the periodic table of internal communication

The periodic table was created in 1869 to bring together all the known chemical elements under one roof enabling them to be studied, discussed and understood. Russian chemist Dimitri Mendeleev also predicted the discovery of other elements, and he purposely left spaces open for them.

by Caroline Roodhouse

We’ve recently worked with Chuck Gose, Corporate Communications VP, speaker & host of the internal comms podcast, ICology to replicate this original idea for internal communicators. And with hundreds of downloads from comms pros worldwide, it’s already proving to be very popular…

The Idea

The idea was to create a table of terms that would bring together all the elements of internal communication under one roof. We split the table across seven categories: Strategy, Objectives, Themes, Audiences, Formats, Channels and Metrics and populated each category with a number of common comms terms. From there, we’ve built the Periodic Table of Internal Communication, which you can download here.

A cracking response

The feedback so far has been fantastic. We’ve been overwhelmed with the positive responses…

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internal communicators: here’s your guide to employee engagement, zombie style

BEAT THE ZOMBIES is back!

by Caroline Roodhouse

There’s been some spine tingly spooky goings-on down at Alive HQ as we’ve gathered together the latest stats, advice and best practice on all things employee engagement, and put it all together in this up-to-the-minute zombie tribute.

Peculiar irregularities…

According to widespread survey results across a stack of organisations, employee engagement rates are regularly coming in at 70% and above. That’s not to be sniffed at. BUT, the CIPD 2015 Employee Outlook Survey indicated that the employee engagement index within the UK is at just 39%. That’s quite a disparity. So what’s the score? Can we rely on survey results alone? The smart organisations are exploring alternative metrics, examining other areas of the business and considering the potential pitfalls when it comes to engagement surveys. And they’re well aware of what’s causing the problems too.

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survey results: your dull intranet is failing you

We carried out a survey on intranets with digital collaboration platform and social intranet provider Knowledge Hub. The findings are surprising and should alarm internal comms and those at the top of every organisation. People in 2015 want something different to what they are getting.

by Dan Slee

Too dull, too corporate and too uncollaborative… today’s intranet is too often failing today’s employees.

That’s the message from the comms2point0 / Knowledge Hub survey of almost 80 communications and PR workers.

Yet, the silver lining of the study is that employees are still crying out for a space that helps them work, collaborate and do their job more effectively. It’s just that many don’t have that.

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measuring experience and engagement with intranets

The Intranet Now event is on the horizon. It's an excellent event that seeks to celebate and showcase some of the best work in the field. As one of its organisers says, user experience is of growing importance. 

by Wedge Black and Brian Lamb

The clearest indicator of a successful intranet is that people can use it to get things done: finding a person; booking time off; checking a part number; reading the latest news. Can they do these things? How easily? What percentage of people trying to do them are successful? To discover these success indicators, you have to do some form of usability testing.

The ‘user experience’ is of growing importance as the workplace becomes more and more the digital workplace.

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the hidden secret to digital transformation

Every organisation is looking to transform what they are doing. There's a major role for good internal comms. Did you know?

by Kane Simms 

There’s one thing that’ll guarantee digital transformation success… and it’s not what you think.

It’s not the:

• Digital design
• Integration
• User centricity
• UX design
• Data and analysis
• Agile methodology
• Lean processing
• And so on

Long lasting digital transformation hinges, like everything else in life, on people. It depends on your staff.

Your staff have the service area expertise needed to design epic digital services and their enthusiasm and involvement is critical to solutions being adopted. Without your staff’s investment, you’ll be short-cutting back to old habits quicker than Paul Gascoigne leaving rehab.

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if staff are our greatest asset why don't we show it?

Staff: Our greatest asset? Don't tell us, show us.

By Darren Caveney

In a recent conversation about intranets and internal communications I fessed up on a theory I have developed.

Staff intranets, we know, are generally unengaging resources, crammed with slabs of info but offering very little in the way of interaction or honest, two-way conversation.

But my theory is that this has very little to do with the intranet sites themselves – they’re just a symptom of a much larger organisational and cultural problem which is that too many organisations – when push comes to shove – don’t truly value their staff. There, I've said it.

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online chat: the great static v social intranet debate

Intranets emerged in the early days of the web as places to put things you needed staff to know rather than the outside world. Over time many have become bloated with information. Hard to search they can be a forest of information wiuth few paths through. Social intranets have emerged that staff can engage with. But will they work in every organisation? We're hosting a web chat with bright people.  

by Dan Slee 

Got a few minutes to spare this lunchtime? We’re helping with a discussion over on Knowledge Hub you may like to join in with as you munch on your cheese sandwiches.

It’s about the possible benefits of social intranets over static ones and we’d love it if you’d swing by.

It’ll run from noon until 2pm on Monday July 20 over here on the internal comms group we look after (Log in required). It’ll be up to view afterwards too.

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why internal comms needs more love

Over the past five-years, through comms2point0, we’ve had a unique and rather privileged opportunity to watch the world of communications evolve.

We’ve seen first-hand how digital has become the dominant area of growth for many organisations.

We've also watched as internal comms has failed to keep pace. And for some it is languishing.

by Darren Caveney

This view is backed up by our own research and anecdotally through chats with comms colleagues across the UK.  Internal communications is regularly cited as the area of communications causing most concern.

Of course, this isn’t true of all organisations but it does appear to be the case for many.

How does your organisation measure up?

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ten things internal communicators can learn from wales

To mark St David's Day we thought that it would be rather good to have a Welsh post and a Welsh guest editor. Over to you, Nat Corney...

by GUEST EDITOR Natalie Corney

Please indulge me here, I wrote this for St David’s Day. Yes, there is some stereotyping, yes, it could apply to other countries and areas etc., but go with it – I think it has some important points...

1.Be proud

Welsh people are incredibly proud of where they come from – and not just the country – their actual town or village. There is a great affinity to home. Whether people still live there or whether they’ve moved somewhere else in the world, Wales is still home. It doesn’t matter if it’s the smallest village or the biggest city.

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16 gems to help you start to understand internal comms

Internal comms can often be the Cinderella part of PR and communications. It's often undervalued. But big schemes that need to be communicated well need to start with engaged and informed staff. There's a report that has stood the test of time is a good place to help start your understanding. 

by Dan Slee

Here’s a confession. It wasn’t until long into my career in communications that I realised the value of internal comms.

I used to stupidly think internal comms person was when you failed at being a press officer. There I’ve said it.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

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survey: creative comms is alive

Can you help? Would you like to win a free afternoon of brainstorming thanks to a creative agency? You would? Brilliant! Have a read of this and fill in the survey.  

by Alan Oram

We’ve got a cunning plan. We’re creating a valuable, practical tool to help internal comms folk find smart and effective ways to get organisations across the land working more creatively by sharing top tips, key trends, practical advice and cracking ideas… And we’d like a little help from our friends to cross the finish line.

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be the best - and prove it

It’s good to take time out to reflect, assess where you’re going and what you need to do next. LGcomms academy was the perfect opportunity for this – and what a treat it was.

by Kate Walker

Disclaimer: Much of the below is borrowed from the brilliant speakers and comms people I met in Manchester – with a personal slant.

As local gov communicators we’ve got a tough job battling conflicting messages promoting our location as THE place to live, work and play against the onslaught of messages around cuts and changes to services. Gloomy? Don’t be. Challenged, excited? Yes, you should be.

Attending #ComsAcad last week for the first time I left full of energy, affirmation and inspiration; as communicators we’re on the right track, we’ve just got to do more of the good stuff and prove to the world what we’re made of.

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66 nuggets I picked up at #ComsAcad

The World cup may have kicked off this week but all the talk in Manchester was about communications at the inaugural Public Sector Communications Academy.

by Darren Caveney

I’m a little biased, but I thought that this was the best Academy I’ve attended and the collaboration with central government added a welcome extra dot-joining and learning dimension.

For many communications pros it is becoming harder and harder to get to events like this one. But I believe that it’s never been more important to continue to learn, to expand and to share.

That’s what’s so great about Government Director of Communications, Alex Aiken’s drive to invest in government comms people and their development – it is setting a tone and direction which other parts of the public sector can point to in their own organisational fights for investment in up-skilling.

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navigating internal comms? it’s plain sailing.

Remember when you didn’t work in comms? When you didn’t have access to every possible piece of information about your organisation? When you had no idea who the chief executive was and there was more chance of winning Euromillions than you ever meeting them in the flesh?

by Jo Smith

I have to go back 20 years to my graduate days to be ‘BC’ – Before Comms.  Back then people still used typewriters. Email was barely born, mobile phones were the size of suitcases and if you wanted news you read the paper.  Since then I’ve watched communications techniques evolve and have done my best to keep up with every exhausting and exciting step.

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