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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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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survey: how good and bad is your intranet?

How many times have you heard it? 'Our intranet?' the voice goes. 'It's rubbish. You can't find anything on it and there'a no social space to collaborate.' But just how good and bad are intranets? We've launched a new suurvey with our friends at Knowledge Hub. We need to fix it. But we need to know the size of the task.

by Dan Slee

Too stuffed with out-of-date information and too hard to find the things you really want.

The bad intranet serves as an albatross around the neck of the organisation. ‘We say we think staff are our greatest asset,’ it appears to say. ‘But we don’t really mean it.’

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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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creativity in internal comms survey - the results have landed

What makes creativity tick in the field of internal comms? Fab agency Alive With Ideas decided to ask a few questions to see. They produced a survey and there's a stack of learning in it. The survey results have been collated and there’s a nice juicy report available for your enjoyment.

by Caroline Roodhouse

Not that many moons ago, we sent our global survey out into the stratosphere, to investigate the levels of creativity in the big wide world of internal comms. With over 160 respondents offering their unique insight into creativity in their organisation, we gathered a magnitude of constructive comments to share with you.

As well as private sector and multinational organisations, we received responses from internal communicators in local government, government departments, NHS, police, fire and housing. Seasoned comms pros, sharing their thoughts, opinions and advice about how they see creativity in the workplace and how they would like it to be encouraged.

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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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honest conversations and better internal comms

Happy Election Day 2014. If you work in local government you may want to think about honest conversations. Really quickly. This post was first published in The Guardian. 

by Dan Slee

As election day looms the last doors are being knocked on, the last leaflets dropped and church halls made ready for use as polling stations. But what does this all mean for the management of local government? After all, an army of council officers have made the wheels of local government turn for the past year and will be called upon to keep them turning.

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everyone wants a virgin neil

We all know that employee engagement is important and can bring multiple benefits. But how many organisations really do it well? A recent visit to Virgin Trains opened the eyes of one comms professional.

by Natalie Corney

I was lucky enough to get an invite to the opening of the new First Class Lounge at Virgin Trains, Euston. I thought it would be rude not to turn up and there were canapés and cocktails in the offing.

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winston churchill and the art of knowing when to powerpoint

Never. In the field of human conflict. Has powerpoint. Badly deployed. Caused so much damage. Of course, Winston Churchill was a good leader. But he was never hindered by pie charts and bullet points on powerpoint. In this post look at where you need to tailor the approach.

by GUEST EDITOR Chris Bolton

Excellent News! Through extensive research* I’ve located a picture of Winston Churchill from June 1940, practicing his Powerpoint presentation of the ‘fight them on the beaches’ speech.

If you squint carefully (its an old picture) you can just make out the Pie Chart percentages of where the fighting will take place: Beaches 45%, Landing Grounds 20%, Fields 10% etc. Apparently Churchill was ready to deliver the carefully crafted presentation when, during a bombing raid the House of Commons projector bulb was shattered by some stray shrapnel. The result was the impromptu, unsupported speech to Parliament, and the rest is history.

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a new toolkit for internalcomms

Last year the Government Communication Service - or GCS - announced reforms to professionalise government communications.   Part of this reform aims to create excellent Internal Communications across government.  Victoria Ford, Head of Communications at DVLA, has been leading a project to deliver a toolkit for internal communicators to support this aim.

by Victoria Ford

Can I let you into a secret?  *whispers* I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for internal communications.  When challenged by my Head of External Comms I would deny it, but with a background in operational delivery and change management it’s inevitable I should realise its importance.  So, when I got a call back in October from Russell Grossman, SRO of the Internal Communications Excellence project, asking if I’d lead a piece of work to deliver an online toolkit to support internal communicators I was always going to say yes.

For me it feels like internal comms takes a bit of a back seat.  It is the area of comms everyone thinks they know best about and the one everyone thinks they can do themselves. I think there has been a real lack of investment in the profession and the people who serve in it.  That’s why I loved the idea of bringing together what is now known as ‘The IC Space’ – a site for internal communicators to learn, share and borrow from.

What I wasn’t expecting was the huge amount of enthusiasm and support I have received from communicators across government who believe in the product and wanted to do all they could to bring The IC Space to life.  The result is a truly collaborative, cross government effort.  From Whitehall departments, to devolved government and agencies, I have received not only insight, experience and wisdom, but the skills and creativity of film makers and designers to make this happen.

So what’s the result?  Well it is a resource that, although aimed at government communicators, is open to those outside government as well with an interest in internal comms.  It is a place to find best practice.  What I want it to become is a community, a place where internal communicators can seek advice and share their experiences.  The site we are launching today isn’t the finished article.  It isn’t meant to be.  It is a site we are hoping you will go into, have a look around and let us know what you think.  It is being delivered iteratively based on feedback from the people it has been designed to help.  We’ll add what you want to it, just tell us what that is.  So over to you.  Go and take a look.  Let us know what you think and, you never know, you may end up with a soft spot for internal comms yourself.

You can take a look at the new toolkit for internalcomms here.

 Victoria Ford is head of communications at the DVLA.

why face-to-face conferences still matter in internal comms

With a shift to digital does an email from the top work as well as the traditional conference? There's a place for it. But there's a place for the traditional event too.

by Theresa Knight 

Picture the traditional staff conference - you know the one where the chief executive and senior managers engage with the workforce, give them key messages, put them into workshops and take questions from the floor.

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7 things I learned at the big yak

The Big Yak was an internal comms unconference staged by the IC Crowd who are lovely people. In this post, here's what one person learned and seven take-homes...

GUEST EDITOR by Corrinne Douglas

I set off for London and The Big Yak, an internal communications unconference with a mixture of excitement and a bit of apprehension. Over 100 comms pro’s coming together to discuss internal communications, most of them having never been to an unconference before, would we have enough to yak about?

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