The benefits of an effective internal communication are clear to most managers nowadays: it paves the way to profit and prestige.
However, internal communication can also give managers sleepless nights, since it is not always clear what practices they need to implement to make the messages spread and stick.
Why? Because internal communication is complex and difficult to orchestrate.
Here are 3 reasons why an Employee Communication Platform can overcome that challenge – and give your boss sweet dreams at night.
1. IT GATHERS STRATEGIC MESSAGES AND INFORMATION IN ONE PLACE
An Employee Communication Platform is like a working encyclopedia within a pocket’s reach for all organizational members – no matter the time or place. It gathers all ‘need-to-know’ and ‘nice-to-know’ in one mobile device.
That includes all strategic messages from strategy, mission, vision, and values to news, information, activities, and results.
Therefore, a Communication Platform makes it possible for the management to tell what has happened, what goal they are aiming for, and how every organizational member can add value to that journey.
An Employee Communication Platform not ‘only’ creates the basis for good formal communication, but is also a forum where informal communication – meaning unplanned communication and social interaction – can take place across levels and departments. This is just as important as formal communication since good informal communication stimulates knowledge sharing.
2. IT ENCOURAGES Knowledge sharing and teamwork
Knowledge is the heart of your business. It is an intangible asset that grows in value all the time – and therefore makes your brand unique and competitive.
But if knowledge is silent and not shared, it will never unleash its full potential and create added value to the organization. This is often the case in organizations where employees don’t meet and talk to colleagues outside their own department on a daily basis.
An employee communication platform can help to pump out and spread knowledge to every corner of the organization. The reason is that the platform works as a (digital) meeting place that breaks down barriers and silos, puts a name and personality on the person behind the title, and makes relations flourish. And when employees interact and get to know each other, they tend to share knowledge in the form of expertise, experiences, inspiration, new perspectives, customer stories, feedback, and eye-openers.
Within a short period of time, the employees will realize the value of ongoing (interdisciplinary) teamwork and how they in unison can turn their knowledge into gold. Literally.
3. IT ENSURES happier employees – and Happier cUstomers
All your brilliant minds behind the screens may have spotted a synergistic effect that an employee platform creates when it makes formal and informal communication go hand in hand.
And yes, you are absolutely right.
When management messages are clear, accessible, and searchable, employees know how to complete their tasks in accordance with the overall strategy. And when the employees have a platform where they can align expectations, learn from each other and make each other excel, it minimizes double work, misunderstandings, and frustrations.
Altogether, this obviously creates more room for tasks that ensure job satisfaction, high performance, and success experiences for the individual.
Since every employee brings his or her valuable ‘piece to the puzzle’, the outcome is a complete, customized product that meets – and exceeds – the customers’ expectations. Always remember that effective internal communication doesn’t happen magically. After all, no communication platform is that good on its own.
In order to harvest the benefits – and profits – from successful internal communication, it makes sense to use your communication platform as the first step to creating an open communication climate that encourages your employees to engage.
