Two-Way Communications

We have been working on internal communications projects lately, which delight me: it is one of my first loves in the communications field. I like to think of the process as one big conversation that never ends.

I started my career as an intrepid reporter/editor of a company newsletter at a local manufacturing firm. It was my business to report the company news, so I had ongoing conversations with folks on the manufacturing line and in the executive suite. My news came out once a month in a printed newsletter that stayed in employees’ hands (who else would be interested in our news?).

In today’s world the lines between internal and external communications have become blurred. What you communicate internally is likely to be external, as well – now more than ever – so we keep that in mind.

But some things have not changed. Like most conversations, employee communications is a two-way street. A message is sent to an intended audience, and then it is received or not received, for a variety of reasons: pre-existing opinions and attitudes, format preferences, style issues, etc.

As we develop communications plans, we try to take that into account: how the messages or vehicles are likely to be both perceived . . . and received.

That’s why feedback loops of some kind are essential as communications plans, strategies and messages are set, and later as messages are sent.

If you don’t have a feedback loop in your organization, you could just ask employees what they think. And, most important, then listen to what they have to say.

Sometimes you’ll agree. Other times, you won’t.

What’s most important is that you listen first, and communicate back, second. And keep the conversation going in your organization.

-- Mary Lilja