When most people think about communications, it’s often tied into some sort of sale. That could be product marketing, or marketing linked to sales goals. It’s the most obvious marketing because we are usually the targets of those campaigns!
What people don’t consider is that these tactics are external communications, and on the other side of the coin is internal communications. Many businesses do not realise that the way they talk to their teams and the way they empower their employees to talk to each other is all about internal communications.
Although internal communications may not be prioritised and many tech start-ups do not have an internal communications policy, that doesn’t mean that the company isn’t still delivering internal comms. For example, if you use Trello, Slack, WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, Google Hangout, or even have an office, you are communicating internally!
It is already happening, so it’s time to make it happen better.
Why are internal communications so important?
Internal communications may not directly bring you sales and so it’s easy to de-prioritise them, but here at OggaDoon HQ, we believe that internal communications have a critical part to play in productivity, creativity, and efficiency.
Productivity
It’s almost impossible for individuals and teams to be productive without clear internal communication guidelines. In a business with clear internal communication, individuals know their own responsibilities and what is expected of them, making it far more likely they will deliver what is needed and on time. By taking ownership of their workload, they will increase their own productivity.
A beneficial side effect of strong internal communication is that employees will be aware of what others in the business are doing, so if they spot an opportunity to help them, they can.
Creativity
Without a considered approach to internal communications, businesses will see creativity dip. This is critical in tech businesses, where creative problem solving can be the difference between beating out your competitors or falling behind.
Teams who have a good culture of open and encouraging conversation are by definition going to be more creative. People will share different ways of thinking, adn positively challenge assumptions in others, leading to new approaches and new ideas. When you have a business in which no one is afraid to bring ideas to the table, you can start to get the very best from everyone.
Efficiency
a team who communicates well will swiftly become more efficient. It becomes easier to make quick decisions, and the ongoing communication wll build the team dynamic so that there is an understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
It also means that updates to company policies can be shared immediately, and positive changes and pivots for the business can be made at once.
Every business will need to consider what internal communications they are most comfortable with. Does the CEO want to send around a monthly newsletter to all employees? Is there a Slack channel specifically for announcements? Is there a weekly open forum for anyone to bring any issues or concerns?
You need to think what is going to work best for your business and your team, and that may mean updating your internal communications strategy every six months or so.
If you don’t have an internal communications strategy, then you need to put one in place now.
Disagree with me? Email Claire now!
Shona Wright
Shona covers all things editorial at TechSPARK. She publishes news articles, interviews and features about our fantastic tech and digital ecosystem, working with startups and scaleups to spread the word about the cool things they're up to.
She also oversees TechSPARK's social media, sharing the latest updates on everything from investment news to green tech meetups and inspirational stories.
