Do you know the basic rules of internal communication? And how many of them have you broken recently? These are questions a recent article on the HR Communication website focused on. The article describes a total of 11 basic "laws" of internal communication.
1. Information is not communication
Distributing information is not enough. Communication requires at least two active participants and takes place over a certain period of time.
2. Employees are adults, don't lie to them
Each employee deserves to be treated as an adult - openly, truthfully and honestly. Only then he can trust you.
3. Internal communication should be based on business strategy
Your task is to help employees understand the direction of the company and their role in it. It must be based on the overall corporate strategy.
4. Change is life - and your work
The business world is constantly changing and, moreover, the pace of changes increases. Your task is to inform about changes quickly so that people in your company can make the right decisions.
5. You must know what you want to achieve
Before starting internal communications about anything, you need to answer these questions: What do I want to communicate about? What will change a the result of this communication What kind of employee behavior should be acquired? What current behavior should be preserved, what should be slightly modified and what completely removed?
6. Internal communication connects employees with the company
Base each communication towards employees on the fact that everything you do has a common goal - linking corporate strategy with individual work responsibilities and interests of employees.
7. Employees are participants in communication, not the audience
Even if communicating with a mass of people, the same rule applies as for communication between two people - move from monologue to dialogue and, most importantly, listen. Actively involve employees in the discussion.
8. Internal communication helps managers do their job
Managers implement the corporate business strategy and you should provide them with maximum support.
9. You must know your goal to choose the right tools
Even in internal communication, the same approach to all does not work. Always focus on who you communicate with and what you want to achieve and choose communication tools accordingly.
10. Reality looks the way we see it
People perceive reality based on the culture, history and personal experience. Some ways of perceiving reality are, therefore, very difficult to overcome. Keep it in mind when you look for ways to engage employees in discussions on complex topics.
11. When you don't measure your success, you cannot improve
Specialists in internal communication should constantly monitor and measure the success of their activities and implement changes based on the findings.
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