Effective Internal Communication Is Everyone’s Job

Internal communication in business is the exchange of information — face-to-face, digitally, or in writing — between all levels of colleagues in an organization.

While leadership sets the tone, internal communication is everyone’s job. Effective internal communication typically leads to more engaged and productive employees, greater trust and transparency, and fewer communication breakdowns. Learn how the right technology can improve internal communication for a stronger workplace culture.

A strong internal communication culture starts with leadership

Communication culture starts at the top. Leadership teams determine an organization’s values and goals, shaping all aspects of company culture — including standard procedures for internal communication — and are responsible for distributing this information to everyone in the workplace.

Slack research found that more than one in four workers don’t feel trusted by their employers. This lack of trust extends to how information circulates within an organization. Leadership must be open about organizational values and share that information directly with employees to build trust and prevent miscommunication.

Create a trust-based environment

Successful work environments are built on a foundation of trust, and workers want more on-the-job transparency. Leadership teams should prioritize open, transparent communication to foster a trust-based work environment.

Gallup estimates that low engagement costs the global economy $8.9 trillion. When employees trust their leaders, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work, which benefits productivity, revenue, and talent retention.

Major announcements should come from leadership

When it comes to big news, honesty is the best policy. Major changes like mergers, reorganizations, or shifts in leadership should always come straight from the top. It’s unsettling for employees to hear about sensitive updates through the news or social media, and can lead to speculation and even resentment.

Poorly handled announcements can hurt employee trust and make it harder for everyone to get on board with the changes. That’s why it’s so important to have a solid communication plan in place. When leadership takes charge of the message, it helps the organization control the narrative, build trust, and reduce confusion.

Personalize internal newsletters

Email newsletters are an excellent way to share important internal updates, including hiring announcements, work anniversaries, culture initiatives, and organizational news.

Human resources teams are often responsible for creating these newsletters, though department heads and leadership may also contribute. Personalizing newsletters with messages from leadership is one way to build rapport with the entire organization.

To ensure newsletters are easily digestible, they should be concise, free of acronyms and jargon, and easy to skim. Consider these questions when creating an internal newsletter:

• How can you communicate your organization’s goals, values, and mission?
• How do current events relate to your organization’s story?
• Which employees deserve recognition for great work or for upholding company values?
• What cultural events are coming up?
• What major initiatives or successes can you highlight?
• What future plans can you announce to rally excitement?

Newsletters are a vital resource, but remember that communication flows in all directions. Always provide information on how employees can ask questions, give feedback, and continue the conversation.

Managers: Keep the lines of communication open

If you’re a manager, you have high visibility into your team’s workflow and the ability to advocate for them. You also have an opportunity to boost internal communication by soliciting and acting on your colleagues’ feedback.

By keeping the lines of communication open between you and your employees, you help them feel respected, valued, and invested in contributing to the organization’s long-term success. Here’s how to achieve this:

1. Encourage open dialogue and feedback

Soliciting honest feedback helps identify what’s working, what’s not, and how you can help. Regular one-on-one meetings are especially important for building trust with introverted employees who may do their best thinking outside of group sessions.

It’s equally important to have an open dialogue at all levels of the company. Everyone should be able to share their thoughts through widely accessible feedback channels. Tools for collecting feedback may include anonymous forms, Slack huddles, surveys, and team meetings.

2. Plan meetings strategically

While team meetings can be time-consuming and may not appeal to every employee, they’re often the most effective way to get everyone on the same page. When scheduling a meeting, set and share an agenda to keep it focused. Give participants the information they need to prepare beforehand and follow up after the meeting with action items and meeting notes.

3. Enhance collaboration across teams

Managers should encourage collaboration not only within their departments but with other teams. Cross-departmental collaboration helps break down silos and connects people who may not always work together, encouraging teamwork and contributing to greater organizational efficiency. When each department understands what the others do and how they can work together to achieve company goals, it can help employees navigate everyday pain points.

4. Recognize and celebrate successes

Being generous with positive feedback and recognizing accomplishments can go a long way in building a culture of appreciation. Logging praise in a shared document or digital hub can help employees feel valued: Documentation increases visibility across teams and communicates success to senior-level managers. Leadership can celebrate team wins and organizational milestones through newsletters, all-hands meetings, and companywide messaging apps.

Navigating challenges in internal communication

Open internal communication encourages collaboration and trust. But when communication is stalled or blocked, it can lead to delays in deliverables, missed deadlines, duplicative work, and more.

Identifying and overcoming common barriers

In today’s global workforce, communication isn’t always smooth sailing. Cultural and generational differences, miscommunication, and technical glitches can all get in the way. Diverse teams bring unique perspectives, and people often have their own preferred ways of communicating — something managers should be mindful of and respect.

Here are five common communication challenges and some tips to work through them:

1. Cultural differences: Managers of diverse teams can create an inclusive environment by modeling mindful verbal and written communication that considers and respects everyone. On an organizational level, invite diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals to host regular anti-bias and cross-cultural training sessions.
2. Generational differences: To meet the needs of a multi-generational team, managers should take the time to understand each member’s personal working styles and preferences before setting general communication expectations.
3. Miscommunication: To minimize confusion and misunderstandings, all communication should be clear, respectful, and professional. Employees should avoid using slang and be mindful of using emoji to not alienate or offend colleagues.
4. Departmental silos: Siloed work, where departments work side-by-side but not together, can inhibit collaboration. It can also lead to communication breakdowns, such as a lack of knowledge-sharing between teams. Encourage cross-departmental bonding through company culture and team-building events, and share staff directories and organizational charts, such as Slack Atlas. This approach allows employees to learn more about the people they work with and creates opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration.
5. Technology malfunctions: Technology is essential to workplace operations and communication, but it’s not without challenges. Complications such as software glitches, network outages, and device malfunctions can arise. Managers can help teams navigate these obstacles by scheduling regular tech training, distributing outage contingency plans, and encouraging regular software updates.

Bridging gaps with technology

Technology should make work easier, not harder. If finding and sharing information within your organization is difficult, you should reevaluate your knowledge management system.

A Gartner survey found that 38% of employees reported receiving excessive communication at their organizations. The report also noted that employees spend nearly 3.5 hours per week wading through irrelevant information. You can unify everything in one place by simplifying your tech stack into Slack, the AI-powered work operating system.

Important tools for communicating and sharing knowledge include:

• Mobile communication apps: Faster than browser-based messaging, mobile communication apps facilitate real-time collaboration no matter where you are. For example, Slack lets you upload documents and files, send asynchronous messages, and even jump on impromptu huddles from your desktop or mobile device.
• Digital collaboration tools: With so much work happening online, digital collaboration tools — like instant messaging and shared workspaces — are essential for communication and knowledge-sharing. However, managers must set expectations for how these tools are used, including best practices for response times and video conferencing etiquette.
• External collaboration tools: It’s important for managers to set external expectations as well. Communicating, collaborating, and sharing knowledge with partners outside of an organization is just as vital to a business’s daily operations. Teams can use tools like Slack Connect to immediately and securely chat directly in Slack, streamlining partner communication without the hassle of emails.

 

Tools and technologies for internal communication

Email and in-person conversations may have worked well in the past, but remote and hybrid work have made faster, more efficient communication necessary. To bridge the gap, companies rely on technology to bring workers together.

Digital platforms and social intranets

Intranets are private networks where only authorized members of an organization can share information and resources. Many businesses use their own intranet, or they may use operating systems like Slack in a similar way. Here’s how digital platforms can improve communication for your business:

• Internal communication: Centralized access to information and people can help remove roadblocks. Slack’s work operating system helps boost transparency with searchable, public channels organized by topic, department, or project. Huddles and canvases make it simple to connect and collaborate with team members.
• Project management: Collaborate seamlessly and reduce context-switching with app integrations for the project management programs you use daily, or use lists to check off action items directly in Slack. Project-specific channels can help streamline communication and keep documents organized in one place.
• Company culture: Create designated channels to encourage social interactions among colleagues. It’s like a digital break room where employees can discuss their interests outside of work, from book clubs to pet pictures.

Mobile communication apps

Work is no longer confined to a desk. Mobile apps are essential for bridging communication gaps for remote and hybrid teams. Here are some key features to look for in a mobile communication app:

• File sharing: Reduce context-switching by sharing files directly in your work operating system. In Slack, you can even pin important documents in channels, threads, and canvases for better visibility and access.
• Video conferencing: Easily collaborate with remote and hybrid colleagues via in-app audio or video conferences.
• Real-time and asynchronous messaging: Avoid unnecessary meetings and share messages when convenient with pre-recorded clips.
• Integration: Integration with your work operating system and third-party apps is essential for uninterrupted communication.
• Ease of use: Choose a solution that’s simple for teams to learn and use, and easy for you to implement. This will make wide-spread adoption more likely.
• Security, privacy, and compliance: Your app should prioritize security and protect your information at every layer, including access controls, data encryption, and industry-specific compliance standards.

 

Developing and implementing an internal communication strategy

Leadership should take a structured, strategic approach to developing internal communications strategies that promote transparency, accessibility, inclusivity, and visibility. They should be documented in a communications plan and shared with all teams.

Consider the following best practices as a foundation for productive internal communication:

• Create a safe environment: Encouraging teams to share ideas openly — without fear of judgement or negative consequences — creates a sense of psychological safety and demonstrates that everyone’s contribution is valued.
• Practice active listening: Show you’re engaged by reacting and responding in real time when communicating with colleagues in person or online. Stay present, avoid distractions, make eye contact, and ask questions.
• Tailor your message: Avoid generalizations, speak directly to your audience, and provide examples as needed. When creating non-verbal communication, such as newsletter content, consider the message’s tone, channel, medium, and goals.
• Share information and solicit feedback: Managers should give employees performance-based feedback regularly and ask for feedback to understand employees’ current wants and needs.

Setting clear goals, measuring effectiveness, and adjusting

Internal communication strategies should reflect your organization’s priorities and values. Use these steps as a framework to determine your communication goals and set expectations:

1. Establish a baseline. Seek to understand the effectiveness of your current internal communications by sending an anonymous survey to everyone in your organization. Use this information to understand current processes, pain points, successes, and breakdowns.
2. Set goals. Once you know what’s working and what could be improved, you can create goals. For example, if departments express frustration about siloed information or a lack of knowledge-sharing, you might decide to have each department give a status update at the next all-hands meeting, and create an accessible shared folder with relevant information.
3. Determine key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs are essential for informing and adjusting strategic communication. Survey data and AI-powered search and summarization tools can help you determine KPIs. Success metrics will vary based on the channel. For example, you can track engagement with newsletters through open and click-through rates.
4. Seek feedback. The best way to measure internal communications’ effectiveness is through data and feedback. Ask employees how satisfied they are with internal communication. Depending on their preference, this can be captured anonymously or publicly. Use their responses to inform future communication strategies.
5. Review and adjust. You should review your communication strategies at least once a year. Based on your goals, KPIs, and employee feedback, create a new baseline, and adjust accordingly.

 

All employees can help build a culture of transparent information-sharing

As an employee, you are your company’s most powerful advocate. If that sounds like a big job, it’s because it is. “How employees feel about the company and what they say publicly are often perceived as more credible, forming the basis of how external stakeholders view the company,” said Linjuan Rita Men, an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Relations at the University of Florida. “That’s why we say a favorable and enduring organizational reputation is built from within.”

When you do well, your company does well. Here are a few ways you can help create a culture of transparency:

Be honest about what’s working and what’s not

Are you getting support, or are you feeling left behind? Which projects do you love working on? Initiate honest conversations with your manager about your work. Alison Green, a Slate writer and author of Managing to Change the World, recommends working with your manager to create a communication system that works for both of you. “Once your system is established, put yourself in charge of making it work — meaning that if your boss cancels a meeting, you should take the lead on rescheduling it,” she said.

Strive for clarity and alignment in your daily work

Internal communication is about information-sharing at every level, even the day-to-day stuff you discuss with your teammates. Here are some ways to help your team stay swimming in the right direction:

• Document decisions and processes in a shared place, like a digital hub or folder that everyone can easily access.
• Create and share documents that will help keep your team informed and aligned. If you like making checklists or other project management material, share them with your teammates.
• Ask for honest feedback from your coworkers after you complete a project. What worked well this time, and what didn’t? Sharing collective knowledge helps everyone improve.
• Block out time to focus on the projects that need your undivided attention. Schedule independent work time on your calendar and let your teammates know if you’re on a deadline.

Share your expertise

What unique skills and perspectives can you offer your coworkers? If you have a special skill or insight, look for ways to contribute to internal blogs, newsletters, lunch-and-learns, or your digital hub. Create Slack channels dedicated to sharing client or project-specific information, industry knowledge, technical processes, and standard operating procedures. While knowledge-sharing can support your professional development, it also strengthens your team and improves your work environment. That’s because many workers value being part of a team or community, and sharing information can help people reach across departmental silos and create more cohesion.

Internal communication is everyone’s job

While leadership sets the tone and standards for internal communication, it’s every employee’s job to help build an open and collaborative communication culture. Strong internal communication is based on mutual respect, feedback, transparency, and accessibility. When communication flows, business results will follow. 

Want to learn more? Discover how Slack helps businesses around the world simplify teamwork for everyone.