Addressing internal communication problems should be the utmost priority for a business. You should see it as a business problem while creating an internal communication plan. Every team member is assigned some roles and responsibilities and given some powers. That team member cannot fulfill his roles and responsibilities when internal communication is inefficient. So, when you work on your plan, think about what’s in it for that particular team member. Have room for questions and suggestions.
- What are the causes of communication gaps?
- Why is it important to address a specific concern related to internal communication?
Making business cases is the best approach for creating an internal communication plan. Keep the interests of different areas of your organization in your mind.
- What are the social intranet software features a department needs?
- How is this internal communication plan going to improve the way the staff finds information?
- How much time will it save and how will it increase productivity?
- Improved organizational culture, improved morale and what are the other softer gains you can get?
This plan can also reveal the reasons why some things have worked and some things have not. The plan should keep your employees informed and encourage them to take part in problem-solving across the business.
Identifying Key Stakeholders
The active role of the highest level of the organization is extremely important to make sure that others are taking the plan seriously and the plan delivers results. One central figure is required to act as a driving force and manage the creation of the internal communication plan. It can be a senior figure or a team of middle managers. You can involve a grass-roots employee showing commitment as a champion of internal communication.
Dedicated internal communication departments are not common. However, the approach varies from one organization to another. In the traditional approach, someone senior from the marketing department is roped in. Communication is an essential part of the jobs of people working in the marketing department. They already know how to deliver information to a specific audience. By nature, the marketing department deals with external communication most of the time.
Someone senior from the human resources department can be the right person for an employee-focused initiative. In case your internal communication plan revolves around your social intranet software, getting the support of IT makes sense.
Seniors are not that involved in day-to-day, tactical internal communication. You have to involve someone who is already a vocal part of your company. Find employees who are already actively engaging with colleagues and their engagement is helping in the productivity of the team. Use their passion to create an exceptional internal communication plan.
Understanding Your Tool
After identifying the communication problems and having key stakeholders and champions, you should look at the internal communication tool you are already using. If you are dealing with internal communication problems, either you are not using your existing tool efficiently or the tool itself is not efficient enough. You have already found the cause of internal communication problems before creating the plan. If this is happening because of the internal communication tool, consider other options available to you.
Social intranet software is the best option available to you. There is no match for an intranet when it comes to meaningful two-way communication.
However, make sure that it comes with features the different areas of your business need to communicate. Focus on functionality, features and user experience your employees are expecting. You should be able to make the most out of it.
Invest in tested and trusted feature-packed social intranet software for communication. Teams cannot work without proper communication. Get the best intranet solution for your organization.
