At AB, our mantra is ‘delivering better performance through better communication’. To do this, we focus on the key areas we believe are needed for successful internal communications:
- Strategy and planning
- Channels and platforms
- Content with purpose
- Impact and measurement
- Skills and development
When it comes to channels and platforms, in our opinion, less is more. The myriad of options available in modern communications can be overwhelming, and often teams add layer upon layer to accommodate fashion and, frequently, the whim of senior stakeholders.
It is always better to do less brilliantly, than lots of things well, particularly when resources are stretched.
But where do you start? How do you decide where to focus your attention, and which legacy channels can, and should, you discard?
Of course, the starting point should be your audience. Do you understand how they communicate outside of work? Which media they prefer? Marrying those preferences to your approach is fundamental to your channel success. If the channels they access inside of work are markedly different and inferior to those they use as consumers, they’ll hardly feel valued or engaged.
In the real world, we appreciate there are many barriers preventing internal communicators from doing what they want to do. The IT team will push solutions that fit with its strategy, not necessarily yours. But arming your conversation and negotiation with data and insight that explains your approach will certainly help.
Less than half of internal communication teams have a channel framework*. Without a framework how is it possible to reassure anyone that you are comfortable that your channels are fit for purpose?
If you don’t have a framework you may find it a challenge to create one, but it needn’t be difficult.
That’s why we’re running our first channels and platforms workshop in September.
The workshop is designed to help you build a suite of channels that will reach the right people in the right way. It will explain how and why you need to build a channel framework. And how to deliver the human touch in a digital workplace.
I’d love to see you there. We’ve restricted numbers to keep the session intimate and interactive, so please grab your place today.
*Source: Gatehouse State of the Sector, 2018
