The Three Methods of Internal Corporate Communication

Let’s say a leader or founder has a vision for their company. The vision is clear and simple, and represents an improvement in the lives of the company’s stakeholders and customers. The leader is purpose-driven, meaning they know what to do to achieve their vision and aren’t distracted by wasted efforts that don’t produce results.

The next step is to recruit and enlist other people to embrace the same vision and pursue the same purpose. Only by scaling up and reaching more customers can any fledgling business hope to survive. This was the relentless focus of Jeff Bezos as he scaled up Amazon; during the first nine years, from 1994 to 2003, Amazon reported virtually no profits, and Wall Street analysts wondered when the company might go under. But Bezos—a former Wall Street fund manager—had long insisted that investing in future growth was more important than hitting quarterly earnings targets.

No matter your business strategy, every leader needs support from investors, partners, employees, and customers. None of these people are mind readers. None of them can envision what the leader envisions. It’s incumbent upon the leader do the hard work of educating and motivating his or her stakeholders.

There are many ways to communicate a vision to other people. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The wise leader will use them all.

1. Written Communications

These take the form of emails, letters, memos, and long-form documents, such as annual reports. In these forms, the leader or leadership group can elucidate their ideas and policies for wide distribution, as well as report on current or historical facts.

Written documents are effective as references. They present current facts and findings that stakeholders should know, such as the quarterly report that reveals the company’s most recent performance. They preserve and present official organizational information such as production systems, organization charts, financial data, incorporation papers, rules of employee conduct, and operations manuals. They may also preserve and present the company’s mission and vision statements, so that every stakeholder may be reminded of them.

One of the most famous and influential business documents is the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, written in February 2001 at a ski resort called The Lodge at Snowbird, in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Seventeen software developers gathered there to discuss their shared frustrations with traditional software development methodologies and to find common ground in more flexible, people-centered approaches to software creation. The outcome of this meeting was the Agile Manifesto, which emphasized values and principles such as customer collaboration, responding to change, and prioritizing individuals and interactions over processes and tools. This manifesto laid the foundation for the Agile movement in software development.

No one doubts the value of paper in today’s business, even if that paper is an electronic facsimile that never takes physical form until someone prints it.

While written communications and records are vital for long-term success, they’re terrible for another application, which is communication designed to motivate a human being to do something. This is because while human beings have an impressive capacity for rational analysis and decision-making, our emotions are the most powerful drivers of behavior. We humans do what we want to do, and find endless ways of avoiding what we don’t want to do. Written documents, especially those use in business, are cold and impersonal, and can affect emotions in unpredictable ways.

Consider the manager who sends out an email to their team members that says, “Due to the lack of sales in this quarter, every employee needs to put in ten percent more effort to increase productivity.” Such an email will be ridiculed and ignored by the rank and file. It will be seen as just another one of those stupid things that bosses say, and will negatively impact employee engagement.

Or this, the email blast that says, “Congratulations to the team for another great quarter! Keep up the good work!” It’s superficially nice, but vaguely insulting in its glib dismissiveness. After all, reporting a “great quarter” implies some material benefits, such as profits. To the employees, the natural question then becomes, “Who’s reaping the benefits?”

2. Group Lectures

In large companies, it’s common for managers to call employees into a big meeting where some sort of news is presented—the good news of a new product or initiative, or bad news such as a facility closing. When human beings hear information from the mouth of another human being, it tends to “stick.” People are willing to listen because speaking takes effort (unlike sending an email, which takes zero effort).

In such cases, success depends upon two factors: the importance of the message and the skill of the speaker. A boring speaker delivering a boring message to a group of restless employees or investors will not go well. But an electrifying speaker delivering an important message can have a real impact.

One of the great corporate communicators in recent history was Steve Jobs.

On January 9, 2007, Jobs delivered one of the most iconic presentations in corporate history at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco.

Jobs began his presentation with a sense of drama and anticipation, as he often did. He teased the audience by stating that Apple was going to introduce three revolutionary products that day: a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device. After repeating these three descriptions multiple times, he finally revealed that they were not three separate devices, but rather a single device that combined all these features: the iPhone.

The audience erupted into applause as Jobs displayed the iPhone on the screen behind him. He described the device as a combination of a phone, an iPod, and an internet communicator. Jobs emphasized that the iPhone was not just a phone with a touch screen, but a breakthrough in mobile communication, media consumption, and internet browsing. He highlighted its sleek design, large multi-touch screen, and revolutionary user interface, which replaced physical buttons with a touch-based interface.

Throughout the presentation, Jobs maintained his signature style: a combination of humor, clarity, and enthusiasm. His presentation skills, combined with the groundbreaking technology of the iPhone, captivated the audience and generated a sense of excitement and anticipation.

The iPhone went on sale later that year, in June 2007, and quickly became a massive commercial success, setting the stage for subsequent generations of smartphones that would continue to dominate the tech landscape.

Steve Jobs’s 2007 presentation is often remembered as a masterclass in product launches, demonstrating how a well-executed presentation, combined with groundbreaking technology, can leave a lasting impact on both an industry and the world.

Another Steve Jobs speech has become legendary. This was his June 12, 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, which has since become one of the most famous graduation addresses of all time. He delivered it after his cancer diagnosis and—for a time—successful treatment. In his speech, Jobs shared three personal stories that encapsulated his life lessons and offered wisdom to the graduating class. The speech was marked by its simplicity, authenticity, and profound insights into life, work, and the pursuit of passion. He concluded it with a powerful reminder: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.”

Steve Jobs ended his speech with the words, “Stay hungry, stay foolish,” a motto he borrowed from the final issue of The Whole Earth Catalog, a counterculture magazine he had admired in his youth. This phrase encapsulated the spirit of curiosity, innovation, and an unwavering desire to push the boundaries that characterized Jobs’s own life and career.

3. One-on-One

Without a doubt, the most powerful way to communicate an idea or feeling to someone is one-on-one, preferably face-to-face. Nothing better matches the connection you make with another human being than talking to them directly.

For entrepreneurs who are launching businesses, this comes naturally because the circle of stakeholders is very small and people are often working elbow-to-elbow in the office or shop. Pitches to investors are made in person so that each side can assess the other, and questions and answers can flow freely back and forth. But as the business grows and tasks are delegated to managers, it can be tempting for the boss to retreat into their office and maintain a “hands-off” policy.

This brings us to the practice of management by walking around.

In the mid-1960s, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, the founders of Hewlett-Packard, pioneered an innovative management style that included “management by walking around,” or MBWA. This approach asserted that to ensure everyone from the bottom to the top of the company had the support to perform at their best, there was no substitute for personal involvement and one-on-one communication.

The concept involves managers leaving their offices and making unplanned, informal visits to employees in their work areas. This hands-on approach allows managers to engage directly with employees, understand ongoing operations, gather real-time feedback, and observe the work environment firsthand.

By moving around and being visible, managers make themselves more accessible to employees. This helps break down barriers, making it easier for staff to communicate concerns, share ideas, or ask questions. It encourages casual, spontaneous conversations, fostering a more open and communicative workplace culture. These interactions are often less intimidating than formal meetings, leading to more honest feedback and open dialogue.

Immediate presence allows managers to sense if the team member is losing sight of the vision of the enterprise. They can address problems as they arise, rather than waiting for issues to escalate or come up in scheduled meetings. This can lead to faster and more effective problem-solving.

Regular interaction with employees helps build trust and rapport. Managers who practice MBWA are often seen as more empathetic and supportive, leading to stronger employee engagement and satisfaction.

Of course, regularly walking around and engaging with employees takes time, which can be challenging for managers with already demanding schedules. It must be done with purpose. And if not done carefully, MBWA can be perceived as intrusive or as a form of micromanagement. It must be done consistently, as inconsistent application can lead to employees feeling neglected or create a sense of randomness in managerial attention.

The attitude of the manager should be, “I’m here to help you. Is there anything blocking you or preventing you from reaching your goal today?” The goal is to understand and gather insights, so the manager should focus on actively listening rather than dominating conversations. If issues or ideas are raised, ensure there is follow-through. The manager should acknowledge employee contributions and communicate any actions taken as a result.

Every leader should follow the Pareto Principle, also called the 80/20 rule, and spend 80 percent of their time listening to their team and 20 percent of their time talking. That’s really the essence of communication.

As Peter Nulty, the former editor of Fortune Magazine, said, “Of all the skills of leadership, listening is the most valuable—and one of the least understood. Most captains of industry listen only sometimes, and they remain ordinary leaders. But a few, the great ones, never stop listening. That's how they get word before anyone else of unseen problems and opportunities.”

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