Internal Communication- What Does It Denote?
The need for good internal communication is vital for every organization. Normally, organizations spend a lot of money on marketing and public relations to boost their external communications. But, they fail to improve their internal communication.
Internal communication can be defined as a process of facilitating effective conversations that promote the flow of information between employees and teams. Effective internal communication impacts every aspect of your business– culture, productivity, client relations, and overall growth of the company.
Effective internal communication has some characteristics. It forms a part of every company’s strategy. It should not just be top-down but bottoms up too. Through this, you share the company’s goals, vision, and mission with your employees. They in turn begin to develop a sense of trust with the company. With the goals clearly in sight, they work towards achieving them. This keeps the employees engaged and makes the business successful. Employers also need to keep a tab on the internal communication going on within the organization. One easy way to do so will be to use an employee tracking software like Flowtrack.
According to a study published by the Journal of Communication Management, internal communication must be symmetrical to enable good employee communication behavior. This means the information given to employees must be fair and complete. Organizations must also listen to employees and ensure their participation in the process.
Benefits of Internal Communication
As mentioned above, internal communication helps keep employees engaged by passing on the right information to them. Let us now take a look at some of the benefits of internal communication.
- Increase Employee Engagement
Effective internal communication increases employee performance and improves job satisfaction. When the communication between all the layers of an organization is good, it strengthens the connections between employees and the organization. When information is transferred in the right way, employees feel appreciated and motivated to work more. Therefore good internal communication can influence key components at work and improve employee engagement which is crucial for running a business today.
2. Strengthens Team
A team that is more aware of the organization’s goals forms a symbiotic relationship with the company and works better. A strong team cannot be built with weak internal communication. When communication is clear, employees understand how to behave, blend with the organization, and work better.
3. Encourages Innovation
Effective internal communication encourages employees to provide feedback and ideas openly. With this, they feel comfortable thinking out of the box and voice their opinions to co-workers and managers. Thus, Internal communication encourages innovative thinking.
4. Promotes Effective Project Management
When employees are given clear instructions and guidelines to work, they know what is expected of them. Thus, effective internal communication helps employees deliver on the projects and tasks with minimal errors. This saves time and confusion as employees don’t end up working on the wrong projects.
5. Increases Productivity of Employees
It is estimated that a typical worker loses 2.5 hours every day looking for necessary resources. When the internal communication system of the team is optimized, they get access to the right resources whenever they need them. Instead of wasting time getting information from colleagues or waiting for a reply to an email, employees now know where to find the right file. This is possible because the information provided to them is accurate and easy to understand. As a result, the productivity of the team increases.
6. Improves Transparency
Internal communication enhances transparency through initiatives such as constant feedback, information sharing, and open communication channels. Active internal communication ensures a rumor-free work environment. All information is passed on to everyone in the organization without withholding anything from anyone. This ensures that employees are more aware of the facts and there is no confusion due to informal communication.
7. Promotes Effective Crisis Management
Clear and transparent communication is crucial when the company is reeling through a crisis, either internally or externally. If communication is not clear during such a time, it could affect various departments and the company’s reputation can be at stake. In such times, proactive communication helps reduce the impact of the crisis and keeps the employees unified in their responses to it.
Internal Communication- A Company’s Success Recipe
Very few organizations stress the importance of effective internal communication. They prioritize and strive to achieve it. As a result of this, their employees trust them and work better for the organization. Together they create a constructive workplace that encourages growth and provides employees with a sense of purpose. They make use of effective tools like HRAPP to manage HR efficiently. If you aim to succeed, stress on building an effective internal communication strategy and yield better results.
