Our new Communicating for Engagement report, based on research conducted with uber engagement, reveals that internal communication practice has improved considerably in many
organisations in the past five years. At the same time many practitioners are keen to improve it even more by focusing on communication that directly supports employee engagement, as set out by MacLeod and Clarke in the Engaging for Success report published in 2009.
However, there are two significant obstacles preventing continuing development in practice:
- Senior managers don’t always appreciate that internal communication, if practised strategically, will improve employee engagement
- Though keen in principle to develop practice, many internal communication practitioners are reluctant to push the boundaries.
As one focus group participant put it: “Internal communications practitioners are not brave enough”. Opening up internal communication to provide employees with more of a voice is going to be very challenging in some organisations. So, quite naturally, internal communicators sometimes back away from going down this path.
This is not to decry the critical importance of keeping employees informed through professional, timely, relevant communication which is what most internal communicators spend most of their time on. It’s just to say that on its own this is never going to shift employee engagement that much.
We’ll be talking to senior managers in 2012 to get their side of the story. In the meantime, how brave are we, as an emerging profession, prepared to be to move practice on to another, more strategic, level?
To read the full report go to www.pracademy.co.uk
Introduction
Additional subtitle
Exploring Internal Communication has been put together by academics and
practitioners as a way of bringing latest theoretical thinking and practice together
in one book.
It is both a companion for Chartered Institute of Public Relations
qualifications in internal communication and a general introduction to the fast
developing fields of internal communication and employee engagement.
Chapters 6-10
Additional subtitle
Part two of the book starts with chapters on research and planning. It then explores
the fundamentals for organisational tone of voice and provides a new converged
approach to using social media for internal communication.
It concludes by
examining the way that the role of the internal communicator is evolving and the
requirements for being a business partner.
Chapters 1-5
Additional subtitle
Part one of the book starts with exploring culture before examining the way that
management is evolving.
Communication and engagement theories are covered
and a new approach to internal communication is outlined.
Change is a theme
throughout, whether it is changing culture, managing change, communicating in
change or changing the way we think about internal communication.