Few in business would argue that communication with customers doesn’t need to be creative, engaging, cohesive and inspiring, but what about internal communications? Informative emails and memos, the odd meeting and townhall, that should suffice, right?
Wrong!
Creativity isn’t just for your external communications, and here’s why.
Whether they are customers or employees, people are people, and if they are reading something which is frankly dull and uninspiring, they are likely to switch off to its message, no matter how important it is. Dry corporate speak is to be avoided, even if, or perhaps especially if, the message is serious in nature, for example around company policy or procedure. A more creative and well-crafted piece of communication, using relatable language and drawing out the scenarios or applications relevant to individual employees, is far more likely to hit the mark. In short humanise it, or risk going unheard.
If a business is successful, its employees will be hard at work with their own tasks and priorities, so getting them to take time for internal communications can be a challenge, particularly in relation to ‘big picture’ messages which won’t impinge on their to-do lists that week. A great place to start is with smart and memorable visuals. When graphic, text and images work together they can transmit a message with clarity and impact in a way that a few lines of Times New Roman on an email never will.
If your employees aren’t taking time to read internal comms or to respond to requests for feedback, the chances are they are feeling disengaged from the wider business, and that can be a problem for staff motivation and cohesion. If it’s better engagement you’re after, gamification could be the answer. An element of fun and competition can make responding to staff surveys and engaging with training far less arduous tasks. From a scavenger hunt to encourage employees to familiarise themselves with a new system, to a quiz testing their knowledge of a new product or campaign, the applications are virtually endless.
Getting your internal communication right is not just about getting staff to take on board the messages from the top – it’s about engaging with them. Being able to tap into employees’ granular understanding of the workings of a company, and draw on the ideas and energy of this knowledgeable and invested group of individuals is invaluable. So, if your business is still not prioritising creative internal communications, then it’s time to consider what it’s really missing out on…
If you want to discover how UKSV can revolutionise your internal communications then get in touch on email info@uksv.co.uk or call 01425 480444.