The Inside Story. What Internal Communicators in every organization need to know: tools, resources, how-to's, issues, strategies, and plans. Find me on Twitter @kzinke
"This new tool is a comprehensive community resource created to simplify the science of IC. It captures the essential elements of IC and collates them all in one place to help people strategise, plan, problem-solve and communicate.
The Periodic Table of IC began as a simple listing of elements, and things have certainly moved on. Now communicators can dig deeper into each of these elements to discover, research and explore resources."
This article links to and summarizes what you will find on the website Elements of IC. The content is split into the following seven categories containing over 150 elements - all leading to a number of related links, articles, videos, visuals and podcasts from diverse sources:
Strategy
Objectives
Themes
Audiences
Formats
Channels
Metrics
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
I am so excited to see this new iteration! And it's not finished yet. You're invited to submit sources and new elements on the website.
"We're looking to define the building blocks of IC and create an interactive resource for comms pros to jump start discussions and plans, helping to spark ideas and create compelling communications."
Access this page to download the internal communications periodic table created by Chuck Gose and Alive with Ideas. The elements are presented across seven separate sections:
Strategy
Objectives
Themes
Audiences
Formats
Channels
Metrics
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Nicely done! Very handy to see all these items listed on one page. See any missing elements? You're invited to submit your suggestion on the Elements of IC webpage.
"This checklist tool will enable you to start planning for a successful project that meets your business needs, right from the start.
This framework can by used by anyone - internal communicators planning their own projects, or others across the business who ought to answer these questions before meeting with Internal Communication to talk about their comms project."
Access the article to view and download a copy of the checklist.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
The checklist includes 12 things to look for when beginning a new communications project. Sending it to the lead prior your initial meeting would be very helpful as they will be better prepared.
"At the Digital Workplace Group (DWG), we’ve developed a framework called the content wheel to help IC practitioners take a more structured and systematic approach to content, messaging and news across the organization.
This framework can help you make more informed and intentional decisions about your content, audience and channels.
Similar to a colour wheel – where the complementary colours red and green are opposite one another – the content wheel puts opposing pairs of messages opposite one another, e.g. Push and Pull. For each content “pair” we give a description, examples and recommendations."
Read the full article to take a walk around the content wheel and look at the different kinds of content and messages we send on a daily basis in large organizations and when to use which for:
Campaign vs Evergreen
Global vs Local
Push vs Pull
Micro vs Macro
User-Generated vs Official
Informational vs Actionable
Internal vs External
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Here’s a framework for internal communications practitioners to help them take a more structured and systematic approach to content, audiences and digital channels across the organization.
Make sure you build a structured process for picking the right message for the right audience and the right channel. Map out all your available channels and audiences. And use DWG
s content wheel to talk with your stakeholders about content.
"Every week I am contacted by professional communicators worldwide who ask my opinion as they are on the hunt for books on internal communication, social media, PR and employee engagement.
I’ve published my annual recommendations in the form of Amazon lists on my blog since 2009 and highlighted the books I’ve contributed to. Today I’ve decided to share my recent purchases with you to help you choose."
Read the full article to find out more about Rachel's top picks from 2014.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
I would also recommend taking a look at this post by Rachel
"It’s against human nature to react favorably to change because it takes people out of their comfort zone. How have you seen people react to changes in their work? The typical reaction is resistance. Such resistance can often sabotage the best efforts of management to drive change throughout the organization. It even happens when managers are diligent communicators and active in the communication process.
When change initiatives fail, the culprit is often a lack of good communication from management. But that’s not always the whole story. Communication isn’t just about what management says – it’s also about how employees listen."
Read the full article to find out more about these core messages which your communications needs to identify:
The nature of the transformational change itself
The process of changing from the current state to the future state
What role will I play in the change process
Where is the resistance to change
How will the change affect me
Communication is paramount
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
All communicators should be well versed in change management strategies and techniques. Communication is typically the reason whether change is accepted or not. Internal communicators can help develop the plan and work with leadership on developing their communication skills.
On Torben's website, he has a whole category dedicated to change management. It's an incredible resource that I'd highly recommend checking out. It includes articles like:
"Gatehouse's Ian Harris gave a talk at Google Campus in London recently on how to find stories to hook your audience."
The session is called 'Storytelling for Startups', and shows how to
find stories and make them relevant to your audience. It shows you how to use Amazon, Reddit, and Quora to find interesting stories to
get your audience's attention - and how to 'bridge' out of them into the thing you really want to talk about.
Watch the whole video or visit the YouTube page to access the quick links to jump to one of these sections:
Intro - how to find stories
Story example - Van Halen and the Brown M&Ms
Why stories are important
How to develop a system for finding stories
Story resource #1 -- Amazon Highlights
Story resource #2 -- Reddit
Story resource #3 -- Quote
Story resource #4 -- Factlets.com
Story resource #4& #5 -- Factlets.com and NowIKnow.com
Checking for truth
How to bridge
Putting the story first
Three channels for stories
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Earlier this year I scooped the beginning of a 3 part series of Ian's that looks like this training session was built from. Be sure to check out those brief videos and downloadable resources that cover:
How to Use Amazon to Find Great Writing ‘Hooks’… for Free!
Bridges: How to Effortlessly Connect Any Story With Almost Any Business Message
Hooks and Bridges: Watch As We Connect It All Together
"Welcome to the IC Space, the place for Internal Communication professionals across government. The information in the IC Space has been pulled together to help you deliver excellent government communications. In each chapter you will find top tips, basic tools, case studies and best practice examples to help you do your job more effectively.
There will be a regular blog from colleagues across government and the private sector where you can also share your thoughts and views. This is your toolkit so please use it and get involved."
Access the site to find lots of great information and follow their blog.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Lots of great information here that an internal communicator from any organization can use. Take a look at this earlier article I scooped to find out about the rational behind behind this toolkit and the centralizing of internal communications in the UK government.
"On 19 July, 2011, a radiant group of over 150 professional communicators gathered in London for the annual Melcrum Member Event, to write the ultimate guide to internal communications. Hundreds of ideas were generated in just 40 minutes.
Through hands-on involvement, this team of experts co-created this definitive guide, packed with loads of tips and advice. But we didn’t want to stop there!
To add some real quality and relevance to this guide, we felt it would be useful to include some real life examples and case studies for each of the chapters, again provided by the experts, all of which are included in this book."
Click on the link on this page to gain immediate access to this guide which covers:
How not to do it! Ways to disengage, alienate and confuse your employees
Useful ideas for getting senior stakeholder alignment
How to help middle managers get on-board and take ownership
Making the most of face-to-face communication
The state of the art in business jargon: what’s the latest in meaningless Management speak?
Great ways to accelerate change
Ensuring social media is helping to drive business performance
Ways to waste money: advice on minimising Roi
How to keep your programme alive and sustain results in the medium term?
Mission / Vision statements that make a difference: our favourites
"Employee communication is changing rapidly as new social media tools evolve and impact the workplace. Employees and other internal audiences are key ambassadors and reaching them today is both challenging and rewarding when done right. Navigate the world of workplace communication and employee engagement including internal communications planning, best practices, tips and resources."
Wonderful and highly inspirational video. Reminds us all to strive for authentic and purposful communication. So chose your words wisely. They are extremely powerful.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
A favourite video of mine. I've watched it many a time when I need a reminder that what I do as a communicator is important. For a interesting tidbit on the back story to this video, read Karen Dietz's March 12 comment below.
I'm sharing this courtesy of Karen Dietz and Ken Mikkelson - which only proves how worthwhile it is to check out what other people are discovering and writing about on the web. Karen's take is that of a storyteller -business person. Mine is as an artist; where communication is essential and has the potential to be equally compelling. How can we as artists strive for authentic and purposeful communication?
I will hazard a guess that compelling artwork begins in my head as an idea, migrates down through my chakras/system to my heart, where it engages me emotionally, and then lifts unstoppably into my Will - or throat - where it manifests as a proclamation of what I intend to make next.Perhaps that part is sometimes a silent proclamation, but when it happens I know it.
Does your Artist Self recognize this chain of events in you? If not, pay closer attention next time an idea arises and see where it leads.
Thanks to Karen and Ken for a big lift to my afternoon!
We’ve gathered a great selection of corporate communication tips, resources and best practices for your information. You’ll find articles and links on PR planning, change communication, corporate positioning, corporate social responsibility and reputation management. Everything for the corporate communicator.
"As an internal communicator a crucial part of your role is likely to be supporting and guiding a colleague through a comms challenge. They want your insight and expertise. That’s why they’ve asked for your input, isn’t it?
So when someone approaches you, how do you guide them through the ever-evolving world of comms? What do you get them to think about? And what is the opportunity for you personally and the comms team?"
Read the full article to find out more about these tips grouped by:
Shaping how comms can help
Input from our network
Other useful thoughts/tips/best practice ideas
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
What a wonderful treasure trove! Communicators are taking on more of an advisor and coaching role. Be sure to bookmark this article as it provides so many ways for you to help others with their communication requests and challenges.
Everyone in the industry knows it needs to happen but few are measuring the outcomes of our internal communications efforts. Fewer still are happy with their ability to extract useful information from what they are measuring.
Read the full article to find out more about these four facts about measuring internal comms and to download a report containing some of the standard metrics Newsweaver uses to report on campaign success and activity:
The number of internal communicators measuring activity declined in 2014
The successful use of measurement is low
Communicators are settling for what they can measure, not what they ought to measure
Measurement is vital to getting a seat at the strategic table
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Be sure to download the report linked to at the end of the article - it's a great item for your toolkit. I like that it's set-up so you can easily update it on a monthly basis. And it brings together a number of measurements into a well laid out format.
"Our guide to great communication skills from an internal employee perspective: Covering strategy, engagement, planning, tools and skills. This is the manual we use with our clients to ensure they get, support and do what they need to from a communication perspective to deliver the business agenda."
View the presentation above to find out more about the sections of this 117 guide which cover:
big picture thinking
planning focused on outcomes not outputs
communication roles
personal skills and attributes
a toolkit
You can also view (and print) the 2015 version of this as a flipbook. Sourced from warwickers.com.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
What a wonderful resource. This useful guide is about doing more of the right things and developing great habits. It dips into strategic and tactical communication why and hows plus some of the skills required to effectively communicate. Lots of tips to help you help others improve their communication skills based on their role in the organization.
Your company’s tone of voice — how the character of your business comes through in the words you write — can make a lasting impression on anyone who reads your content. Whether it’s formal or casual, punchy or flowing, think of your tone of voice as part of your company’s DNA or fingerprint.
Watch Your Tone! Why Your Company’s Tone of Voice Matters, and How to Get it Right takes you step-by-step through the process of developing your tone of voice.
As Ann Handley notes in her foreword to this eBook, “Watch Your Tone! offers valuable advice on how you can create your own corporate voice — a unique, instantly recognizable style for all your content, that lets you speak with one voice and stand out from the crowd.” Those companies that get it right will have an important competitive advantage."
Read the full article to find out more about the importance of tone and access the link to download this free ebook which covers:
introducing tone of voice
identifying your brand values
defining your tone of voice
rolling out your tone of voice
tone of voice worksheets
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
What a great resource! If you're struggling to figure out (or explain to the powers that be) the best tone to use in or outside of your company, this free ebook (59 pages) is worthwhile downloading. It shows examples of what each tone would look like, why you should use each one, why it matters, and provides a bunch of worksheets, including how to figure out what tone is best for you and then how to develop it.
Want more? Acrolinx has also done a series of blog posts on the topic. So far there have been 4 posts:
"Some aspects of organizational culture are visible on the surface, like the tip of an iceberg, while others are implicit and submerged within the organization. Because these ingrained assumptions are tacit and below the surface, they are not easy to see or deal with, although they affect everything the organization does. Dealing with organizational barriers. It is better to be mindful of things below the surface!"
Read the full article to get a closer look at this image and get a better understanding of what's happening below the surface when you initiate a change.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
In many organizations, change is constant. Before embarking on a change management initiative, check out these supporting articles:
"Innovative approaches and creative ways to reinvigorate stuffy processes are running themes through this month's top 5 article round-up. Get inspiration for your own projects and programs right here."
Read the full article to gain access to these five articles:
Agility: The answer to your Internal Communication challenges. What organizational structure is best for my Internal Communication team?
What is smarter employee engagement? Employee Engagement is at the heart of Internal Communication's everyday efforts..
Finding your way in the Digital Workplace. In this digital playlist we take a closer look at how digital communication is changing the business landscape and how IC needs to adapt.
How to use technology for instant employee recognition. Telefónica looks at the importance of understanding the need to meet external expectations of immediacy internally with its new app approach to employee recognition.
An essential guide to crisis communication: Principles, escalation and storage. How you approach a crisis has lasting consequences for employees, leaders and your organization's internal and external brand.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Be sure to check out the lead page synopsis in the above article as each has links to further related reading that you won't find in the individual articles.
"The search terms people use to get to my blog reveal that readers are looking for definitions to help them understand all things internal communication related.
What is internal communication? What does ‘copy’ mean and what does ESN stand for? You’re in the right place to find out.
This page aims to demystify and unlock some of the phrases and acronyms commonly associated with the profession. Many are my own explanations, some are the most-common descriptions or I’ve cited references. Some are colloquial, but I’m sure will sound familiar to many comms pros."
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
This is a great reference guide. Be sure to bookmark it.
Watch the full video to find out Ian's new 'secret weapon' - a hidden part of Amazon's website that lets you spy on the best parts of most books for free. It's GREAT for finding those little stories and anecdotes that keep people glued to your writing.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Be sure to check out the Gatehouse website to access upcoming videos in this series (the next one is on bridges you can drop into your writing) as well as download a pdf on 5 Hook Findin' Resources.
And if you haven't already, sign up for the Gatehouse email newsletter. You'll receive fresh internal comms tips and tactics in your inbox. Ian's emails are always bright and brief!
"Simply communicate is a community for internal communications professionals. We started publishing in June 2005 and have since gradually grown to 20,000 registered members. Since September 2009, the service is completely free to use.
We have thousands of articles, case-studies and reports on various issues revolving around internal communications, social media, employee engagement and the internal stories of multinational companies across the globe."
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
There are a number of toolkits/articles in this section. You'll find information on intranets, digital media, and social media strategies, to name a few. To access most, you do need to join (free).
Be sure to check out other sections like case studies and follow them on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
A manager's guide to communicating with employees. This guide provides very practical suggestions to help you decide how best to communicate with staff in different situations.
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
This is my all time favourite internal communications guide Doesn't hurt that it's Canadian. It's well laid out and provides some very easy to understand and implement advice. The quick guide sums up the the whole document. And the plain language section is worthy of note. An impressive guide for a provincial government to put together and support.
"Come here to find articles related to office etiquette, corporate communications, and HR."
Kim Zinke (aka Gimli Goose)'s insight:
Another way to access Ragan Communications (www.ragan.com) articles. Ragan delivers practical advice, real-world solutions and field-tested strategies for today's corporate communicator.
To get content containing either thought or leadership enter:
To get content containing both thought and leadership enter:
To get content containing the expression thought leadership enter:
You can enter several keywords and you can refine them whenever you want. Our suggestion engine uses more signals but entering a few keywords here will rapidly give you great content to curate.
Your new post is loading...
I am so excited to see this new iteration! And it's not finished yet. You're invited to submit sources and new elements on the website.
Kudos to Alive with Ideas and Chuck Gose!