Internal Communication

What does one mean by internal communication?
Most of the time it is understood to be the chit chat happening with a certain group of people within the company. many people should I say the people who "run" the company in more lay man terms feel that it is "Not" so important to have internal communication. I have my experiences, but that's all left behind now.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION IS THE BACKBONE OF THE COMPANY AND A TRUE MEASURE OF THE COMPANY"S PERFORMANCE

Why is internal communication so important?
It is a fact that proper communication makes life easy. The best to convey thoughts is by channelizing and communicating them. However this needs to be done in a proper manner. With so much of advancement in technology, communication mediums its far more easier to have a proper internal communication channels and mediums.

What are the mediums that can be used for Internal Communications and their role?

Intranet: A very good medium to set up a internal communication channel to relay or broadcast information to everyone. However it should be noted that this may not be available to everyone but to those who have access to computers.

Newsletters: This serves as a a very good medium to broadcast news and information regarding changes within the company or expected changes, client news, shareable financial news or just plain happenings of around the world that effect the company in some way. These can be either online or printed and distributed or posted on notice boards.

General Meetings: Periodic meetings of all staff together or in groups for general awareness and communication. These meetings need to be kept separate for project, quality, procedure etc. meetings. These meetings require only a certain amount of participation. General meetings on the other hand requires all the members (entire company or groups with members from different teams) to be participating.

Blogs or Wikis: Technology and Web 2.0 has enabled people to be more communicative. Certainly blogs and wikis have taken the level of communication a level higher than previously done by the web. Now the communication can be both ways from the communicator to the audience and vice versa.

There are some very important communications that need to happen all the time:
Crisis Communication: This heads the list. Crisis communication MUST be done first hand. To all levels of the staff members. Its not just about telling everyone about the crisis, this is also an event to bond with the staff. How? If you treat the staff members as a family, then it is obvious that only true family members will stand up during the crisis situation. However it needs to be evaluated very critically as all members standing through the crisis are not as real as they seem, they are just there for their personal benefit.

Executive Communication: Frequent communication by the top notch executives or officers, regarding high level happenings client acquisitions and also failures (very important). Its very important do provide direction to the company and its not possible for the officers to communicate with everyone all the time. Its understandable however it is important that there is "Communication" from the top tier at all times.

Bottom line, let your staff know what you are upto, Good things and Bad ... this will acquire trust and there will be longer running staff...

Next post: External Communication

Workplace

Workplace is such an important factor in the company's well being. Its "the place" where everyone working spend half of their lifetime. May be in the same company or different.

Environment
The Workplace environment must be conducive for productivity, productivity in the sense, every minute spent by the workforce must create value. The environment plays a major role creating value withing and outside the company. Its very important that everyone within the company is aware of everything and everyone within the company. This is possible only through proper communication and transparency. Adequate communication and proper transparency ensures that every employee is aware of the happenings within the company. IT is most important that every employee feels like coming to work rather than drags himself or herself to work.

Cleanliness, Security and Employee Benefits (other)
Another important factor that needs to be taken care is cleanliness. The work place inside and outside MUST be absolutely clean. This means the actual work area, toilets, bathrooms, common rooms, pantry, the entire premise. This creates a healthy environment and healthier employees.

Security is one aspect of your company that needs urgent attention all the time. What does security truly mean? Does it mean to have a Guard at your Gate 24 X 7? Well No. It means that there is internal security that is security of the employees in terms of their physical security as well security of the clients materials provided. Security also means taking care of physical well being of your employees. For example: Fire hazard training, training on usage of premise (the premise must be well marked with information in all areas), information on all departments. Not just once but every time the opportunity arises or at a certain frequency

Employee benefits is like an every day "perk". Clean drinking water, tea /coffee, snacks. How does it make a difference? This takes the company from being just a company to being a "Family". However this must be extended to each and everyone equally. I have been through an experience where though it was termed the company being a family, only a select few had the privileges. Obviously I was not one of them. Didnt really make any difference, however I saw my colleagues who used to fret on this and the result was shown on their performance. For me they were always performing a step below their actual capability.

Workplace Ethics
Wow! another important and interesting factor. It is rather the most important factor. Workplace ethics not only means to dress properly or behave properly. It goes beyond these factors. And most importantly it needs to be observed by each member right from the Senior Management to the all levels of the workforce. For example if it is mandatory that all employees have an identity card and must be visible at all times in the premises, IT IS A MUST that everyone has it. IF there are designated areas for employees, like for example smoking zones etc. they need to be applicable to all.

Next Post Communication: Internal

People Management

WORKFORCE
I have not been through many companies. I was for 9 long years in my previous company, however I had many experiences. And the current company that I working for, is an all new experience.

There is an important fact that I learn't through all the 9 years, 3 years prior to that and now in a new era altogether. The most important factor about making a company, being a company and making it successful,are the people.

Who are the people that make the company and their rating according to me on the scale of 1-5, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.

Top Management -- 3
Middle Management -- 3
Workforce -- 5+

Maybe because I have been very close to the workforce. Not that I have not been close to the Middle Management or Senior Management. I have been a part of Middle to Senior Management team.

However lets look at the structure or rather the composition of the structure. "The Pyramid"

The Senior Management is almost 5% of the company's total population
The Middle Management is almost 10% of the company's total population.
The workforce is almost 80% to 85% of the company's total population.

So majority of the people are part of the workforce hence welfare of the workforce is the most important factor. I have always believed that keeping the workforce together, motivating them, and rewarding them is the highest priority makes the company grow.

Keeping the Workforce Together

This I feel, needs to be on top of everything. A company that Works Together, Stays Together, GROWS Together. The company, in all circumstances in all stages of the life cycle of any project whether external or internal MUST be together. Team work and ample contribution from each team member ensures that all projects are taken to completion. This calls for every team member been taken care of.

So how does one take care of the team.

Motivating the Workforce

It is Ultra important that all members of the team are motivated at all times. Managing a team whether large or small is an uphill task. Keeping them motivated at all times is further more difficult. At any given moment of time the mental and physical status of each and every member is not the same. It needs to be recognized and managed accordingly. Recognition is one of the most important factor of motivating the team members. And not just recognition helps, recognition at the right time and acknowledgment at the right time is as important. How does one recognize a team member?

Rewarding the Workforce
Rewarding the workforce is also a major factor of making a company grow. Rewarding can be look at as multi -faceted activity. Rewarding can be in terms of Monetary, Emotional and/or Material.

Monetary Rewards--Can be in the form of Salary Review to a higher scale, one time monetary review like bonuses or plans like retirement plans, or money saving plans.
Emotional Rewards--Can be in the form of growth within the company, by promoting to higher designation.
Material rewards--Can be in the form necessary materials being given out as rewards, or rewards that normally a person would not acquire in day to day life

Next post: Workplace