Nine Tenets of Employee Communications

In my years in employee communications, it still amazes me the number of senior level managers who don’t understand what internal communications really are, nor the central role they play in a business’ success.

      In the interests of keeping things basic, following are my core principles of internal communications toward helping improve understanding... each of which at some time or other have been addressed in this blog:

1. Face-to-face. Communication is, at its core, the face-to-face exchange of information, ideas and insights between and among leaders, managers and employees.  On the other hand, contrary to conventional understanding, communications vehicles like newsletters, email, blogs, intranet sites, and all the rest exist only to support and supplement that communication, not as substitutes.
2. Broken communications. Organizational communication is “broken” when management perceives communications vehicles and their content as “communication.”  This is a corollary to the previous tenet.  Similarly, communications are broken when leaders and managers perceive “communications” as someone else’s job, not theirs.
3. Two-way communications. Internal Communications is at its best when it fosters two-way communications between and among leadership, management and employees.  Effective communications occur in an environment where dialogue, discussion and debate are encouraged; in fact, where that is the default position.  People should feel free to engage in constructive disagreement with their managers/supervisors and peers.  It is through such dialogue, discussion and debate that excellence is created and success achieved.
4. Listening. And, by the way, listening is as important as talking, especially for leaders and managers for whom it can prove particularly valuable.
5. Supervisors are most credible. The most credible communication is between managers or supervisors and their direct reports.  These day-in and day-out relationships should be nurtured so that employees see their immediate supervisor as the best and most reliable source of relevant and timely information about the business. This truism works its way up the chain of command, by the way, so that each person’s direct manager is the best and most reliable source of timely, relevant information.
6. Actions speak louder. Leadership and management actions communicate as much as, if not more than, their words.  People are always on the lookout to be sure that management actions match their words.  When they are out of synch or when their actions don’t underline and enhance their verbal and written communications, they will lose credibility and all future communications will be suspect.
7. Employees are intelligent, able to connect the dots and draw their own conclusions based on what they see and hear.  Leaders and managers assume otherwise at their own risk.
8. “They” vs. “We.” Ultimately, internal communications should transform employees’ notion of their company from “they” to “we” – a strong indicator of whether employees are engaged in the organization’s vision and mission.  In other words, when employees speak of their company impersonally in an arm’s length third person voice, rather than the personal, inclusive first person plural, they are detached and disengaged from the company’s mission and vision. Effective communications, over time, will change that “they” to “we.”
9. External linkages. Internal Communications must be linked with external communication and kept in synch, both in terms of messages and timing. External information sources – whether local or national news coverage – are often employees’ primary and re-affirming source of information about the company. In fact, selective use of external media can reach employees in a more credible way, in an environment they normally trust and understand.