Confused? Are engagement and internal comms the same thing?

Last week I spoke a little about Engagement and how it is linked to Internal Communication.

This week I wanted to focus on the difference between the two... (yes that's right, the difference)

The difference between Internal Communication and Engagement – and why they shouldn’t be confused...

In many organisations, internal communication and Colleague engagement are used interchangeably (with more roles coming along with both part of the job description). It’s easy to see why, they're closely linked, and great communication can drive engagement. But here’s the truth:

?? Internal communication and engagement are NOT the same thing.

Thinking they are can lead to unrealistic expectations, and missed opportunities to truly improve workplace culture, so how can we understand this more?

Internal Communication: The message and the method

Internal communication (IC) is how information flows within an organisation. It’s about ensuring Colleagues get the right messages, through the right channels, at the right time (and of course a lot more than that too!).

Key Focus Areas of Internal Comms:

? Keeping Colleagues informed – Updates on strategy, changes, successes, and challenges.

? Ensuring clarity – Making sure messages are understood and consistent.

? Facilitating conversations – Providing platforms for discussion and feedback.

? Selecting the right tools – Choosing channels like emails, town halls, Slack, intranets, or video updates.

Colleague Engagement = The Emotional Connection ??

Engagement is about how Colleagues feel about their work, their company, and their role in it. It’s emotional, cultural, and behavioural, not just informational.

Key Focus Areas of Engagement:

? Motivation – Do Colleagues feel inspired by their work?

? Commitment – Are they emotionally invested in the company’s mission?

? Sense of belonging – Do they feel valued, heard, and included?

? Workplace culture – Is there trust, recognition, and strong leadership?

Let’s go deeper…

Although strong internal communication can support engagement, simply sending more emails or hosting more meetings won’t automatically make Colleagues feel engaged.

Not only that, if a company believes communication alone drives engagement, they may start to...

• Focus on top-down messaging (rather than genuine conversations)
• Assume (always dangerous) that Colleagues are engaged because they’re well-informed
• Overload Colleagues with more information and communication - never a good thing!

Can Internal Communication and Engagement work together?

In short, yes.

While different, internal communication and engagement should complement each other.

When I worked at a rather large retailer in their internal communications team, we had a great relationship with the engagement team - we had to!

With weekly catch ups, sometimes even daily chats to make sure that we were aligned and signing from the same hymn sheet. It worked, and I can honestly say that it did because we all cared passionately about what we did in our roles (and I'd like to think that the engagement team would say the same thing!)

"Great internal communication and Great engagement led to colleagues feeling connected, valued, and involved".

Final Thought: Information vs. Connection

I read somewhere that, Internal Communication is the message and Engagement is the connection to that message (I'm sure someone will let me know) and it's right.

For me yes, they're separate functions, but they work better together, and help to build a thriving workplace culture where Colleagues feel both informed AND inspired.

What do you think?

Maybe you work in a team where internal communication and engagement are the "same thing" and it works, either way - it'd be great to hear your thoughts!

Thanks

Dave

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