Corporate Intranet

Like most organizations in this tough economy, is up to you with provocative questions, do not go away on their own. You will take a real action - something that will be targeted and programmed so that everyone knows you mean change - large scale (such as a new corporate) strategic orientation, or more localized (eg departmental)-layers.

They recognize that the first step is to confirm that the changes will require necessary - your organization's survival depends on it. Peopleneed to know that you've got to bring about a plan for making that change. But the truth is, has an effective internal communication can never match the strengths of your company. Worse yet, you can not even be sure what it is that you communicate or how to measure it.

What makes this problem even more alarming is that yours, like most modern organizations, to appear to the teeth with the type of technological tools to make the process of internal armedCommunication is relatively simple. But too many organizations are confusing the media with the message. As a result, content is often accelerated in the background and quantity. And none of these elements is absolutely essential for the orchestration of an effective internal communications campaign. On the contrary, the speed and volume that can be, what makes your message fall on seemingly deaf, if not overburdened ears.

So, how do you communicate change in the workplace to get?

Set the internal communication a centralPart of any strategic plan requires people to behave differently. The need for different behavior can come from knowledge, for example, that service teams are not included the results that customers value. It can also be a strategic reorientation, in which certain employees have new responsibilities to lead to a strengthening of the promise of delivering value.

In any case, should be thinking organizations' program and process, "as they map their internal communication effort. And while the effectiveness ofYour communication will depend in large part to the power of content, the real magic of effective frequency and timing of the news came.

To be effective, internal communication should be like any other organizational tasks to be tackled, with a defined process and after a relatively rigid timetable for implementation.

The three-step staging process

In many companies, internal communications plans are a loose collection of seemingly random communication.It will be a video here, an e-mail there may be a memo to all hands, an informal staff survey, or a town hall meeting. But while these activities are, in fact, the activities of internal communications that occur, it is clear if these events are listed according to a simple three-step plan.

Stage # 1: Create a State of Awareness

In any organization, communication does not create a crippling environment. If there is a void information for their own employees. AndVersion is usually much worse than the truth.

So, at this stage, the employees are due to their Alarm Clock. The focus is on making everyone aware of what exactly will be implemented shortly, with some high comment why it's important. It is a good time for sensory immediacy.

Critical messages should be delivered by a single vote - at the top of the leadership team. Employees must know that what she is hearing from top rung of the management.

It is important toRemember that employees respond positively to sincerity and openness. They usually do not react at all what they regard as hype or puffery corporate management. You want them only on the what will happen and why to be aware of. In each of these phases, you use the full arsenal of communication tools: the written word, creative innovation, videos, e-mail, intranet, face time and conversation pits unique ideas on how to spread the awareness.

Hold focus groupsto identify and implement formal employee surveys, whether or not people get this first phase message. While the "cascading" the information down from senior executives in mind, the middle-level managers, and ultimately the entire organization, that feedback must be an important way back to the corporate mountains have.

Step 2: Develop a Informed Workplace

At this stage, employees need to understand why changes are needed and how each will receive at the same placethe same time. Inform and educate the people to the breadth and depth of change. Tackle the tough cultural issues and not play down not, will be as difficult and demanding change. Be very clear what to expect from each employee. It is time for the hard content.

Use similar means of communication such as in Stage # 1, but to demand that management is more than ever involved in the cascade and feedback processes. Managers should observe and take part in groups and review staffResults of the survey. Face time is extremely important, because anxiety is everywhere.

To spawn rumors and multiply at warp speed, if they are not anticipated. Note that an employee can quickly become a staff perception truth. Have a strict schedule and stick to it. The tightness speaks to the urgency of the entire effort.

Stage # 3: The pursuit of Workforce Engagement

There is an obvious intensity of the communication cascade. It's gotten to the point whereCommitment is everything. Those who are not comfortable or not in a position to have to adapt to the demands for change to alternatives available. The organization's leaders are everywhere visible, agitated and climbed to the people on board. The management needs to be recruited heavily in this last stage.

Implementation Guidelines

During the three-step staging process for internal communication campaign, the power lies in the implementation. Below arefive guidelines to help ensure your message is being heard loud and clear through the clutter.

Speak With Clarity

Avoid confusion by leaving no room for misinterpretation of your messages. Speak with a clear voice. Keep communication simple, and don't attempt to pack everything into a single communication effort. At the awareness stage, your success will result from how well you are able to distill your communication into two or three well articulated and clearly defined thoughts. Avoid the "rah-rah" syndrome. The employees will rally round the leadership of the organization if they understand what is expected of them. Spend time with the managers of one to one "and assure that each message as you meant it to understand, understand. Take time to be safe.

Be consistent

Employee survey data show the need for the management team and the administration speak with one voice. Do not move your communication. Speak and act jointly. Never waver. Avoid charactersWhich are interpreted by employees as a lack of commitment or understanding of the program. If you are not sure of the answer to a question does not shoot from the hip. Gather your strength and develop a common response. Each mid-stream changes in the timetable must be understood as such needs and the staff why the change is justified to be articulated. You do not want people thinking about the competence of their leaders, when a lot is expected of them. Note that youCommunication in word and deed. Employees observe and take their signals from both.

Communicate constantly

Internal communications must be relentless and repetitive. She never made it that everyone in the workforce knows and understands. Hold down the cascade waterfall and repeat the main ideas and critical elements, and repeat them and then they repeat. The permanent nature of your message is a visible sign that change is underway. Constant communication isPart of your new workplace culture.

Cascade and Cascade More

The manager, that people tend to listen and believe the most is their immediate supervisor. While commitment and concentration from the top is important that messages scroll down to the upper level to the next layer to the next layer to the next. Reaching cascading communication requires that you do not plan, and that you implement. Give managers the tools to tell the story consistently and well, and help them dealthe basic forms of resistance, they are sure to meet, too. Also, remember that good communication "two-way." Make it easy for employees to ask questions, give feedback and get answers.

Context and credibility are everything

How do you communicate with each to understand where the "beneficiary", and how his or her prejudices, fears, concerns and experiences, what you hear. People care about what affects them personally, in terms of stability of employment, pay, respect, etc. And they arefilter what they hear on their history and experiences. When they realize that management has always been open and honest, the likelihood they will receive the latest information as such. If not, your communication will be more significant challenge, and you also need to plan accordingly.

While consistent, programmatic approach also carried out for internal communication contribute to behavioral changes in most of the workforce, employee surveys have shown, it will undoubtedlyOutliers. For these people, change is something threatening or unattractive. Maybe they can not see organizational failure as their failure. For these people, sometimes the best answer is a public debate, may sound like hard that too. As one of the brothers is to think of the "old" lineup, and shot publicly in the corporate town square, everyone gets the message quickly selected.

Our conclusion

Behavior change is never easy, and it's never been successfullyachieved without an all-out internal communications program. Such a program can and should be carefully orchestrated and controlled for maximum effectiveness. Truth and openness should lynch pin your efforts. Leadership and management need to speak with one voice. It should be clear to everyone that there is no room in the new workplace culture for those who will not or is not the willingness to change. Finally, the internal communication cascade at the end should notbe achieved if the immediate objectives. An effective, dynamic, accessible internal communications program is often an important symbol, and the measure you want to change.