What do you do if you're an executive in Internal Communications and want to stay ahead of industry trends?

Digitalisation is a major trend that continues to be a huge enabler for internal communications. However, whatever the platform, system or tool, one thing remains constant: the quality of the message — ensuring that it is well targeted, is relatable, (and human-centric), and has a clear intent. What do you want your audience to “think, feel, and act”? In short, “content stays royal, and channel remains loyal”. In today’s rapidly evolving digital age, it’s key to retain credibility and authenticity, and use Gen AI and emerging tech as enablers — but not in replacement of real, authentic and owned content.

Auf der einen Seite ist es wichtig, in der internen Kommunikation die aktuellen Instrumente einzusetzen, auf der anderen Seite ist es besonders wichtig, die Wünsche und individuellen Bedürfnisse der Besch?ftigten zu berücksichtigen. Diese müssen regelm??ig abgefragt werden und die Besch?ftigten in diesen Prozess einzubeziehen.

Embrace agility and adaptability in your approach to internal communications. Be open to experimentation, iteration, and feedback, and be willing to pivot quickly in response to changing circumstances or emerging trends. Keep abreast of advancements in communication technology and tools that can streamline internal processes, facilitate collaboration, and enhance employee engagement. Evaluate new technologies and consider piloting or implementing those that align with your organization's goals and objectives.

Build a network of fellow internal comms practitioners. This field is being built in real-time, so I’m wary of anyone peddling certifications or courses. Your best bet for up-to-date information is from other people doing the work every day.

The network is EVERYTHING. Especially with the rise of the hybrid and remote workplaces, it’s critical to ask how other people in the communication space are adapting to new challenges and incorporating new technology and opportunity. And don’t just talk to other communicators—frankly, everyone communicates, and amazing suggestions can come from a wide array of sources. Success anywhere can model success everywhere if you think creatively about how to apply learned lessons and good ideas.

Collaborate with colleagues in other departments, such as Human Resources, IT, and Marketing, to leverage their expertise and insights. Cross-functional collaboration can lead to innovative solutions and opportunities for driving organizational change and growth.

Stay curious and stay open to trying new ideas. Most great ideas are borrowed and adapted. So attend communications conferences, find out what others in your field are doing, ask questions, and adapt to your audience.

Always learning is a key, sometimes I fall in the trap that I have already what it takes and I have learned quite enough about my field and no more learning is needed until I set down and take a training or reflection session and I find out that so many of my learnings are not applied yet or I forgot to communicate to team members to be able to learn from each other

Communication is a constant journey. It changes with time, place, people or current situation. Your audience is very dynamic and hence you need to be agile too. Continous research on what's trending and where is the party (your audience) is important to know. Keep brushing up the new basics and make mental notes on the understanding of your user behavior will be good enough to keep you in the race.

Importante estar siempre aprendiendo sobre las nuevas tendencias, los benchmark juegan un papel relevante. A este punto tener clara la línea comunicacional de nuestra organización, pyme, u otro es clave para saber qué y cómo aplicar. Sugiero escuchar al cliente o colaborador para saber qué tipo de información es la que genera más impacto y a cual es más receptivo. Los talleres, conversatorios son de gran ayuda.

A cultura data-driven na Comunica??o Interna é muito importante. Historicamente, é difícil encontrar material sobre dados em CI, por isso, é importante implementar uma cultura baseada em análise de dados, que gera insights e ajudam na defini??o da estratégia de canais, mensagem, tom de voz, volume, frequência e personas.

Establish yourself as a thought leader in internal communications by sharing your insights, expertise, and experiences through blogs, articles, whitepapers, and speaking engagements. Contribute to industry publications, participate in panel discussions, and showcase your thought leadership on social media platforms.

Internal Comms like other functions is built on credibility and trust. So, while doing all the things fellow professionals have outlined here, my humble request is to stop chasing the new and shiny and invest in mastering the art of storytelling and EQ. Also, deepen our interests in human behavior and psychology. Invest in the timeless skill of connecting deeply with your audience. Speak with people, learn what interests them and what brings joy to them. This will help not only to counsel your leadership team who might value this insight but also help us as communicators to frame messages that are authentic and real and not templatized, no matter how trends evolve.

Since internal communications is a niche area and is evolving, industry trends get shaped at a broader level. Which means, you need to follow trends about the world of work, workplaces and workforces to be able to stay ahead. It requires professionals to read up literature that cuts across economics, design, psychology, behavioural sciences etc. Some of the best ideas and approaches are often found in research papers.