Vous êtes un nouveau consultant en communication interne. Quelles erreurs commettez-vous ?

A major mistake, in my experience, is to come in with pre-conceived plans, tactics, and strategies. Even if senior managers give you their perspectives, thank them and then shelve everything until you can listen to as many individuals and groups as you can at your new organization. This is the way to gain clarity about what is really thought and believed by employees, which will inform how to do your work.

As a new Internal Communications consultant, you might be making mistakes such as implementing generic communication strategies without tailoring them to the organization's culture. For instance, sending mass emails without considering the preferred communication channels of different employee groups. It's important to conduct thorough research, gather feedback, and customize communication approaches to effectively engage employees and drive organizational success.

"Tailor the message. Target the audience." Two simple statements that a wizened pro once said to me, that helped me match messages to channels, media and audiences.

As a newcomer in this industry, there are a few mistakes usually people make. But, with time and experience, he or she becomes a pro in this art. However, a person can be mindful of these small things which can be helpful for them to avoid mistakes. 1. Lack of Understanding: You may lack a deep understanding of the organization's culture, values, and communication needs. Do not be in a hurry. 2. Don't Ignore Stakeholder Input: Failing to gather input from key stakeholders within the organization could result in a mess. Please increase your listening capability. 3. Do not overpromise. 4. Communicate well, clear, short, crisp and correct. 5. Be a little flexible to adjust your style with the organization's style. Don't be rigid.

No ser realistas, tanto en lo que se puede lograr como en los recursos que un plan puede insumir. Especialmente el consultor externo puede tener la tentación de sobreprometer para obtener un proyecto, pero la realidad se termina imponiendo. Mejor trabajar con diferentes escenarios, unos más favorables y otros menos, para que los stakeholders puedan ajustarse y saber lo que les significará en esfuerzo.

Ensure you're being strategic with your communications. Don't just share information; think about the bigger picture and how it aligns with company goals. Also, unleash your creativity! Bland messages can get lost, so find fun and engaging ways to communicate. By being strategic and injecting some creativity, you'll help your messages stick and make a positive impact on internal communications

How do you reach your audience? Surprise - not everyone wants to hear from you. In this multi channel world do your research. Find the 'chanel of one' - that meets individuals where there interests meets your message. Learn, learn, learn about your audience and use that knowledge to be creative.

Feedback ist Gold zu diesen Zeiten der Veränderung. Technologien unterstützen hier, um den Erfolg der Kommunikation zu messen, und durch die Messbarkeit die Grundlage der Verbesserung zu schaffen.

The most important aspect to consider is the culture at the workplace. Without getting a strong understanding your effort can backfire. Gauging what's important for leaders, how they interact with staff, the types of messages shared, what is left unsaid, how people are treated, the kind of investments on culture the organization makes etc will help you make progress. It can also help you decide if thus is the best place to engage.

It's essential for organizations to move beyond superficial diversity and inclusion statements and actively address biases within their culture. Preventing groupism requires individual commitment and leadership to promote a truly inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. It's not something that can be taught; it must be embodied and practiced by each member of the organization, especially leaders and people partners.

Have fun. Sure it is a serious corporate function but not all your audience is invested in their jobs. Use all media to creatively reach people where their intersts lie. I was working once at a multinational company that had just installed global communication infrastructure to speed up their financial reporting. Some research and brainstorming and we produced our first e-mail based global newsletter - before the internet. That innovation, as we learned, was even more important than the content. It gave our employees around the world some feeling of belonging in what then stood for "real-time." Find your breakthrough medium or media in today's multi channel universe ...

You need at least a working knowledge of the business. Structure/functions, financials, goals and priorities, industry trends and how the company is trying to respond, etc.

Les erreurs les plus fréquentes dans ce type de situation est de se présenter en expert immédiatement, d’essayer d’implanter des solutions déjà toutes faites et toutes prêtes et surtout de vouloir agir trop rapidement. Chaque situation impliquant des communications internes est unique et nécessite une approche sur mesure. Un consultant qui vous vend une solution garantie, rapide et 100% efficace vous lance de la poudre aux yeux. Comme plusieurs ont souligné déjà, des communications internes efficaces passent inévitablement par une bonne compréhension du climat de travail, des enjeux formels et informels dans l’organisation, des objectifs poursuivis, du public cible ainsi que de l’importance accordé à la rétroaction (feed-back).