What is one thing you can do to set your employee communication efforts up for success? Creating an annual internal communication plan.<\/p>\n
A well-crafted internal communication plan clearly defines your objectives\u2014the outcomes of your efforts\u2014and maps out when and how you\u2019ll communicate. The best plans also have a measurement strategy, including employee surveys and focus groups, to ensure you\u2019re staying on track.<\/p>\n
Now you might be thinking: I don\u2019t have time to spend on planning; I just need to get things done! But by devoting some time to creating a plan for the year ahead, you\u2019ll streamline your employee communication efforts and create much better results.<\/p>\n
Need more proof? Here are five ways an annual employee communication plan will help make your job easier.<\/p>\n
Creating an annual internal communications plan is a great way to provide leaders and key stakeholders with an overview of your efforts and explain the \u201cwhy\u201d behind your strategy. When leaders see that you\u2019ve done your homework and have a clear plan, they\u2019ll be more likely to support it.<\/p>\n
Tip: <\/strong>Invite leaders and key stakeholders, such as communicators or business area leads, to participate in the planning process. When an employee communication strategy reflects the insight and knowledge of those who have a stake in your plan, it\u2019s more likely to gain the buy-in needed to be successful.<\/p>\n One of the most important steps in employee communication planning is establishing objectives: the outcomes you want to achieve as a result of your efforts. Setting clear objectives ensures that your strategies and tactics have a targeted purpose. They also give you a framework for measuring the effectiveness of your efforts.<\/p>\n Tip:<\/strong> When thinking about what you want to achieve in your employee communication plan, it\u2019s helpful to group your outcomes into three buckets: what you want employees to know, believe and do.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n As a result of this internal communication plan, employees will\u2026<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Their role in supporting our company\u2019s strategy<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Our company\u2019s overall structure and how parts work together<\/td>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Senior leaders are a trusted source of information<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 We are working together as one team<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/td>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Provide feedback to senior leaders and managers regarding issues or concerns<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Support changes at our company<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Unexpected things may pop up throughout the year, such as a new senior leader project or a company policy change. But these issues don\u2019t have to derail your internal communication plan, as long as you stay focused on your communication objectives and what you need to support them (your strategies).<\/p>\n Tip: <\/strong>If a new internal communication priority does pop up, see how you can support it by leveraging your existing channels. For example, if HR asks you to help communicate a benefits change, see how you can promote this topic in your current newsletter or regular manager huddles with employees.<\/p>\n Another advantage of creating an internal communication plan is that it sets up a disciplined approach for managing your efforts. A good plan clearly maps out what communication activities will happen and when, as well as who is responsible for making them happen. And when you involve leaders and managers in the employee communication planning process, they\u2019re more likely to take ownership of the tactics that they are responsible for.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Tip: <\/strong>Set clear communication roles and expectations for leaders and managers:<\/p>\n The best internal communication plans have a clear measurement strategy\u2014how you\u2019ll find out how effective your communication efforts are. Your measurement strategy might include methods, such as surveys, focus groups or intranet\/newsletter metrics. By keeping tabs on your efforts throughout the year, you\u2019ll be able to make informed decisions on what\u2019s working (and what\u2019s not), as well as what improvements should be made.<\/p>\n Tip:<\/strong> Take a look at your key communication tactics and build measurement opportunities into activities.<\/p>\n Here are some examples of how to do that:<\/p>\n Now that you know why you should create an annual employee communication plan, let\u2019s focus on what you should include in your plan. Here are seven key components of a successful plan:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>You have lots of demands on your time. But making internal communication planning a priority will make it easier to manage these demands and set your efforts up for success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What is one thing you can do to set your employee communication efforts up for success? Creating an annual internal communication plan. A well-crafted internal communication plan clearly defines your objectives\u2014the outcomes of your efforts\u2014and maps out when and how you\u2019ll communicate. The best plans also have a measurement strategy, including employee surveys and focus […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":282,"featured_media":10896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[100,150],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n2. Focus on clear objectives<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n\n
\n Know<\/strong><\/td>\n Believe<\/strong><\/td>\n Do<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Our company\u2019s strategy (mission, vision and values) and its progress<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Our company is headed in the right strategic direction<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Devote more time to participating in communication<\/p>\n 3. Stay on track (despite competing priorities)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
4. Manage the workload<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\u00a05.\u00a0<\/strong>Measure the impact of your efforts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n\n
\n Activity<\/strong><\/td>\n How to measure<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Intranet and
\ne-newsletter<\/strong><\/td>\nWork with IT to set up monthly intranet reports, including number of employee site visits and which articles are most popular. IT can also help you track how many \u201copens\u201d the monthly e-newsletter gets, as well as what articles they\u2019re clicking.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Town halls<\/strong><\/td>\n After each town hall, distribute a short, five-question survey to gauge employees\u2019 understanding of key topics and suggestions for improving future town halls. Also, document any questions asked during the Q&A to determine communication gaps.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Open enrollment<\/strong><\/td>\n Often a communication plan is designed to encourage a behavior or action, such as enrolling in a health plan. So, work with HR to set a goal (90% will enroll by the end of the month) and track progress.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Pulling it all together<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n\n
\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Situation analysis<\/strong><\/td>\n A summary of a situation\u2014a snapshot that conveys what\u2019s going on at that moment in time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Stakeholders\/audience<\/strong><\/td>\n Individuals or groups you want to reach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Objectives<\/strong><\/td>\n Specific outcomes you want to achieve; what you want employees to know, believe or do<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Strategies<\/strong><\/td>\n Methods or approaches for achieving your objectives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Tactics\/timeline<\/strong><\/td>\n Tools you\u2019ll use or actions you\u2019ll take and specific times\/dates for completing tasks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Key messages<\/strong><\/td>\n Captures the story you need to tell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Measurement<\/strong><\/td>\n A description of how metrics will be used to demonstrate effectiveness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n