Internal Communications Guide

🎧 We’ve been experimenting with something new in internal comms… and it’s working! I’m currently running a pilot for a client where we embed short voice notes from leadership into their monthly internal comms email newsletters. No scripts, no studio polish, just leaders speaking directly to their teams instead of dense blocks of text. Our initial research showed that people were feeling disconnected from leadership, siloed, and often unsure why certain strategic decisions were being made. Increasingly, it’s the why people crave, not just the what. So we gave leaders a new way to tell their own stories via short, honest voice notes explaining their decisions in their own words. The tech setup is simple: a mic, a laptop, and a willingness to hit record, and the plan is that leaders will, from now on, be passing the mic around, depending on the business's priorities and who has a good story to tell. And it’s proving to be a real winner so far. I can’t share stats (they’re obvs confidential), but the buy-in from leadership has been fantastic. What’s been fascinating is how the tone changes when leaders speak naturally. Executives who seem distant in text suddenly sound warm, human, approachable, even funny. This is a real step change for employees used to overly corporate-sounding, text-based communication. This small shift makes a big difference. Hearing someone’s real voice, the tone, warmth, humour, and imperfection, builds connection and belonging in a way no written update ever could. It’s also backed by what we’re seeing globally: • Podcasts and audio formats continue to grow as trusted sources of information. Employees retain up to 15% more from what they hear than what they read (Edison Research). • 73% of employees say they’d rather listen to a company update than attend a meeting (uStudio). No surprises there! • And as inbox fatigue deepens, voice is cutting through where text can’t. It feels more honest, human, and memorable. Leaders in this pilot are discovering that speaking directly, not perfectly, brings a kind of authenticity that can’t be faked. It’s helping a large organisation sound smaller, warmer, and more connected. It’s early days, but it feels like the start of something important: using email not just to inform, but to connect. Has anyone else been experimenting with voice in internal comms? I’d love to hear what you’re seeing. #internalcommunications #employeeexperience #leadershipcommunications #audiocomms #digitalworkplace

Building stronger workplace relationships is easier than you think. Here's what actually works (after 10+ years in team management): 1️⃣ Start with genuine curiosity - Ask about their projects - Listen more than you speak - Remember personal details they share 2️⃣ Create connection points - Schedule regular coffee chats - Join or start team activities - Offer help before they ask 3️⃣ Practice professional empathy - Acknowledge their challenges - Celebrate their wins (big and small) - Be reliable with commitment 4️⃣ Foster open communication - Share knowledge freely - Give credit where it's due - Address issues directly, but kindly 5️⃣ Respect boundaries - Keep work conversations professional - Don't force social interactions - Honor their time and space The key? Consistency in these actions. These aren't just "nice to have" practices. They're essential for creating a workplace where everyone thrives. Remember: Strong workplace relationships aren't built overnight. But small, daily actions make a huge difference. Try these today. Your future self (and team) will thank you. 📌 Share if you know someone who could use these tips P.S. Which of these will you try first? Drop a comment below. #employees #workplace #team

The Silent Mistake That’s Killing Your Leadership: Poor Communication “Yeah, all good.” (But his eyes looked tired.) “I’m fine.” (But she typed that message with trembling hands.) This is where most leaders — and humans — go wrong. They hear the words, but miss the truth. 👉 Here’s the shocker: Most communication is NOT words. It’s tone, pauses, body language, silence, and even the sigh between sentences. Yet, people act as if talking equals communicating. ⸻ The Big Mistake Leaders Make They speak. They instruct. They email. But they don’t connect. • They ask, “Any questions?” when the meeting is already over. • They say, “Don’t worry” instead of actually listening. • They repeat facts and numbers, but forget feelings. • They use “but” so often, their praise feels like criticism. Result? Teams nod politely in meetings… and silently disengage after. ⸻ Analogy: The Wi-Fi Without Internet Bad communication is like Wi-Fi with no internet. The signal looks strong, but nothing’s really working. ⸻ Dialogue That Changes Everything ❌ Boss: “I need this by tomorrow. Don’t let me down.” ✅ Leader: “The deadline is tough. What do you need from me to make this possible?” One shuts people down. The other opens people up. ⸻ 3 Simple Fixes for Leaders 1. Stop using “but” ❌ “Great job, but you missed one point.” ✅ “Great job, and let’s build on it with this point.” 2. Listen with your eyes Don’t just hear words — notice tone, energy, and silence. That’s where the truth hides. 3. Ask yourself this question 👉 “Will this conversation leave them more confident than before?” If the answer is no, you’re just speaking, not communicating. ⸻ The Hard Truth Poor communication doesn’t just hurt companies. It breaks trust, ruins relationships, and kills motivation. People don’t remember the words you used. They remember how you made them feel. ⸻ ✅ Action for you: At your next meeting or even dinner table talk, don’t rush to speak. Pause. Watch. Listen. Notice. Because sometimes, the sentence you never say makes the biggest difference.

Your colleagues are not your friends. Do your job. Get paid. Go home. I completely agree with this… If you want work to be a place of cold isolation that may eventually impact your wellbeing and productivity. Some of my oldest friends today, are people I worked with, from bosses to peers and even external collaborators (vendors & suppliers). And they made work better, happier, more engaging and satisfying for me. Humans by nature are communal creatures; we need to connect with others, feel part of the group. If you think about it, all the levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are essentially about human connection; physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualisation all require human connection with others. In the past it was easier to create friendships at work because you saw people and interacted with them daily. Today, with remote and hybrid work, it’s a little harder but still doable. Here are some tips on building relationships with colleagues even when you rarely see them physically: 📌 Make the Effort: If you want to build relationships at work, you have to be intentional about it; reach out, communicate, interact, participate. 📌 Offer Value & Build Trust: As selfish as this may sound, people gravitate towards those who add value to their lives. And since value is subjective, start by being generally optimistic, positive, friendly and willing to be helpful. Make sure to follow through on promises. Consistency and reliability are important for building trust 📌 Use the Tech: Most of today’s workplace interactions happen with the use of technology; emails, instant messaging, video conferencing, etc. Use them. Don’t wait for a time when you can interact physically. 📌 Communicate Effectively: Because it’s harder to connect virtually than physically for most people, you’ve got to communicate more often and leave no room for ambiguity as virtual communication can be open to interpretation (and misinterpretation). 📌 Virtual Socials: Don’t limit workplace interactions to work stuff. Share personal interests and hobbies to find mutual interests you can bond over. I love the idea of a pyjama coffee meeting or virtual lunches with colleagues. Who doesn’t relax while drinking a beverage? Or in PJs? 📌 Celebrate Colleagues: Celebrate your colleagues’ achievements or milestones, professional and personal. Even small gestures of recognition go a long way in relationship-building. Building relationships in a remote work environment requires being proactive, patient, and empathetic. By actively engaging with your colleagues using remote tools, and finding ways to connect beyond work stuff, you can create strong and lasting professional relationships, even when you rarely meet in person. Do you believe in work-friends? How do you build and maintain friendships with remote colleagues? #LinkedInNewsEurope

#100RulesofThumb — Rule 30 Always err on the side of providing more context than what you think is necessary. —— It's common to assume that what's obvious to you is also obvious to others. But this is rarely the case. As a rule, while communicating, always assume asymmetry in information. In other words, you should always assume that the other person knows less than you think they do about a given subject, context, or project. This isn't to belittle anyone's intelligence or experience; rather, it's a safeguard against the curse of knowledge. You see, once you get good at something, you forget what it's like to be a newbie. You're in marketing, and you think everyone knows what "CTR" or "ROAS" means. Trust me, they don't. And even if they do, you're usually better off assuming they don't while documenting stuff. Because you never know who is going to go through your documentation in the future. Don't assume; explain. Likewise, if you're running behind on a project, don't go radio silent. Tell your team what's up. A simple "Need another day, still grinding" goes a long way in keeping people's trust. When you assume symmetry — that is, when you think the other person knows what you know — you're setting the stage for misunderstandings. If you're a project manager and you assume that your team knows the project's background as well as you do, you might skip crucial details when assigning tasks. This will cause needless delays and errors. Or if a team member doesn't fully understand the problem you're trying to solve, they're less likely to come up with creative solutions. They might not even know how high the ceiling is for breaking the rules. And when things go wrong due to poor communication, it's not just the project that suffers. Team members may start to lose faith in each other and in the leadership, and we all know how that goes. Hence, always provide context when communicating. Whether it's an email, a meeting, or a one-on-one chat, make sure to include the 'why' and the 'what' along with the 'how.' Another slightly hard to implement idea: After you've communicated something, ask the other person to summarize what they've understood. This will quickly reveal any gaps in their understanding. Ambiguity charges high interest, and we all pay it in lost time and screw-ups. You want to be the person who cuts through the fog. Make things crystal clear, and you'll save everyone a lot of headaches. Also, when you provide more context, you're opening yourself up feedback. Maybe someone has a better idea or a quicker solution. Maybe they'll tell you to take a breather. Either way, you're better off than working in a vacuum. No one is going to punish you for being elaborate. So be elaborate and don't leave any space for obvious questions. In the long run, it will save you a lot of time in going back and forth on trivialities.

We’re not trying to make things harder. But sometimes, we just do. In both my coaching work with leaders and my real life as a mom, spouse, sister, daughter, and friend, I see how easy it is to unintentionally create the very problems we’re trying to avoid. We want to help, support, protect, and communicate clearly, but our good intentions sometimes land as control, criticism, or confusion. And because these behaviors are often so familiar, we don’t realize the ripple effect they’re having on trust, clarity, and connection. Here are 10 problems we may be inadvertently creating at work and at home: 1. Offering advice when someone just wants to vent. (Guilty. And I coach communication for a living.) 2. “Fixing” a problem that someone else owns. Helpful intent. Disempowering impact. 3. Assuming silence means agreement. It might just mean discomfort, confusion, or an internal debate. 4. Multitasking during conversations. One eye on your phone, one on your computer, and zero on your partner or colleague. 5. Using sarcasm to mask frustration. It’s a joke except it's not funny. 6. Avoiding a hard conversation in the name of harmony. Short-term peace. Long-term resentment. 7. Jumping in before someone finishes their thought. We think we’re saving time. We’re actually stealing agency, contribution, and connection. 8. Expecting others to read our minds. (Bonus points if we get annoyed when they don’t.) 9. Holding people accountable for expectations we never actually communicated. “But it’s obvious!” is not a strategy. 10. Measuring love, loyalty, or commitment by how much someone agrees with us. Disagreement doesn’t have to mean disconnection. We’re human. We mess up. And if we’re willing to look at what we might be contributing to the problem, we also get to be part of the solution. #communication #leadership #accountability

In the hustle and bustle of the workplace, whether in person or virtual, we often engage in fleeting conversations. These snippets of small talk with team members might revolve around seemingly inconsequential topics such as the weather, traffic, or last night's game. While these casual exchanges can be pleasant and help build rapport, they may also represent missed opportunities for more profound leadership moments. Imagine a scenario where you're waiting for a virtual meeting to begin, and you start chatting with a colleague about their weekend plans. It's a typical way to fill the silence, but what if you dig a little deeper? What if you used that brief moment to ask about their recent project, their feelings toward their current role, or their career aspirations? These deeper questions can open doors to meaningful connections and insights, revealing obstacles, motivations, passions, and hidden talents. They go beyond the surface, inviting genuine dialogue and fostering a culture of openness and trust. Why It Matters 1. Understanding and Removing Obstacles You may uncover unseen hurdles hindering your team's performance by asking about challenges or concerns. These insights can guide you in providing the necessary support or resources to overcome these obstacles. 2. Motivating and Inspiring Understanding what drives and inspires your team members allows you to align their tasks with their passions, which can lead to increased engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. 3. Building Trust and Rapport Deeper conversations can demonstrate that you value and care about your team members as individuals, not just as employees. This connection fosters loyalty, collaboration, and a more harmonious work environment. 4. Uncovering Hidden Talents and Aspirations By showing interest in your team member's passions and goals, you may discover untapped potential or aspirations that can be channeled to benefit both the individual and the organization. Turning chit-chat into leadership moments requires no grand gestures or a significant investment of time. It begins with being present, attentive, and genuinely curious. Make it a great day! Patrick #leadership #leader #success

Everything you do that sends a message is a form of communication. Too often leaders get caught in the myth that ‘internal communication’ is the verbal or written messages, like emails and team meetings. But your behaviours also send messages, and they’re not always positive. A few prime examples: - The Say / Do Gap: you say one thing, and do another. Like sharing the new company values, that include ‘respect’, and then being very disrespectful to a colleague in a meeting. - Bad Timing: sending messages out of hours constantly sends a message that you don’t value your employees’ time; or always turning up late to meetings, sending a message that you don’t value their time. - Body Language: asking for feedback, and then looking incredulously at the person when they are finally brave enough to share it. So when working on your communication as a leader, also bring awareness to the unspoken ways you’re sending messages. Given that humans are very attuned to facial expressions, body language, and behaviour, you may not be sending the message you think you are! [Image description: A blue title with red text that reads: Three ways your behaviours communicate messages. Below are the three ways mentioned in this post, with a corresponding icon for each. The 'say-do gap' has a confused face icon; the 'bad timing' has a clock with an arrow around it; and 'body language' has a person sitting cross legged and with crossed arms.]

Did you know that most communication breakdowns don’t happen because people are stupid, stubborn, or “bad" at communicating? They happen because one of three things is out of order: R – Role G – Goal B – Behaviour I’ve watched hundreds of conversations — sales calls, team discussions, coaching moments, even family arguments — and almost every blow-up, misalignment, or poor outcome traces back to one of these three being off. When someone acts outside their proper #Role → ego, insecurity, or territory shows up. When the #Goal isn’t clear or shared → the conversation wanders or becomes a power struggle. When #Behaviour doesn’t match the Role or Goal → trust erodes, even if intentions were good. However, when #RGB is in alignment and anchored in good values, conversations almost always yield outcomes that are right, fair, and sustainable for everyone involved. #Example 1: Selling (RGB done wrong vs right) Wrong: Seller takes on the role of “convincer,” goal becomes “close the sale,” behaviour turns pushy. The buyer resists. Right: Seller steps into the role of “trusted advisor,” goal becomes “find the best outcome,” behaviour is curiosity, questioning, and guiding. Result: clarity, trust, and a sale that serves both sides. #Example 2: Coaching a Staff Member Wrong: Leader slips into the role of “critic,” goal unconsciously becomes “prove a point,” behaviour becomes lecturing. The staff member shuts down. Right: Leader holds the role of “coach,” goal is “growth and ownership,” behaviour is listening, asking, and empowering. Result: accountability, learning, and forward movement. Communication isn’t magic. It’s alignment. Before the next conversation, ask yourself: “What is my Role right now? What is the Goal we must reach? And what Behaviour best serves both?” #RGB. Simple. Portable. Hard to misuse. And incredibly hard to defeat. (When white light passes through a prism, it splits into Red, Green, and Blue, the fundamental components. In the same way, when pressure is applied to a conversation, it breaks down into its fundamentals: Role, Goal, and Behaviour. If those three aren’t aligned, the outcome bends in the wrong direction. Image by Alana Jordan from Pixabay)

We've been thinking about employee engagement all wrong. New research introduces a framework that changes everything: Employee-Organization Relationship (EOR) theory. Instead of asking "How engaged are employees?" we should be asking: "What's the quality of the relationship between employees and the organization?" Per the report, EOR has four dimensions: 🤝 TRUST: Do employees feel they can rely on the organization? ⚖️ CONTROL MUTUALITY: Do employees feel they have similar influence over interactions as the organization does? (This is HUGE - it's about power balance, not just engagement) 😊 SATISFACTION: Are employees satisfied with the relationship itself? 💙 COMMITMENT: Do employees feel they're genuinely part of the organization? This framework is borrowed from organization-public relationship theory in PR - but adapted for our most important internal stakeholder: employees. Here's what makes this perspective so powerful: It views internal communication through a social exchange theory lens. And it makes complete sense because relationships involve sequential transactions and feelings of mutual obligation. The communication enablers that strengthen EOR? → Two-way communication → Transparent communication → Authentic communication → Strategic channel selection This framework made me uncomfortable, honestly. Because I've definitely been guilty of talking about "driving" engagement in the past, like it's something we do to people. But actual relationships? They're not one-directional. Both parties need to feel valued. Both need to be heard. Both need to commit. That's... not what most organizations are doing. When we shift from thinking about employees as "audiences to engage" to "partners in relationship," everything changes: ✓ How we communicate ✓ What we measure ✓ How much we listen ✓ The respect we show Quick gut check: On a scale of 1-10, how much genuine control mutuality do your employees experience? That might be the most honest engagement metric there is. Source: "Valuing Internal Communication" - ICRH Europe, October 2025 by Jenni Field and Dr Kevin Ruck. See comments for link to the report + Frequency podcast episode link where Jenni and Chuck Gose discuss it live.