How to “do” internal communications

Kurt Solomon

CN&CO’s Kurt Solomon recently addressed a group of insurance brokers at the CIB Broker Session on the power and importance of internal communication in building a brand. Here are his top 5 tips to ensure success:

1. There is no scientific formula or secret recipe

Read as much as you can on how other people do it, then decide what’s best for the organisation you’re doing it for. Something you read might resonate with you, or you might decide to do it in a completely new way. You need to adapt to your own environment, the people around you and the specific challenges you face.

2. Know the people you’re communicating with

The easiest way to do this is to talk to as many people as possible – preferably face-to-face. It’s easy in this day and age to bang out a couple of emails, tick the box, and move on. But if you have a personal rapport with the individuals in your organisation, your messages are far more likely to be heard and acted on. Connect with the connectors. Encourage people to learn about each other. Help people to talk, laugh, have fun and find joy at work – together. This will have a positive impact on the bottom line – no doubt about it.

3. Your people are your brand

Clients and potential clients are way more likely to believe and listen to your people than any number of billboards, TV ads or mail shots. So it’s important that your team is on-side, happy, informed and empowered to talk about your organisation – otherwise they could do some real damage to your brand! It’s also vital for business leaders to live the brand and portray the right image to staff. This has a contagious effect on others.

4. Informal works best

In my experience, as soon as you start getting all formal and overly business-like, people start disengaging. The more informal you can be – i.e. keep it real! – the more you’re heard and understood. The world is evolving. People don’t accept the status quo. They want and expect more from their workplace. You can help to deliver this.

5. What would YOU expect?

You will hear the CN&CO team saying this a lot: Take what you do seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. Life is too short. When in doubt trust yourself and do what you think is right. If it doesn’t work, change it. If you mess up, fix it.  Do what you would expect x 1000 and if you have tried everything and your people still don’t buy into it, then perhaps they’re the wrong people – or perhaps you’re the wrong person!

Follow @kurtsol89 on Twitter.