A company’s internal communication does not usually receive the attention it deserves. In most cases, there is no department dedicated to this activity, which ends up being split between Human Resources and Marketing. However, several internal problems in a company stem from communication failures, which could be resolved with a more appropriate structuring of channels and messages exchanged between employees and departments. In this post, we will teach you how to make this structuring, step by step.
Understanding the essential elements of communication
Before starting to structure your communication plan, you need to understand the five essential elements at the base of this process. They are: sender, channel, receiver, message, and response.
The sender is the person who sends the message. The channel is the medium through which the message is sent. The receiver is the addressee. The response is the feedback or action generated by the message. The message… well, obviously it is everything that is written or spoken.
If any language and linguistics expert is reading this article, they might question the simplicity of the definitions we are using. But, to structure a company’s internal communication, this is all we will need.
Bonus: Learn how to improve your company’s results with internal communication
Analysis of the current situation
Step #01 to structure your company’s internal communication is to identify and analyze the current situation, in terms of its strengths and weaknesses. In which situations and moments is it working, and in which is it generating problems? To give you a starting point, we will present four of the most common problems we observe in corporate communication; they are:
- The message does not reach the receiver. For example: when a communication is issued, days later many employees are still unaware and claim not to have received it. When this happens, the problem lies in the effectiveness of the channel.
- The message reaches the receiver, but they do not understand it. For example: when a new rule or procedure is passed on to the team, the implementation time is very long because everyone has doubts. When this happens, the problem lies in the crafting of the message.
- The response is delayed or does not happen. For example: the company newsletter publishes a column asking employees to submit topics for a training session, but no one collaborates. When this happens, the problem lies in the assertiveness of the response request.
- The receiver gets and understands the message, but somehow it offends or bothers them. For example: everyone feels that the manager is too harsh in meetings, while they believe they are just being objective. When this happens, the problem lies in theadequacy between sender and receiver.
Definition of ideal communication
We could say that there is an “ideal communication” for each company, that this is something very individual; but that is not quite true. In practice, every corporate environment basically needs the same characteristics in its communication.
The ideal communication for a business environment is agile, simple, and transparent. It favors the alignment of all employees regarding procedures and goals, as it avoids misunderstandings and incorrect interpretations. Thus, it is possible to reduce the number of internal conflicts and also with the company’s customers and partners.
In ideal communication, there is also a concern with choices: choosing the most effective medium for each type of message, choosing the most appropriate language for each type of receiver, choosing an assertive way to request the necessary response. With these choices well-grounded, we eliminate the four communication problems you saw in the previous item.
Analysis of mediums and messages
There are countless mediums that can be used for internal communication, and each of them favors a certain type of message more. Therefore, in step #03, you need to analyze your company’s needs and the mediums that will best fit those needs. We will mention some of the most common ones.
Informal verbal communication: is the form of communication that happens every day, in any company, in conversations with our colleagues. It is also the hardest to control and the one with the greatest potential to create misunderstandings. It is possible to make it a bit more regulated, with recommendations such as: avoid private matters in the elevator, where others can overhear; and do not make negative comments regarding colleagues and superiors within the workspace.
Formal verbal communication: occurs, for example, during team meetings. In these cases, since the information in the message tends to be highly relevant, it is interesting to have a written medium accompanying it to record the main points – for example, meeting minutes.
Email: is the ideal channel for medium-agility communication (since up to 24 hours is still an acceptable response period) and high formality (since all messages are logged for the sender, receiver, and the company itself). However, it is not ideal to be used for dealing with negative matters, such as a termination, as it removes the sensitivity and personal touch necessary for such situations.
WhatsApp: many work teams are using WhatsApp as a communication channel, and this can work very well for passing on general information that needs to reach the receiver quickly. On the other hand, it is not recommended for complex messages that require a longer and more explanatory format.
Corporate Newsletter or TV: the corporate newsletter – as well as its updated version, corporate TV – are important channels for messages that need to reach all company employees. It is also an interesting channel for messages aimed at praising or honoring an employee because, when the subject is positive, the message can be open. You can read more about Corporate TV in this other article.
Memos or notices: notices are usually posted on company bulletin boards. Thus, they have limited effectiveness. They can be interesting as long as there is concern about the location where they are posted. Breakroom or cafeteria boards should be used for general notices; meanwhile, notices intended for a specific department should be posted on the boards closest to that department.
Creation of an internal communication manual
Standardization is the final step to structure your company’s internal communication. To promote this standardization, a manual is a very useful tool. Review all the analyses you have made so far and inform employees, using clear and objective language, on how they should proceed in their daily communication.
It is important for this manual to clear up doubts that are part of your company’s daily life. For example, in email communication, who should be CC’d? What if a manager needs to quickly communicate an important decision, can WhatsApp be used or is it too casual? The closer this manual is to the real problems you identified in step #02, the more useful (and quickly implemented) it will be.
When the manual is ready, distribute it to all employees and create actions so everyone understands the importance of structuring internal communication. The results will be visible in the short term, both in interpersonal relationships and in the work itself.
Want to follow more tips on internal communication and management in general? Then, subscribe to our newsletter and check out our updates!
