You should also be conscious of any cultural considerations when working with external stakeholders. Make sure to spell out acronyms to avoid confusion. However, there are a few extra considerations when communicating externally.įirstly, remember that external stakeholders may not understand the jargon or acronyms that would be familiar to internal staff.
Ultimately, communicating internally or with external stakeholders requires many of the same skills. Good internal comms can motivate or galvanize employees to support a change being made by the organization.įor example, reminding them of current pain points and painting a picture of how this change will act to remove them.Īre internal and external communication different? This is most obviously seen in marketing communications-such as email marketing- that work to convince consumers that a particular product or service can fulfill their needs. Influencing stakeholder behaviorĮffective and well-planned communications can have a significant influence on stakeholder behavior.īoth the message and the way it’s delivered can act to persuade those receiving it. Plus, repeating information aloud helps cement it in your brain, which is good if just remembering where you parked your car feels like a daily challenge. This reduces the likelihood of misunderstanding and having to fix mistakes further down the line. Reflecting back is important as it ensures nothing is “lost in translation.” It’s an opportunity for whoever is sharing the information to check that what they said and what was actually heard match up. Good communication skills help build a shared understanding of goals and expected outcomes.Īn essential communication skill is active listening, which involves listening to information and reflecting back on what you’ve heard. That isn’t possible if they can’t trust how it’ll be received by managers.Įven when there’s little to be learned from employees’ issues, simply creating an opportunity for them to feel “heard” can positively impact the employee experience. Plus, building 2-way opportunities for feedback means employees can raise concerns and offer ideas and solutions to things they can see aren’t working on the shop floor. A recent study by Gallup found that line manager effectiveness accounted for 70% of employee engagement variances. Positive feedback from managers reinforces employee engagement. Growing a feedback cultureĮstablishing a workplace that values trust and transparency enables greater learning opportunities.ĭeveloping mechanisms for sharing both positive and developmental feedback can have a significant impact on organizational success. In trusting employees with information when times are more challenging and celebrating with them when things are positive, business leadership positions employees as partners in their success. Open and transparent employee communication from organizational leadership also helps to develop a culture of maturity and trust.
Good communication is vital for helping employees remain interested and engaged in issues affecting the business. Offering clarity about when and with whom information can be shared can be extremely important in making sure things are communicated effectively. This can lead to knowledge gaps and reduced productivity. This reduces opportunities for sharing ideas and task collaboration.Īssumptions may be made about who else already knows something due to their role or seniority. When information is sensitive, people may be uncertain about who else knows it and who they’re allowed to share that information with.
This can be due to a lack of understanding about what can be shared. Without effectively planning and managing your communications, it’s easy for information to become siloed. Here are 5 key reasons why we should all be continually trying to improve our communication skills at work: 1. Get started with What is a communications plan template?Ī survey of over 400 large companies found they lost, on average, $62.4m every year due to poor communication between colleagues.īut apart from the financial impact, there are several other reasons why effective communication is so important. But before we explore how to build your plan and share a communications plan template that makes the process foolproof, we’ll start with a definition. In the age of digital enlightenment- when we’ve got more ways to engage than ever - why are we often tongue-tied? Especially in the business world, a simple communications plan template can help you fortify your operations.