7 tips to spice up your company's internal communication
Is your company's internal communication always in top gear?
Admit it; even though the communication is good, it could probably be optimized in several places, right? Especially the communication that is sent between you. Do you experience e.g:
- One-way communication: Information drips down from management via emails and monthly meetings, while employee voices are often drowned out
- The email tsunami: Overloaded inboxes with a lot of irrelevant one-to-all emails or emails where you are endlessly cc'd
- Outdated intranet: An outdated and not very intuitive platform that mostly serves as a repository for dusty personnel policies - topped with a lousy search function
Instead, imagine a workplace where written information flows freely like a lively conversation, where you can always easily find what you need, and where collaboration flourishes with engagement and motivation at its peak. Here are 7 tips to boost internal communication in your company.
Internal company communication - a bottleneck?
Does your company's internal written communication feel more like a bottleneck than something that actually helps you move forward?
You are not alone. Unfortunately, this is the reality in many companies where much of the communication takes place via email.
However, you can relatively easily get more dialog-based internal written communication. And have an easier time finding the conversations without having to sift through a stack of emails. Here are 7 tips to get you started:
1. Create a culture of open dialog
1a. Encourage open and honest communication at all levels of the organization.
Give employees a voice and create space for feedback and ideas. This can be done with Colibo, a modern, intuitive internal communication platform where you can easily reach ALL employees regardless of job function and location. Including service and frontline employees.
- Management must take the lead and show that they value dialog and feedback.
- Create a culture where it's okay to make mistakes and learn from them.
- Use the intranet as the company's common internal communication platform. Here it is possible to start conversations, respond to posts from others (as we know it from social media), easily post messages, pictures, videos etc. that can help create dialog and cohesion.
- Organize regular team meetings and workshops where employees can brainstorm, share ideas and give feedback to each other and management.
- Use polling and survey tools to collect feedback from employees on different topics.
Tip: Analyze the feedback thoroughly and use it to improve communication.
1b. Use platforms like Colibo to create a common platform for dialog.
Create groups on Colibo to promote discussion and collaboration on specific projects or topics. You can create department groups, working groups, project groups, a board group, a running group or whatever you need. Gather all relevant documents, images and communication in the appropriate group. This makes it easy for group members to find the information again, and the information only reaches the group members.
It's also an easy way to ensure that sensitive information - e.g. related to customer projects or board work - is only shared with members of the group.
Tip: Use workgroups to share files, coordinate tasks and keep each other updated on what's relevant to your particular workspace.
- Share news, events and updates via the news feed to keep all employees informed.
Tip: Use images and videos to make the news feed more engaging.
Companies that are willing to build community, reduce organizational distance and create a culture where information flows quickly will win in the long run, but it's not for every company. It requires a leadership that trusts its employees to open up the dialog.
2. Choose the right channels
Use a combination of channels to reach all employees. Both those in the office and those on the go, in the warehouse, in production or on the front line, such as service employees. Find the optimal combination for your business.
- Intranet
- Info screens
- Team meetings and 1:1 conversations
Intranet: With the intranet as your company's digitalization, information and communication hub, all employees, management, HR, IT, Communications and more can easily share news, updates, events, guides, documents, policies and other important information - and start conversations where relevant.
Mobile intranet: Be aware of the different work units and HOW they can receive information. For frontline or on-the-go employees, a mobile-friendly solution is the way forward as the mobile is always close by - for example, employees in the social and healthcare sector or in transportation and logistics. For production and warehouse workers, infoscreens can be a great addition, especially for news that is extremely important.
Tip: Use an app or a mobile-friendly version of the intranet (which Colibo of course offers).
It's not just the physical channels that are important. Make sure you also segment your content so that the information you send out is relevant.
Tip: Create groups on the intranet so that each employee only gets relevant content tailored to their area of work or interest, such as the product group, sales team or running club.
Here's an example of a post about a company event sent out to all company employees. If it was a post about the weekly run that only the running enthusiasts are interested in hearing about, it's smart to send it out in a closed group for runners only - and thus not disturb the rest of the employees with "irrelevant" noise.
Info screens: Supplement your digital hub - the intranet - with info screens and reach even more employees. With infoscreens you can reach employees who would otherwise not have access to internal news via a computer or even a mobile - for example in production units and warehouses. Place info screens in strategic areas to display important news, updates and reminders.
Tip: Use visually appealing content and change the content regularly to keep employees interested.
Team meetings and 1:1s: Not everything has to go on the intranet. Use the classic team meetings and 1:1 conversations for more personalized information and for when important decisions need to be made on the spot.
3. Keep communication relevant
It can be easier said than done, but keep the communication as relevant as possible to the recipient.
- Only share what is relevant to the individual employee. Avoid unnecessary information overload and one-to-all communication.
- Segment the information you send out based on employee roles, departments and interests.
Tip: with Colibo you can create groups to ensure the right segmentation of the content you send out
- Ask employees regularly what information they find useful.
Tip: Use surveys, polls and focus groups to gather feedback.
With Colibo we can build community around different groups. Colibo brings together everyone and the right people in the right places. You're not just in a big network, you're in your own department and the groups that are relevant to you. It's about professional community and getting the content that's relevant. For example, our board now has their exclusive area for communication and file sharing. They had to use email and Sharepoint before, but it wasn't nearly as intuitive or easy to collaborate in as Colibo. Colibo's platform centralizes everything and we lacked that before.
- Lisa Skjold Slothuus, Communication Consultant, Dansk Firmaidræt
4. Be more visual
A picture is worth a thousand words - and the brain processes images much faster than words. Therefore, support your internal written communication with visuals such as images, videos and infographics.
This makes it much more interesting for employees to receive your message.
5. Use a user-friendly intranet
- Forget about the file repository. Think intranet as a platform for dialog, news and collaboration.
- Make sure the intranet is easy to navigate and use.(Tip: Use a platform with an intuitive interface, clear structure and search functions. With Colibo, you get a news feed similar to what you know from other social media platforms. This makes it easy for employees to scroll through the latest news).
- Update the intranet regularly with fresh content(Tip: Involve employees in creating content for the intranet).
- Use intranet features to promote collaboration(Tip: Use workgroups, chat features and document management tools).
6. Make information easily accessible
- Streamline the intranet search function. Make sure employees can easily find the information they need.
- Use relevant keywords, categories and tags.
- Make it easy to filter search results.
- Create an FAQ page with answers to common questions(Tip: Make sure the FAQ page is up-to-date and easy to find).
7. Use technology to your advantage
- Technology should make it easier for you to communicate - not more difficult. So replace the sea of internal emails with an intranet platform to share news and create a platform for dialog.
- Use AI to be more efficient - with search functions, chat and text generation, AI can make your life easier. At Colibo, we're working hard to implement various AI tools that can make your life easier.
Bonus tip:
- Use humor and creativity in your communication. It can help make it more engaging and memorable.
- Celebrate successes and recognize employee efforts. It can help boost morale and motivation.
- Be a good role model for effective communication. Show employees how to communicate openly, honestly and respectfully.
By implementing these tips, you can create an internal communication culture that fosters collaboration, innovation and success.
Remember: Internal communication is an ongoing process. It requires continuous effort and adaptation to ensure that communication is effective and engaging for all employees.
If you have any questions or want more information, please contact us at contact@colibo.com.
