No change initiative can occur successfully without proper internal communication. Messages are conveyed to audiences with the purposes of keeping the people informed and mobilizing the organization for change. Communication is a means to gain attention, educate, and get individuals and groups to take action to move the change initiative forward.
When it comes to communication about change, you often hear things like “You can’t over-communicate!” or “Communicate seven times, seven different ways!” It seems like you should unleash a veritable tidal wave of information at people. Instead, I offer that you want to create a focused collection of messages that tell a compelling story of change. You need a communication plan that:
- Gets the appropriate message to the right person so they do something with it
- Ensures consistency between media and messengers
- Overcomes the rapidly increasing amount of information that distracts employees from your message
- Communicates enough, in quantity and content, to impart the message effectively.
We often think of internal communication as official items like newsletters, intranet, videos, or all-hands meetings. But, it also includes more informal meetings and conversations. The most influential internal communication source is the immediate boss of each person.
What might you communicate?
Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.
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