Guest Experts Offer Insight on Internal Communications

Our internal communication series of the Peritus Trainings Guide has emphasized the importance of intentional and proactive communications with your team to create a productive and healthy work environment. To reinforce these insights, we turned to a trusted group of messaging and internal communication experts across the state: 

We hope you enjoy their unique perspective on a few key topics below.

WHAT IS ONE COMMON MISTAKE YOU SEE LEADERS MAKE WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH INTERNAL AUDIENCES?

“Leaders suffer from the "curse of knowledge" when it comes to internal audiences. Thinking that their team knows and understands at the same level. In reality, each level of the organization has a different understanding, and leaders must communicate simply and succinctly in a way that covers each level.  Almost as important, they must communicate frequently and repeat the same message multiple times. The old maxim was the rule of 7. As in, a message must be repeated 7 times before it is "heard." Today, studies say someone must hear or see a message between 6 and 20 times before it is understood.”

 – Lisa Beck Schuck, Owner of Enthusias Marketing

 

“It is common for leaders to develop information fatigue when they are tied closely to the day-to-day details of a project, a campaign, or an announcement. It’s good practice to pause and explain the ‘why’ in your internal communication. Team members will appreciate the effort leaders take to minimize disruption, improve project buy-in and preserve transparency.”

 – Sondra Koskey, Internal Communications Officer, Bank Independent

 

“This is not a problem for leaders as much as it is for all of us responsible for sending out communications. In today’s world, there’s so much communication out there it can be hard to take it all in. Internal communications can just become more digital noise. Businesses must understand their employees and customers are swamped by near-constant messages vying for their attention. Estimates vary, but people today spend 4-8 hours a day looking at screens on average. The mistake we often make is assuming that just because people are taking in content on a screen that they’re taking in OUR content. We should not assume that just because we sent out an email or a communication in a digital newsletter that people read it or understood it.”

– T.J. McIntyre, Communications Coordinator, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

 

“When I am coaching leaders on how to communicate, my first commandment is to NEVER ASSUME.  Especially when communicating, assumptions can lead to misalignment, confusion, and mistakes. For example, NEVER ASSUME that your audience received your message. Sending a message isn’t good enough. Create the opportunity for confirmation. NEVER ASSUME that our audience understood your message. Instead, use questions to gain proof of alignment. Good communication is about being intentional.  Slow down. Be deliberate. NEVER ASSUME.”

– Lizzy Yates, Director of Communications, Southern Nuclear

WHAT IS ONE TIP YOU HAVE TO STRENGTHEN OR STREAMLINE INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MESSAGING STRATEGIES?

“Internal communications can be tricky. Companies establish tactics such as newsletters or emails from the president but don't always craft a strategy around which tactics are developed. Teams will stop reading, listening or watching communication that isn't set up as informative and instrumental to getting their job done. Tying the message to how it impacts the company will ensure that internal teams pay attention. There should be levels of importance so those that don't want to know that Cindy Lou got married don't have to pay attention to certain pieces but do know if they get a "critical communication" it is something they must read, understand and implement. Color coding or creating a naming convention for messaging can help the team know the level of importance.”

 – Lisa Beck Schuck, Owner of Enthusias Marketing

 

“Take advantage of message cascading. By that, I mean use the momentum of your organization’s structure and equip your leaders to be excellent communicators at all levels.  One method we’ve woven into the Bank’s practice is the monthly leaders call, a 30 to 45-minute Teams video conference that gathers 130 leaders from across the organization for high-level briefings from our President, CEO and various department heads. The leaders are provided a recap of the call along with resources to cascade the information to their teams. Big priorities are shared by trusted leaders with solid explanations in a timely manner. Our leaders tell us they are better informed and more equipped to answer questions from their teams. Team members tell us they feel more knowledgeable about decisions that affect them and the customer experience. It is a process that has been well received across the organization.”

– Sondra Koskey, Internal Communications Officer, Bank Independent

 

There’s a bestselling business book by Stephen Sinek that I kept seeing all over the place a few years back that was titled “Start With Why.” I think that’s my key tip. Start with asking a few “Why” questions: Why is it important for the sender to communicate this piece of information. Why does the reader or receiver need the information? Why is this format the best way to communicate this information? That last question is crucial. Just because digitally sending out something is easy doesn’t mean it’s the best way to communicate something. Some initiatives may require more finesse, holding meetings, getting the right stakeholders involved to deliver the messaging to the right people so the audience will be receptive, and so on. Sometimes a simple phone call to the right person or sitting down to chat with the right people can be so much more effective than a large-scale digital marketing push.

– T.J. McIntyre, Communications Coordinator, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

 

“While each audience within a company is unique, all audiences have one thing in common: their first preference for receiving information and updates is their immediate supervisor. As communicators, I often say that we can cover our deliverables with glitter, but they are not effective unless our leaders own them.  My best advice for communicators is to spend time getting to know the different levels of leadership in the organization. Just like you’re a better communicator if you understand the subject you’re writing about, your leaders will be stronger leaders if they understand your tools, how to use them, and why using them matters. Help them understand your communication cadence and why it works the way it does. Make sure they understand and are bought into their role in the process. Ask them for input, then make it easy for them to carry the message.  The healthier the partnership between leaders and communications, the better the flow of information throughout the organization.”  

– Lizzy Yates, Director of Communications, Southern Nuclear

 

ANY HELPFUL RESOURCES YOU WOULD RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN THEIR MESSAGING OR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS?

Here are a few book suggestions: 

Smart Brevity - the power of saying more with less by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz (the team from Axios) is at the top of my list!  

Building a Storybrand - Donald Miller 

Words that Work - Dr. Frank Luntz 

 – Lisa Beck Schuck, Owner of Enthusias Marketing

 

“I’m actually reviewing our survey mechanisms right now.  We’ve just completed the 360-review process for leaders, and next year we will implement another team member engagement survey. Both surveys reveal where we are communicating well with our teams and where there are gaps. The best way to strengthen communication skills is to let your team tell you what they need from you.  If your organization hasn’t implemented consistent feedback loops, I recommend starting your research there.”

 – Sondra Koskey, Internal Communications Officer, Bank Independent

 

For written communications, I say keep Strunk and White’s “Elements of Style” nearby.  For everything else, when it comes to communications, I believe the only way to become a better communicator is by practicing communication. Talk to communicators from other companies and share best practices. Talk to your leadership and subject matter experts so you truly understand what needs to be said and why. Talk to the employees or customers you are trying to reach and get to know them; that way, you better understand what matters to them in their roles.  Always remember communication is a two-way street. It’s good practice to start by listening first before you speak.  

– T.J. McIntyre, Communications Coordinator, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

 

I’m in a season of life where my time is limited, my attention span is short, and quite frankly, I am ready to decompress by the time I finish the day. Rather than committing to an entire book or episode, I pour through my Instagram every night, devouring quick bites of information. By now, Instagram has figured me out, and there’s no shortage of content in my feed. Some of my favorite thought leaders and accounts include: 

– Lizzy Yates, Director of Communications, Southern Nuclear

Remember, your internal audience should always be top priority for communications. What you say and how you say it matters - so be intentional with your approach and don't overlook the impact of internal communications.


Our next edition of the Peritus Trainings Guide series on Internal Communications will walk through a client success story of internal engagement and buy-in as we helped guide them during their mission statement development.

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