always win the day, so explore the many ways you can deploy this auto-connector no matter the subject. Values, culture, operations, strategy, biz results, process changes... tell these stories through people (colleagues, customers, community) whenever you can.

First off, ask employees how they want to be engaged. Listen. Celebrate and recognise your staff. Then test, monitor and evaluate. I work with over 100 nationalities, so equity and inclusion are key. Simplicity and transparency also yield the best results.

Add summaries, TLDR’s or even an estimated reading time at the beginning. Employees will encounter your content in various different moments of their work day. Make your content as consumable as possible, no matter which device or channel they might be on or how much time your employees have in these very moments.

We once deployed a 'Where's Waldo'-styled gaming tactic to educate employees on intranet resources. Don't be afraid to make learning (and work) fun!

As important as choosing different communication formats and media is establishing a clear strategy and measurement indicators (KPIs) from the outset. Through data analysis, the most suitable channels and formats can be selected based on employees' interests, regardless of their role and location within the company.

Mixing up formats is key, especially in a world where we are constantly bombarded with competing messages. How often and how long you attempt to engage are also important. We have limited time and short attention spans. Value-added, less frequent communications and bite-sized snippets can get your point across just as well, then you decide if you want to take the extra time to dig deeper. Think quality over quantity.

Allow dialogue. I worked at company where chat was turned off during All Company meetings and watched engagement plummet along with trust. Don't be afraid of your employees and find another way for them to react in real time if you must. The way we consume media encourages immediate feedback and reaction - internal communications has to reflect this expectation.

If you ask for feedback and change something because of it, you absolutely must report back to the team to tell them how and why you used that piece of feedback. This is not a revolutionary concept but I believe it often gets missed.

Psychological safety and higher performance are interrelated. Ensuring that feedback and interaction include psychological safety for team members and a growth mindset for leadership is key in achieving effective feedback. Creating psychological safety supports in building a trusted and nurtured work environment where team members are motivated to share their thoughts, opinions, experiences, ideas and honest feedback without fear of recrimination or isolation. When team members feel safe in sharing feedback and interacting honestly with leaders who embrace a growth mindset, meaningful engagement is co-created. This approach fosters an environment of trust and where vulnerability is respected.

Audiences will remain engaged only if they have a say. Create sections where: - Junior Staff can have a Q&A with CEO or top management - Junior employees can send in contributions - Competitions and contests - Employee of the month - Interviews of various staff members

Encourage two way communication and also being mindfull of types of employees to identify the most appropriate channel of communication. While for office staff emails circulars memos work well for factory staff , notices on notice boards on common areas, announcements via PA systems would be more appropriate. Also type of communication is crucial in identyfying the most appropriate channel. An accolades , awards , global certifications may require mini gatherings by top management while introduction of a new regulation, procedure would require emails.

One of the most valuable things you can do to is explain the “why” behind decisions. Even if they are ones you or your associates may not agree with. It’s okay to disagree but explaining the why will show real transparency and trust with your people.

Transparency and authenticity requires courageous leadership, where leaders openly address challenges and admit mistakes. Consistent communication coupled with a built in mechanism for feedback and dialogue, forms the foundation. However, it is essential that these principles not just become buzzwords as they strongly contribute to creating an environment of psychological safety and a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and included.

Talking is trusting. Acknowledge and show gratitude toward employees who actively provide criticism (even when it's harsh!) especially when paired with ideas for change. Even if a change can't be made, thanking employees individually for their suggestions and extending an offer to talk one-on-one goes a long way. Show them respect and they'll be more likely to respect you, your process and your decisions, too.

Maintaining employee engagement goes beyond storytelling; it involves actively embodying the narrative (storydoing). Furthermore, companies must ensure consistency in their communication, both internal and external. This is particularly crucial in today's context, where the lines between internal and external communication are more blurred than ever.

At a time when access to information is relatively easy and at its highest, audiences expect openness and sincerity in communication. Being transparent ensures the information is clear and accurate with no hidden agendas, allowing you to build trust. Authenticity fosters connections, shows you are genuine, and makes the message relatable and sincere.

One of the most important aspect is to not over communicate. It’s easy to get carried away and lose track of how many mailers/newsletters/videos/podcasts etc. we create for the employees. It is aways better to create a calendar and distribute the content to avoid spamming the employees and losing their interest.

Have a social channel to engage them with content and add few monthly competitions to make it more attractive and to make sure they always check this channel even while they are on leave Take their feedback and ideas about few topics

We focus our energy on communication channels that employees are paying attention to, rather than taking a scattershot approach and posting everything everywhere. During COVID, we eliminated things like digital building signage and posters because the large majority of employees work at home most of the time. We now focus our time and energy on emails and our (new) intranet platform, which has a corresponding mobile app. Chat is considered a secondary communication channel.

As a Corporate Comms Executive, I have observed that Gamifying internal communications can add an element of fun and interaction among employees. People tend to engage more when we incorporate quizzes, polls, or contests related to company updates, product knowledge, or even general industry trends. Rewards and recognition for top performers can increase participation a great deal!

Another important element is to share how the company’s products or services are having positive impacts for customers. This is where storytelling and varied media provide often-unknown insights that evoke pride in the company’s brand.