How can internal communications reflect company vision?
For corporate affairs professionals responsible for internal communications, among the most important responsibilities is conveying the purpose and objectives of a company to staff members. If staff are poorly aligned with organisational objectives, it becomes much harder for a business to achieve long-term success, with effective communications often forming a crucial ingredient in achieving this cohesion…
For corporate affairs professionals responsible for internal communications, among the most important responsibilities is conveying the purpose and objectives of a company to staff members.
If staff are poorly aligned with organisational objectives, it becomes much harder for a business to achieve long-term success, with effective communications often forming a crucial ingredient in achieving this cohesion within a company.
However, conveying the direction and goals of a company can be a difficult process to undertake, even for a seasoned professional. Poorly chosen words and phrases can easily cause confusion and undermine the effectiveness of these initiatives.
A recent study published in the Academy of Management Journal has given some insight into how internal communications can be aligned to better support staff performance. The two key features the study recorded are:
Image-based statements
When communicating a company’s purpose, the study revealed that a good statement will include big-picture thinking that creates a common mental image. This might involve presenting a future position which the business is moving towards or some other highly visual goal that the organisation has.
Importantly, this is quite a departure from how corporate goals are currently transmitted. Instead, many people currently use visionary statements without relying on evocative images, which undermines the effectiveness of these communications.
Supported by detail
While big-picture thinking is important, the study also underscored the importance of presenting specific details which can support this vision. For example, the research suggested avoiding vague language and being very specific – like referring to a certain segment of the population instead of just the word ‘customer’.
The value of adding these specifics is that it removes the possibility for confusion among staff, which might dilute the effectiveness of an internal communications strategy. By keeping it vague though, companies won’t achieve effective corporate communications, despite their best efforts.
While there are clearly many considerations when it comes to effective internal communications, there are sizeable benefits for companies that can realise an effective strategy.
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