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What can we do differently to do better in engaging our employees?

Many bosses believe that valuable knowledge is concentrated in a very few heads. They assume that the key to making good decisions is finding that one right person who will have the answer.

The “genius” of the organization NEVER resides completely in management!

The best ideas will often come from far-flung corners of the community.

We are likely to incur an “ignorance tax” when we fail to consult the crowd before making important decisions.

The higher a nation’s stress index, the greater its GDP and life expectancy, the more satisfied people are with their lives, their work, their communities, their own health, the happier they are.

Basically, the more people you have who thought yesterday was very stressful, that’s better for public health, it’s better for the economy, it’s better any way you look at it.

It kind of blew the researchers minds.

It is not what they or we would be expecting.

When they dug in a little deeper, it made more sense.

Stress was a barometer for pushing people toward the things that ultimately made them productive & happy.

✔ A tough project at work brings stress, but also a sense of accomplishment when it’s finished.

✔ Raising kids is stressful, but being a parent brings meaning.

✔ Stress focuses your attention in ways good times can’t.

✔ It kills procrastination and indecision, taking what you need to get done and shoving it so close to your face that you have no choice but pursue it, right now and to the best of your ability.

Not-so-fun fact: Employees who work remotely have higher attrition risk than those who work from the office.

In a time when most of us have struggled with feelings of isolation and disconnection, the engagement of meaningful and rewarding work is as vital as ever.

Communication professionals are faced with the daunting task of successfully aligning workforces with the strategic mission and objectives of their organization. Suffice to say while managing costs. These priorities are often competing, yet they don't have to be.

Does your work sometimes feel like this?

Isn't the overall goal of Internal Communication to turn strategy into action?

Whenever I ask organizations how they communicate with and get their message across to their entire workforce - including their non-desk workforce that performs their work on-the-go - I often hear, “Oh, internal communication with our mobile workforce? We have it covered. Everyone is on WhatsApp.”

This makes me very concerned and uneasy. 

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What could be so wrong with using a consumer tool for internal corporate communications?"

While the end of the Covid-19 may not be in sight and the full extent of its impact remains unclear, leaders must embrace this time as one that will help them be better prepared for future hardships.

Are people really your "most important asset"?

Then would it be fair to say that you should focus on the physical safety of your people first, the mental health of your people second and then worry about collateral damage and the P&L next.

If I were to head a large company, I would pay my Head of Internal Communications more than my Head of External Communications.

Why?

Because I know that if this company is really to change, and to persuade the outside world it has changed, it has to change on the inside first.

Internal Communication is here to enable change and execution of the strategy.

"The more you know, the more you think you don’t. The more you don’t know, the more you think you do." - inspired by Aristotle and Albert Einstein 

As a leader you need feedback from your team to succeed.

Collecting employee feedback regularly and frequently through employee surveys is an essential part of assessing internal communication strategies, operational efficiencies, and improving workplace culture.

Companies are now turning to employee surveys to gain organizational insights they can take immediate action on. Best of all, there are now ways to collect the feedback you need to make concrete improvements in real-time.

Employee experience (EX) is our journey within the workplace. It must include the entire organizational journey; starting from the application process and continuing after being separated. This includes recruitment, on-boarding, our role within the organization, how well we understand the goals of the business, how the company rewards us and how it develops us to be the best that we possibly can be.

Is it optional?

Certainly not. We will have an experience anyway. Whether it is a good one that we enjoy for many years or a bad one we want to quit quickly will make or break a business in the long run.

How?