Trying to unlock discretionary effort in your people? Have an HR strategy but not seeing change? An internal comms strategy will help.

Much has been written about discretionary effort. It’s one of those buzz-words that really means in this increasingly competitive environment, businesses are trying to get more out of their employees for competitive advantage. But sometimes there’s a disconnect between what companies assume about how employees think, and reality.

Why do people do more? Because they love what they do, and they love the company they work for, of course! This may be true for some people in some cases, but assuming this is standard across the board could be a fatal flaw for your business.

The reality is people do more because they know it makes a difference and that it’s appreciated.

A business serious about unlocking the discretionary effort potential in their people will look closely at both of these aspects and develop a strategy. This may include awards, bonus schemes, workplace flexibility, celebrating successes - with the trust of your talent the backbone.

But there’s no point doing all this great stuff if people don’t know about it. You may be seen to be talking the talk, but are you walking the walk? This is where an integrated internal communications plan comes in.

What are the ways in which you can thank people? How will people see that they are making a difference to business success? How will you celebrate wins together? How will people be brought on the journey in this change in culture? Including regular and authentic stories on your intranet, newsletter, and ad-hoc HTML emails, staff meetings, as well as empowering your leaders to use ESN on a regular basis is crucial to maximising the effectiveness of any HR strategy, especially one asking your people to give more.

By showing your people you value them through regular authentic communication, you’re walking the walk.