Over the course of my communications career – too many years to mention, practicing in both agency and in-house environments – I am often surprised by the lack of communication among communications professionals. While we strive to develop strategic and effective communications for outward facing audiences, all too often we fail to communicate within our own organizations.

Today we know that for any company to be successful it needs to clearly communicate its brand and culture to its employees. By doing so, companies can provide an understanding of expectations and encourage greater individual autonomy within the organization. The effort to communicate – not just from top to bottom, but laterally – helps to improve employee morale and productivity, positively impacting the company’s bottom line.

Even if a company thinks it has the best intentions for encouraging communication and collaboration, it sometimes encounters barriers that prevent the sharing of information among peers. While the list of challenges to an internal communications effort is long, some of the worst offenders include territoriality over projects or activities, rivalry in competitive environments that pit teams or individuals against one another, and a general lack of motivation to communicate with peers that we may not know as well as others or have contact with regularly. Additional barriers to sharing and receiving information include personal values, generational and personality differences, gender and unrelated “noise” from individual personal lives such as family responsibilities, looming financial and social obligations, and the like.

While there is no “one size fits all” solution to the challenges impacting internal communications, here are a few tips to kick-start your effort to create an environment that encourages communication and collaboration:

Set the Tone During the Hiring Process

Before my first day at Communiqué PR, my bosses encouraged me to read the agency blog and provided expectations and historical information about the company that helped me to better understand the culture within the organization.

Talk it Out

During my first week, I enjoyed valuable 1:1 meetings where I was given with the agency’s mission and vision statements, reinforcing my understanding of the agency’s culture. During the meeting I received an individualized Performance Effectiveness Plan that outlined my responsibilities and allowed me to set specific, personal goals. The 1:1 meetings continue on a weekly basis, allowing me to revisit goals with my supervisor and to communicate any work-related concerns I might have. It’s my meeting and I set the agenda.

As a manager, I also believe it’s important to share with members of my teams the “bigger picture” objectives for the clients with whom we’re working. Limiting my colleagues’ knowledge to only “need to know” information encourages distance rather than engagement. Sharing broader objectives encourages individuals to be creative and feel confident exploring and suggesting strategies and tactics that are valuable to our overall effort.

Meet Your Team

Meetings are not a new concept, but in an agency environment where client service takes priority, sometimes internal communications get lost at the bottom of our to-do lists. Team meetings need to remain a priority. At Communiqué PR, we hold twice-monthly management and team lunch meetings during which everyone has the opportunity to share information about client activities and receive updates on agency business. Often, these discussions generate valuable brainstorming sessions among members and shed light on opportunities and challenges that may not have already been considered.

Get a Little Closer
Familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt; familiarity can encourage collaboration where it might otherwise be lacking. Get to know your peers during informal company-sponsored events and social activities. If your company doesn’t already have a plan in place for fun, team-building activities, offer to take ownership of planning these and encourage your peers to participate. Take a colleague out for coffee and learn more about their background and values. Building relationships with one another makes us more likely to offer help to a colleague when it’s most needed – none of us is in this game alone.

Use Your Tools

Technology has provided excellent tools for internal communications. The most obvious and a great way to back-up verbal communications is to send an email. Additionally, collaboration tools such as Smartsheet, help our team to organize, coordinate, prioritize and delegate client activities and company business.

Celebrate Your Success

Last but certainly not least, take time to celebrate your successes – no matter how small. Did you get that certain writer to respond to your pitch with interest? Success! Did the story actually get placed? Success! Did the client actually compliment you for a job well done? Success! When your colleagues are successful in their efforts, celebrate with them.  Showing your interest in the efforts of your colleagues will go a long way in building relationships that ultimately result in better collaboration and communication and success for your company.