The document provides best practices and recommendations for improving internal communications (IC) within organizations. It notes that effective IC is strongly correlated with employee engagement, operational performance, and profitability. Specifically, it recommends that organizations: 1) Move from a top-down, hierarchical communication model to a more horizontal, peer-to-peer approach to transform IC into a dynamic tool that drives business results. 2) Approach IC planning and preparation with the same rigor as external communications, using tools like agendas and talking points. 3) Focus on curating, enabling, and facilitating employee-generated content rather than just disseminating information from the top. 4) Emphasize dialogue over monologue

1. INTERNAL
COMMUNICATIONS
BEST PRACTICES

2. Why is IC important?
Some Remarkable Stats:
• 91% of employees who understand their role in a
project will work toward the success of that project;
Only 23% will if they don’t
• Great IC and highly engaged employees correlated to
a 19.2% increase in operating income
• Increasing engagement practices by just 10%
increased profits by an average of $2400 per
employee per year and profits grew as much as three
times faster than competitors
“The single biggest problem with communication is the
illusion that it has taken place.” -George Bernard Shaw
GREAT IC
= Engagement
= Opportunity

3. Internal communications as a narrowly defined
function and approach is dead. …a fundamental
re-think of communications – and more
importantly relationships – with our employees is
needed. … The all-staff email at BBC is possibly
the most loathed of all internal communication.
- Lucy Adams, BBC HR and Internal Communications Director
“
”

4. What Really Works…
• Move from hierarchical to horizontal
Your peers are powerful assets, and direct
communication with them transforms IC into
a dynamic tool that can drive profitability,
efficiency and growth
• Prepare your IC like it matters
Approach IC with the same effort and preparation
that goes into a client presentation. Talking points,
agendas, and clear goals are a must
• Curate, enable, facilitate, coach…
Being more than simply a creator and
disseminator of information is a key to developing
an engaged and motivated workforce
• Less monologue, more dialogue
Corporate communications must be
conversational to be effective. Keep it
simple…talk, listen, think, reply, take action
• F2F is the gold standard
Your F2F meetings should be frequent, direct,
personal and authentic. Trust is the currency of
internal communications, and you earn it with
face to face interaction
“Internal communications isn’t PR’s dull cousin.”
-Caryn Marooney, Facebook VP of Technology Communications

5. DDA’s Action Plan
• Make the decision to prioritize/plan communications
with staff as an equal stakeholder
• Create an IC advisory group tasked with choosing
and executing key initiatives such as:
• Build a master calendar of company-wide
communications focused on scheduling fewer,
but impeccably prepared messages– be
selective and disciplined!
• Build on the success of the DDA
Download by adding additional features e.g.
Industry/Company news, other curated content?
• Enlist a variety of staff as content creators
• Consider a town hall format – create a
“water cooler” where questions can be submitted
in advance
• Meticulously prepare for all-hands
meetings – share content in advance; select
individual staff to present on relevant topics; and
focus on utilizing a horizontal communications
strategy
• Keep it personal, direct and frequent. Do we
need more training on communication methods?
Where can we improve? Can we establish
mentoring relationships among the management
group to improve messaging company-wide?
• “Listen more and talk less.” says Richard
Branson @ Virgin –At least 25% of his book on
leadership is devoted to listening – do we need
training?
• F2F every day. Consider a tactic like HP –
Managers are required to get up and walk
around talking to people every day. Do we really
need to send an email reply to someone across
the room?

6. A Word About Group Chat Apps
Better software is not the solution.
Research at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor
Relations and Stanford University both reveal:
• Big ideas come from F2F meeting – email, chat functions,
internal blogs pretty much useless
• Chat good for brainstorming – not so much for idea execution
• Email, chat FOMO is real
“I don’t care how good the software is… The best way to foster
effective internal communication is just SPEAK to people.”
-Gini Deitrich, SpinSucks