Sharing Table #0 : In need for this role | Internal communication managers

After all these years of being a member of Linkedin, trying to figure out what was the best way to interact with its members, I decided to do it through merely sharing my ideas and encouraging the readers to give me their opinion on it. What I share with you is solely based on my personal experiences in the work environment, or on dialogs with colleagues with whom I worked. I wish these kinds of posts could open a dialog, because at the end of the day that's what generates ideas, makes us grow and differentiates this platform from the other social networks.

How many years does it take for someone to be an expert? And what does being an expert imply? I feel I have a very good grasp on my role as Affiliate and Partnership manager, and although I would consider myself an expert, it was not rare for me to get great inputs from trainees or interns.

But enough with the preamble.

Since I started working in Berlin, in this thriving, start-ups filled environment, I had the feeling that something, or someone was missing in all the companies I worked for. I changed many verticals, worked for companies of different sizes, consulted with Agencies and the result was all the time similar.

I believe one of the biggest problems of companies nowadays is internal communication #internalcomms #communication. Is possible to put this in a range going from "non existing" to "slightly enough but not good". I rarely saw departments communicate to one another, even in cases of projects, or campaigns that required the cooperation between these. Simply no one took responsibility (another big problem in companies). Sometimes the cause was different, like personal issues, disliking the manager of the other team, either his/her ideas or the person itself. Sometimes this was due to internal competition between departments (as crazy as it may sound).

Then, who, takes care of this and how is it currently done?

In the company that I've been there was no such role as "internal communication manager". I've never seen these positions in smaller startups or in bigger, established companies. Most of the time the role of communicator was taken over by #pr or by #hr, which would make sense, but this would be just an addition to their task as a part of a more general, broad role. I personally believe that, for such responsibilities, a position should be established. The problem in this modern time is that we think we can tackle everything with a technological solution. A newsletter sometimes, an internal social network, an internal chat system, an intranet.

Yes, it's expensive to hire someone to do just that, but what if the cost of NOT hiring it is the failure of the company, market disadvantage, drop in performance and motivation of the employees?

That's what I think an Internalmmunication manager should do as a working routine:

• Schedule weekly in person meetings with the C-Levels of the company and write down everything that is going on (future and current projects, goals, status of the company). Facts and opinions should be both included.
• Schedule weekly in person meetings with the heads of departments. Inform them of the C-level information and ask about the situation from their point of view on their respective departments.
• Facilitate communication of problems and needs in between Managers and employees and crosswise also between managers of different departments.
• Writing reports about recurring issues, bottlenecks, employees and managers morale, recurring and unsatisfied needs. Here the internal communication manager must also have the ability to distinguish on which to focus.
• Schedule bi-weekly in person forums with a larger number of employees to inform them about the current situation in the company and get feedback from them.
• Be the point of reference for anyone that needs information, communicate issues or needs, and facilitate the gathering and sharing of this information to the right stakeholders.

I wrote many times "in person" and I believe this to be very important. Written content can be added as a task for people who prefer this way of receiving information, but the presence in these scheduled meetings switch the role of information sharing from a passive one (read if you want) to an active one (listen and give your feedback). Having someone that cares about the company needs, top-down or the other way around makes its main stakeholder want to engage more, be more motivated and participate.

Someone with a psychological degree or diploma would be a very good fit for this position, which requires clear and concise communication, the ability to understand things on a personal level as well, empathy, the ability to talk and approach different kind of people in the best and most effective way. Problem solving and proactivity in finding the missing pieces and deliver them to the right stakeholder.

After all, we should all know that the basis for every healthy and functional relationship is #communication, be it between friends, couples, lovers or company & its employees.

Thank you for reading up until here. If you wish to share your idea, please feel free to contact me on Linkedin, I'd be happy to read you.

Cheers

Salvatore Davì