Let’s talk about blood.
Yes, this article is about internal communications, but first we need to talk about the red, viscous liquid currently flowing through your body. The basics are as follows (spoiler alert: I am very much not a medical doctor):
- The heart pumps blood
- The vascular system (vessels, veins and arteries) carries the blood where it needs to go around the body
Obviously, the heart is an important organ (#truth). It’s most definitely a No.1 seed in the Vital Organs Tournament of Champions. But here’s the dirty little secret …
Without the vascular system, the heart is almost completely useless.
It can pump, pump, pump the day away, but without the vessels of the vascular systems carrying the blood to the rest of the body, it’s a total waste. You’d be left with gangrenous extremities disintegrating off the bone, dying muscle and failing organs in some Bizarro-Tinman nightmare where you have a heart and literally nothing else.
In short … you’re dead. Sorry.
Exactly what does this have to do with internal communication again?
Ask yourself the following:
What’s at the Heart of Your Business?
At the heart of you business, you have a driving force. Perhaps it’s a set of values, an ideal, maybe a mission statement.
For some, it could be a well-developed employer brand. For the Simon Sinek fans, it could be your “Why.” Just like the heart, this part is crucial. It should drive your business in almost every way. Your business has a heart. Next question …
Does Your Business Have a Vascular System?
You have your business heart, full of vision and vigor, but do you have any way of carrying that message through the rest of the business body?
As we established in far-too-graphic detail earlier, without the vascular system, the heart’s job is moot and the body dies. So, how do you ensure your business has a strong method of carrying that message to all extremities, vital and non-vital, big and small?
For most businesses, this is accomplished with a solid internal communications plan.
Internal Communications Plans are Vital
For your business to thrive, you will need an effective plan. In fact, your business may die without one. An internal communications plan is the vascular system of your business.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, many businesses overlook the impact of a successful internal communications strategy. According to Gallup, less than 30% of employees believe in the values of the company they work for. Without effective internal communications, it becomes easy to see why.
Regardless of how strong your values are at the heart of your business, they will exist in a vacuum if you cannot relay them effectively to Amanda in Accounting, Derek in HR, Anthony in Sales, etc. Lacking that vascular-value connection, employees become disengaged and before long, “staffing gangrene” is bound to kick in.
Good internal communications plans do more than keep folks in an email chain. An effective internal communication strategy:
- Ensures your message is carried to all parts/extremities of the business
- Builds trust and engagement
- Cultivates a strong company culture
By developing a strong internal communications plan, you keep employees engaged and sustain your company’s values. You keep the blood flowing. Which is vital, because I think we can all agree, the alternative is quite gruesome.
For ideas to further improve your company’s internal communications, check out Imaginasium’s article How to Create an Effective Internal Communication Strategy & Plan with 13 Best Practices.
Image via GDJ on pixabay, CC0
Adam Kraus, a digital marketer, forges the collision of data and creativity into effective B2B marketing solutions. He can be found on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Leave A Comment