Effective internal of communication

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Effective

Internal

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To the late Ian Connell,

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P R I N P R A C T I C E S E R I E S

London and Sterling, VA

Effective

Internal

Communication

Lyn Smith

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Publisher’s note

Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in
this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and authors
cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No
responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining
from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the
editor, the publisher or any of the authors.

First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2005 by Kogan Page
Limited

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism
or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this
publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any

means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of
reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by
the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to
the publishers at the undermentioned addresses:

120 Pentonville Road 22883 Quicksilver Drive
London N1 9JN Sterling VA 20166-2012

United Kingdom USA

www.kogan-page.co.uk
© Lyn Smith, 2005

The right of Lyn Smith to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted
by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN 0 7494 3948 3

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Smith, Lyn.

Effective internal communication / Lyn Smith.
p. cm. — (PR in practice series)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-7494-3948-3

1. Communication in management. 2. Public relations. I. Title. II.
Series.

HD30.3.S577 2005
658.4’5—dc22

2005012626

Typeset by JS Typesetting Ltd, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan

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Contents

About the author xi

About the editor xii

Acknowledgements xiii

Introduction 1

PART 1 SETTING THE SCENE

1. What is internal communication? 7

The history 8
Technology added 11
Where it sits in the organization 12

2. What does it take to be an internal communicator? 15

Where to now for the internal communicator? 16
How others see it 20

3. Your audience – who are they? 22

Front-line staff 22
Supervisors/line managers 23
Senior management/middle management 24
Board/director 24
Voluntary sector – trustees, volunteers, members 25

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At one remove 25
Creatives and specialists 26
Diversity 27
Segmentation – the way ahead 27

4. Theories into practice 29

The four cultures of the organization 30
Process this way or give us a sign 34
Golden Oldie revisited 35
Semiotics – reading the signs 37
Focus on the mass or the individual 38
The individual revisited 39
Shall we dance? The cooperative model 41
Computer-mediated communication and the implications 42

5. Managing internal communication in-house 45

The business case 45
Who does it 46
So human resources or public relations? 51

6. Outsourcing the internal communication function 54

The business case 54
What consultancies can offer 56
Reasons to be cautious 57
Getting the best from your consultancy 58

7. How the legal framework fits in 60

General communication minefields 61
In the workplace itself 65

8. The channels, vehicles and activities 73

What is the message? 73
Face to face – one to one 74
Face to face – en masse 75

Print 77

Broadcast and audio-visual 78
Internet driven 80
Corporate glue – games, etc 81

Events 82

Environment 83
Corporate social responsibility 83

9. Who uses which media for what 86

The manager’s perspective 86

Contents

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Top down – but what about the workers? 87
Ensuring someone is listening 89
Unblocking the blockages 90
Media or symbol? 90
The invisible web 92

10. The receiving end 94

Staff perceptions 94
Is there anybody there? 95
Involvement the key 96
Last on the bandwagon? 96
Give them what they need to do the job 97
The in-house language 98
Upwards communication 98
Conclusions to be drawn 99

11. Communicating with special groups 101

Tapping into cultural diversity 102

The differently abled 103
Age, gender and sexual orientation 105
Working from home or out on the road 106
The unpaid heroes 107
Micro-organizations 109
Conclusions 109

12. The globally dispersed workforce 111

The consultancy approach 115
Things to think about – pan-EMEA and beyond 116

PART 2 GETTING IT RIGHT – PRACTICAL APPLICATION

13. How to do it – setting about communication 121

What your people want to hear 123

14. We can all talk can’t we? Face to face 128

Listening in on easy conversation 128
How others do it 130
Overcoming presentation sickness 132

15. The creative aspects – writing, editing and designing it

yourself 134

Capturing the spark 135
Sparking ideas together 135

Sexing up the mission statement 137

Contents

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Think visually 137
Back to the written word 138
Managing the editorial panel 139
It’s the overall look that counts 140
What to put in 140
The annual report 141

16. Publishing the printed word – the logistical aspects 143

Using the professional typesetter and printer 144
Deploying colour and typeface 145
Pagination and other weighty issues 146

17. Broadcast – do it yourself or call in the experts? 150

Celebrities – home grown or real? 151
Working with the professionals 153

18. Managing change 155

Networks 157
Integrated communication 157

19. Signposting the ether 165

E-mail – getting it right 166

Email – getting it wrong 167
Texting – both pro and con 168
Winding up the intranet 169
Writing online 170
Getting the content right online 171
Intranet of record 173

20. How to measure success 175

Benchmarking 177

Surveys 177

Audits 182

Other ways in 183
Looking back and onwards 183

21. How to make it happen – gone shopping! 185

Starting from scratch 186
Where to look 187
Preparing the brief 188
Interviewing likely contenders 189
So what next? 190
Working with suppliers 191

Contents

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22. Internal communication – the future 193

Job of the future 194
Office of the future 196
New media of the future 197
Function of the future 198
Technology – platform or driver? 199

Appendix 1. Internal communications knowledge and skills 201
Appendix 2. Communications in the public sector – a snapshot 208
Appendix 3. Setting up an internal communications function – things to

consider 211

Appendix 4. Useful addresses 215

References 216

Further reading 219

Index 222

Contents

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PR in Practice Series

Published in association with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Series Editors: Anne Gregory and Gro Elin Hansen

Kogan Page has joined forces with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations to publish
this unique series which is designed specifically to meet the needs of the increasing

numbers of people seeking to enter the public relations profession and the large band
of existing PR professionals. Taking a practical, action-oriented approach, the books in
the series concentrate on the day-to-day issues of public relations practice and
management rather than academic history. They provide ideal primers for all those on
CIPR, CAM and CIM courses or those taking NVQs in PR. For PR practitioners, they
provide useful refreshers and ensure that their knowledge and skills are kept up to
date.

Anne Gregory is one of the UK’s leading public relations academics. She is Director of
the Centre for Public Relations Studies at Leeds Metropolitan University. Before
becoming an academic, Anne spent 12 years in public relations practice and has
experience at a senior level both in-house and in consultancy. She remains involved in
consultancy work and is a non-executive director of South West Yorkshire Mental health
NHS Trust with special responsibility for communication issues. Anne is Consultant
Editor of the PR in Practice series and edited the book of the same name and wroteand
Planning and Managing a Public Relations Campaign, also in this series. She was President
of the CIPR in 2004.

Gro Elin Hansen is the in-house Editor of the PR in Practice series, as well as being
Editor of Profile, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ member magazine.

Other titles in the series:

Creativity in Public Relations by Andy Green

Effective Media Relations by Michael Bland, Alison Theaker and David Wragg
Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations by John Foster

Managing Activism by Denise Deegan
Online Public Relations by David Phillips

Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns by Anne Gregory
Public Relations in Practice edited by Anne Gregory

Public Relations Strategy by Sandra Oliver

Public Relations: A practical guide to the basics by Philip Henslowe

Risk Issues and Crisis Management in Public Relations by Michael Regester and Judy Larkin
Running a Public Relations Department by Mike Beard

Forthcoming titles:

Introduction to Public Affairs by Stuart Thompson and Dr Steve John

The above titles are available from all good bookshops and from the CIPR website
www.cipr.co.uk/books To obtain further information, please contact the publishers at
the address below:

Kogan Page Ltd
120 Pentonville Road
London N1 9JN

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About the author

Lyn Smith has worked as a professional communicator for the bulk of her
30-year career starting out in film publicity, moving to internal
communi-cation in a commercial organization, copywriting and media relations for
a direct marketing agency, and later professional institute public relations.
She then changed direction and moved into newspaper journalism,

becoming responsible for a news team of 15 before returning to public
rela-tions, this time in the National Health Service. From there she set up her
own public relations consultancy and has worked in all sectors, most
recently working with a wide range of not-for-profit organizations.

She has also worked as chief executive of a charity for health and social
care professionals and has lectured on public relations.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, from 1999 until
2005 she chaired the sectoral group for the not-for-profit sector, Fifth Estate,
quadrupling its membership. She was previously secretary of the institute’s
Internal Communication Group. She is a member of a number of other
institutes and organizations including the RSA.

Lyn has edited a number of professional journals including the British
Journal of Healthcare Computing and Information Management and the UK
Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education’s Bulletin.

Educational qualifications include the CAM certificate and diploma and
an MA in Communications Planning.

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About the editor

Pamela Mounter is a senior corporate communication consultant. A
childhood in Africa and postings to Europe and the Caucasus developed
her interest in the influence of culture on the way people relate to each
other. She has written about internal communication for both academic
and general publications and won a top paper award from the International
Association of Business Communicators for her work with BP in this area.
She is a member of the Thames Valley University advisory committee for

its MSc in Corporate Communication and a committee member of the
Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ International Group.

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Acknowledgements

This book was only made possible by the vast number of contributions
which largely came in the form of interviews and in some cases submitted
materials.

I would particularly like to thank the following, who are not listed
according to merit: Gerald Chan, Gro Elin Hansen, the late Alan Rawel
and Susan Shayshutt of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations; Amanda
Foister, Internal Communication Alliance; Professor Anne Gregory; Pamela
Mounter; Dr Richard Varey.

For their contributions: Lesley Allman, Coors Brewers; David Ashford,
Lloyds TSB; Michelle Atkinson, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust;
Sophie Austin, IBM; David Barker, British Heart Foundation; Caroline
Bramley, Flag; Caroline Broadhurst, TDM; Paul Brown, The Princes Trust;
David Bryant, BUPA; Liz Cochrane, Work Foundation; David Coe, Media
Maker; Jonathan Coe, LE Group; Denice Currie, Norwich Union; Aniko
Czinege, Amersham Biosciences; Siubhan Daly, VisitScotland; Vicki Davies,
National Blood Service; Sue Dewhurst, NTL; Elizabeth Dickie, Cable &
Wireless; Arfon Edward, Quadrant PR; Lindsay Eynon, Hill & Knowlton;
Colin Farrington, Chartered Institute of Public Relations; Simon Finn,
Safeway; Liam Fitzpatrick, ICA; James Flynn, Marina Pirotta
Communi-cation; Richard Gaunt; Helen Goodier, Chandler Gooding; Russell
Grossman, BBC; Justine Guest, Trinity Management Consultancy; Katie
Hadgraft, Cable & Wireless; Johnny Harben; Tom Harvey, Nationwide;
Shiona Hastie, Customs & Excise; Nick Helsby, Watson Helsby; Sarah

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Hoskins, DaimlerChrysler; Paul Inglefield, Adur District Council; Rachel
Jefferies, Questions of Difference; Norma Johnston, Plan; Stephen Jolly; Jill
Kirby, Lloyds TSB; Howard Krais, Eversheds; Briony Lalor, AA; Peter
Lawlor, Hill & Knowlton; Carol Lindsell; Simon Loe, Lucent Technologies;
Richard Lomax, Redhouse Lane; Judith Manson, VisitScotland; Paul Massie;
Mike McCabe, Buckinghamshire County Council; Karen McElroy, Coors
Brewers; Lisa Moore, The Children’s Society; Mike Moser, Rio Tinto; Sarah
Murphy, Capital One Bank; Sidonie Myers, Smith and Nephew; Alexander
Nicoll, Church of England Archbishops’ Council; Grace Perrott, Allied Irish
Banks; David Phillips; Ellie Phillips, West Wiltshire Housing Society; Robert
Pike; Jacqui Price, Jeremy Redhouse, Redhouse Lane; Jane Relf, Vertex;
James Rye, The Disabilities Trust; Jo Sanders, Olswang; Emma Savage,
Barclays; Bob Schukai, Motorola; Colin Sneath, Credo; Leslie Sophocleous;
Phil Talbot, NSPCC; Steve Taylor, Sue Ryder Care; Mandy Thatcher,
Melcrum Publishing; Susan Walker, MORI; Jenny Waller; Sandra Ward,
BMW Hams Hall; Sarah Watson, Dogs for the Disabled; Clare Winterton,
The Princes Trust; Nick Wright, Fishburn Hedges; Oliver Wright, Shelter;
Stephen Windsor-Lewis, BAE Systems; Fiona Young, Hill & Knowlton.

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1

Introduction

Introduction

Sharpening my pencil (pens had a habit of running ink in the rain, and
juggling an umbrella, pen and notebook was just not one of my special

competencies), I prepared to conduct yet another interview in my busy
working day as a local newspaper reporter. Being no more callous than
any other hack (this was the early 1980s) I conducted the interview with
the boss of one of the largest factories in the area and then processed back
to the office to provide the front page lead for the main newspaper of the
week.

My sense of revelation came when I did my weekly session with scissors
and glue pot to keep my cuttings book up to date and reread those words:
‘Four hundred jobs to go’. There had been no trade union representative to
speak to, to get the other side of the story. We had taken the word of the
managers and committed the information to black and white type set in
the old-fashioned way in hot metal.

Within a few months that technology would be swept away but what
did not vanish, as I was to note down the years, was a tendency to use the
nearest journalist to inform staff that the P45 was in the post and that despite
30 years service they were no longer required.

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2

Effective internal communication

A review of my cuttings had revealed that apart from the bad news
stories, very few of the 72-point headlines had been much more than ‘flying
kites’ for various proposals that had never come to anything. Working from
the inside of an organization I had hoped to make a real difference to the
way its employees were treated, and the way they in turn would treat the
‘customers’, as patients had by then been rechristened.

I was operating against a backdrop of major and continuing change. In
the Mental Health Unit in particular, employees had undergone a number
of changes in top management. They also had to face the effects of the then
Tory government reforms which effectively divorced them from the other
health provider units. However, by ensuring their voices were heard through
the communications vehicles and so responded to by senior management,
the transfer of services from institution to community went gratifyingly well.
In the 15 years or so since I moved back into the corporate sector and
then on into consultancy, things appear to have changed pretty dramatically
in the world of internal communication. Few organizations of any size will
not now be devoting time, money and resources to internal audiences as
well as what have been viewed as the rather more supposedly glamorous
external ones.

But why do internal communications at all? The reason they do so is
because an informed and engaged workforce produces better results. Unless
your people understand what your organization is seeking to achieve and
the part they have to play, arriving at your hoped-for corporate destination
will not be a foregone conclusion.

Few communicators and their counterparts in human resources feel
comfortable putting figures on the impact that their efforts may have on
the corporate profit and loss account. However, communication is not just
about bolstering the bottom line: it can assist in other areas that impact
upon the health of the organization.

Your workforce can serve as ambassadors in both positive and negative
respects. Poor handling of complaints regarding racial harassment and
discrimination have often found their way to an employment tribunal. An
internal communicator with the ear of senior management can sound the

alarm or at least advise on how to communicate an effective solution.

Damning headlines can in themselves be very damaging for employee
morale. It is vital for both internal and external communications functions
to be aligned or at least working closely together. It is only too easy for
internally generated media to find its way to the outside world and so
influence external perceptions, and external media can often be the first
port of call for staff looking for company news.

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3

Introduction

Professional communicators are also in the ideal position to translate
‘management speak’ into language that can be understood by those who
will have to act upon it.

All organizations have their own cultures, and when two organizations
try to merge, the importance of those cultures comes to the fore. By culture
I mean the patterns of behaviour and attitudes exhibited by employees
and management. Again professional communicators attuned to the
sensitivities that abound can help overcome the barriers to happy corporate
marriage.

All the above perhaps suggests that the only time to keep in touch with
staff is in periods of stress or trouble. In fact, if you maintain contact in a
regular pattern at regular times it is more likely that the workforce will
want to pull together when the going does get rough.

Communicating clear goals and then reporting on progress at regular

intervals is motivating for teams. Activity for publics both internal and
external should be closely matched to organizational targets. There is a
hierarchy of communication needs, from ‘How do I fit into my team?’ to
‘Where does the team fit into this part of the organization?’ to ‘And how
does that fit into the big picture?’ Internal communications should meet
all those needs. Being able to see exactly how an individual contributes to
the bigger picture is the key not just for management but also for motivating
the individual concerned.

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4

Effective internal communication

Sources of performance improvement

So, any conclusions? Internal communications is still relatively new as a
function but is by and large better developed in the commercial sector.
However, the public sector is catching up fast and, like the not-for-profit
sector, may be pulling ahead in terms of employee engagement. It is much
easier to embrace the vision of helping a community than selling a biscuit,
no matter how healthy.

The not-for-profit sector may be seen to be lagging behind, but this may
be more to do with the size and age of the organization in question as few
in the sector employ large numbers of staff. Available budgets are also
obviously a contributory factor. It can still be hard to justify investment on
staff when donors want to see money spent on the worthy cause itself. But
more and more communications posts are being advertised, so this will
change.

Looking across all sectors it would seem that size of organization rather
than sector is the determining factor. Large organizations, certainly in the
public and commercial sectors, will quite naturally be better resourced and
better able to take advantage of new technological advances and societal
developments as they come on stream. However, all organizations with
just 50 or more employees will be obliged to take account of the strictures
of the European Commission’s Information and Consultation Directive(see
Chapter 7).

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5

What is internal communication?