How can you create an inclusive communication strategy for all generations and cultures?

In 2024, let's take the lead in fostering inclusive communication. By embracing diversity, challenging assumptions, and addressing unconscious biases, we can create a workplace where every voice is valued. Make a positive impact every day as simply as we express ourselves. Each of us has the power to cultivate inclusivity. You can be part of this transformative journey. #InclusiveCommunication #leadtheway

Message testing can be a really important step, particularly for those of us who have strong cultural background in a specific generation. Creating an informal group of co-workers that spans ages and cultures can help you spot message challenges you would have missed. If capacity challenges prevent doing this on the front end, it can be helpful to have that group review communications retroactively for future learning.

Strategic communication is all about knowing your audience. There is no such thing as “the general public” so it is critical to create communication strategies that resonate with the unique interests of your broad audience.

Parce qu'on ne communique pas avec tous les publics de la même fa?on, on ne peut s'adresser à toutes les cultures et toutes les générations de la même manière. Plus le message sera ciblé, plus il sera compris. Comprendre son public permet d'adapter son message au mieux.

Me gusta aplicar una metodología que en lo personal me ha resultado de mucha utilidad y la denomino RNO. Tiene que ver con la relevancia, necesidad y oportunidad. Lo primero que busco es encontrar un contexto de relevancia para nuestro producto en un marco determinado. Lo siguiente tiene que ver con generar necesidad en el público objetivo para que nuestro producto a comunicar genere una necesidad tal que lo posicione como relevante en el ecosistema. Es decir, mientras más necesario sea el servicio que brindamos, ya sea un producto, un plan de comunicación, etc; mayor será la relevancia de nuestro producto en un contexto de competencia. La tercera línea se relaciona con la búsqueda de la oportunidad de acción.

"The medium is the message" is a phrase coined by the Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan. Your channel (medium) can be just as important and powerful as your message. A poorly executed channel (eg too low quality, over priced, over-engineered) can be simply embarrassing and therefore ruin your messages. Don’t rely solely on digital channels. Be sure to augment with tangible channels which could be as simple as a brochure, billboard a sticker, or more elaborate tangible cultural symbols like a statue or a coin. Mainstream media (radio, TV, newspaper) are still important so be sure to issue a targeted media release. Don’t forget about informal channels - eg word of mouth, podcasts, community groups and newsletters.

Once your selected the right channels to communicate with and engage your employees, tell them what the channels are and what information you'll be communicating on each channel. This ensures clarity and avoids misunderstanding and confusion. Make sure that you include feedback loops on each channel so you're always gathering feedback from your employees.

Os canais de comunica??o s?o essenciais para uma comunica??o interna eficiente. Garantir a coerência de assuntos e linguagem em todos os canais é essencial. Recomendo ter poucos canais e mais assertivos, escolhidos a partir de pesquisa e escuta ativa com grupos focais diversos dentro da organiza??o.

The choice of channels is a very important element of our communication strategy. It is very likely that we have different segments in our audience and different colleagues prefer different channels. In my experience, a mixture of different channels works best. We need to remember that people have busy jobs and the time to "consume" communication content is limited. And don't reject old favourites like the old-fashioned email - this is still the preferred channel across many industries. Once have have our mixture of channels, we need to let colleagues know what we will be communication via each of them.

Something that’s been extremely helpful when it comes to communication is aligning each channel to every diverse public within your organization. Let’s say your public ranges from baby boomers to centennials. Each of them would feel more attracted to one channel resembling their own preferences, ways of being informed proper to their age. As a professional I’d recommend to include as much channels as variety of diverse people you have. It’s all about embracing diversity and including individuals to build a culture of belonging.

In my experience inclusive communications should consider pronouns, consider brevity, and stating your main point to start..."don't bury the headline". If you have 10 seconds to get the attention of your highly diverse audience, tell them straight away what you want them to know/do.

I always follow this golden rule: inclusivity hinges on clarity. Forget jargon, buzzwords, and complex sentence structures. When aiming for a diverse audience, clear and simple language is your secret weapon. Embrace active voice, short sentences, and plain language. Use visuals and examples to illustrate complex concepts. And for the love of all things internal communications, avoid acronyms and industry jargon! Remember, you're not writing for a select few, you're cooking up a communication feast for everyone to enjoy. Keep it clear, keep it simple, and watch your diverse workforce truly savor the message.

I have time and time again seen this done wrong. I’ve seen so much “guff” passed off as actual true content. Never lose your ability to read something, and say “what???” No matter how highly educated you are, no matter how smart, be sure to communicate in the plainest, straightest shortest way. Here are some good tests to do with your content: 1. the “pub” test, or cafe test - would you be able to talk about it with your mates and be understood / accepted? 2. can your mother understand it? (presuming she has no background knowledge) 3. can your teenager understand it? 4. can your toddler understand it? (possibly the best test of all) Build your BS radar. That’s what makes you a good communicator.

I can summarise: simple language, clarity, use of active voice. Communication doesn't need to be complex in order to be effective. No jargon, acronyms or long sentences. Use visuals to support your messaging. And ask for feedback!

This is my favourite element of every communication strategy. There are a lot of internal communication professionals out there who write very well but often forget the most important rule when creating written content: use clear and simple language. Less is more. Avoid jargon, acronyms or slang - all of these can be confusing for our audience. Use active verbs and short sentences. And please, please - check your work!

You could create a community of culture/comms champions who you involve in creating and previewing communications on a regular basis to make sure messages are inclusive.

Emotional intelligence here is the key to a successful communications strategy. Read with different perspectives to understand how this will engage or disengage others. Understand that we are all different, and there’s no perfect solution, but by having EI, you can empathise and proactively work towards more inclusive strategies.

Empathy always first when trying to be understood by others. A common saying many professionals tend to say is: ‘I always make sure to provide a piece of advice to every colleague sharing their concerns’. The truth is empathy is more about listening than providing immediate advice. And also, before providing advice is always important to put ourselves on the other person’s side. There might be moments when there’s no solution we can offer to someone, but being open to listening and showing real empathy would be wonderful for a person struggling or going through difficulties.

Feedback is the main tool we have to learn and improve. By providing feedback and receiving it we’ll be internalizing and externalizing new perspectives of what we did and how we could do much better next time. Being open to feedback is the best chance of embracing development. Saying ‘I don’t know’ is connected to the willingness to receive feedback. Such a humble attitude opens a new world of opportunities.

Don’t get defensive, try and be open to as much feedback as possible. Even your response to the feedback will create more inclusion if done properly. Take feedback seriously and follow through on any changes you promise to implement.

I find a strategic mix of channels is critical, including digital tools that allow for real time dialogue and feedback opportunities. If you can follow a think-feel-act philosophy, you are consistently encouraging people to logically connect with the content, feel an emotional connection, and encourage a call to action. Without the action piece, it’s incredibly difficult to drive messaging beyond basic awareness.

Understanding your audience and their needs is crucial. However, it's impossible to satisfy everyone. Strategic thinking and a readiness to learn are essential. Acknowledge that your communication may not always meet evolving standards or needs, but the willingness to consistently improve and adapt propels you forward.

Listen to your team! What’re their ideas? What are the best methods to communicate with them and how do they best digest information? Work together and be open to new perspectives. You’ll never know if you don’t ask or admit maybe your way isn’t the best way for all on the team

While it is ideal to have a personalized approach to communications, sometimes we lack the support and resources to implement this. One practice I do is to apply the Bell Curve of Marketing in communications. By having a communication strategy that explores ways to help the "late majority" and "laggards" stay updated and engaged, we can also increase the appreciation of the "innovators" to "early majority".

Loving inclusive communication amongst the team because 1 content discussion usually leads to branches of ideas and steps to further. I would start of with a round table to understand the team's insights on the topic discussion. Especially when working on a project, much bigger brains and support from the team are needed, in which inclusive communication are much needed. Cheers!

In my experience, working with employees in multiple countries, to create an inclusive communication strategy most important is to study your audience, habits and behaviors. Each region, either city ou country, has something different in way to communicate. In that scenario, the leadership is the key to evaluate and bring the insights to drive the strategy. First thing, in my opinion, is to create a focus group mto identify the initial path and draw a strategy to persue.