Craft an Internal Communications Strategy

Communicating effectively is even more challenging in today's operating environment. Business ‒ and the world of work ‒ is in a state of flux, and cutting through the noise is increasingly difficult.
While internal communications are considered critical, efforts are not always strategic. Without effective communication channels, employees report higher dissatisfaction and lower engagement (Gallagher, 2022).

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Our Advice

Critical Insight

Choose internal communications empowerment over ownership to enable organizational strategy.
Empowerment starts with the clarity, tools, and capability to communicate effectively and guarantees an exchange downwards and upwards.

Impact and Result

Craft an effective internal communications strategy with the main purpose to enable the organization to meet its strategic goals.
Execute the communications strategy by empowering everyone in the organization to communicate effectively. Provide them with the tools, tactics, and messages to drive strategic internal communication.

Craft an Internal Communications Strategy Research & Tools

1. Define internal communications objectives

Establish internal communications objectives, key results, and metrics.

Craft an Internal Communications Strategy Executive Briefing

2. Analyze the current situation and perform a gap analysis

Conduct an internal communications audit and SWOT analysis, profile target audiences, establish the current state, and identify critical gaps.

3. Create an internal communications guide

Review and customize all components of McLean & Company’s Internal Communications Guide Template.

4. Share the strategy, plan tactics, and measure success

Establish appropriate feedback mechanisms for upwards communication, and plan for rolling out the internal communications strategy and ongoing support for communicators.

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 10 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Define internal communications objectives

Call 1: Confirm appropriate strategy discovery activities.
Call 2: Determine internal communication objectives, key results, and metrics based on organizational goals.

Guided Implementation 2: Analyze the current situation and perform a gap analysis

Call 1: Review quantitative and qualitative data to identify themes, trends, and insights.
Call 2: Discuss possible employee segments and plan for audience profiling.
Call 3: Evaluate internal communications audit results, discuss strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to summarize current state.
Call 4: Analyze critical gaps and outline strategic action items.

Guided Implementation 3: Create an internal communications guide

Call 1: Review McLean & Company’s Internal Communications Guide Template and customize to suit your organization.

Guided Implementation 4: 4. Share the strategy, plan tactics, and measure success

Call 1: Discuss appropriate feedback mechanisms and how to implement them.
Call 2: Plan for rollout of the internal communications strategy and continued support for communicators.
Call 3: Review metrics and determine success of key results.

Contributors

Melodie Barnett, Managing Partner, Pivot Communication, and co-author of the book, An Honest Living: Be Wildly Successful Without Being a Jerk
Priya Bates, Accredited Business Communicator, MC, CMP, IABC Fellow, President, Inner Strength Communication Inc.
Ally Bunin, Senior Vice President, Employee Practice, MSL Group
Tyler Cook, Internal Communication & Public Relations Consultant
Ivana Di Millo, Director of Communications, City of Mississauga
Richard Donovan, Global Head of Social Innovation & UK&I Head of Corporate Responsibility, Experian
Morag Farquharson, Accredited Business Communicator
Shel Holtz, Accredited Business Communicator, Director of Internal Communications, Webcor Builders
Rob Manne, Creative Communications Consultant
Melanie Anne Martin, CMS, Event Marketing Manager, Goldcorp
Michele Martin, Accredited Business Communicator, Manager of Internal Communications, Strategic Priorities at London Health Sciences Centre
Andrea Richter, Marketing and Human Resources Manager, NPT LLP Chartered Accountants
Aniisu K. Verghese, India Corporate Communications Leader, TESCO HSC, Internal Communications leader, blogger, and author of Internal Communications: Insights, Practices and Models (Sage Publications, 2012)
Scott Tabachnick, Director, Executive Projects & Partnerships, WE
Stephanie Thornbury, Accredited Business Communicator, Senior Executive, Communication and Marketing, Inner Strength Communication Inc.