Does our organisation already need an internal communicator?
A question we get a lot is how do we know if our company already needs an internal communicator? One colleague, HR manager Dovilė, said:
If all managers did their job 100%, there would be no need for an HR person in the organisation.
The same could be said about internal communication. As long as the number of people in the organisation is up to 50 and everyone can easily fit in the meeting room – they deal with all communication issues themselves, well, sometimes they consult, they take part in training, but basically – the situation is under control.
As the complexity of the organisation increases (different offices, remote working, diversity of employees) – there is a need to establish internal communication routines, communication channels and… have internal communication support. Some organisations outsource this service, while others invite a specialist to join their team. We have checked, we advise organisations with between 120 and 3000 employees.
In the libraries of many organisations, you will find a book – “The Connected Organization” – where we have put together very detailed and clear advice on what makes for smooth communication in an organisation. You can take it and put it into practice, because it’s easy to draw on the experience of other organisations and our advice.
We have put together a similar response this time, in situations that are familiar to everyone:
- A simple situation: 6 friends are visiting. No doubt you’ll find it easy to manage, find a plate and a glass for each of them, and feed them all. And so it is with communication – as long as you can easily get everyone in the same space, remember each other’s names, understand who is doing what – you are the creator of your own successful internal communication practices.
- A situation of moderate complexity: a wedding or anniversary is coming up, with 50 people attending. You start to scratch your head and look for help – how to get everyone seated and fed. The same is true for internal communication – to get things in order, you already start looking for solutions to bring everyone together in a single line of communication. This leads to organised and manageable communication sources and routines.
- A long-term and complex task: a lunch break for 80 or more employees in a factory. You want everyone to have a tasty lunch and to do it in a relatively limited time. This already requires a system to be thought out, e.g. they bring their own meals, jugs of water are already waiting on the tables. The same goes for internal communication – you need a system and a logic: how to engage, listen, help understand and successfully communicate with the people in your organisation.
Effective internal communication is like a well-organised celebration – it enables collaboration, information sharing and common goals. Maybe it’s time for someone in your organisation to make internal communication like a happy dinner party?
- Date - 2024-10-23
