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The Growing Status Of Internal Communication

Mounting evidence indicates that a strong and strategic internal communication practice is critical to a company’s success.

The latest proof: A study by Thomas L. Harris/Impulse has shown that Fortune's top 200 "most admired" companies spend around three times more on internal communication than the bottom 200. It also reveals that the leading businesses spend more than half of their overall communication budget on internal processes.

But there is still much controversy over where the internal communication function should reside. Many human resource professionals are trying to make the case for ownership. As the study suggests, however, leaders are ultimately responsible for the elevation and success of an organization’s internal communication efforts. How they communicate, the decisions they make, and where they show interest have far more impact than anything else.

Posted by Robin Abramson on May 4, 2003 03:14 PM |

Comments

Strategic internal communication (among other things) includes the decisions and behaviours of management. That takes it beyond traditional HR -the strategic dimension means that it is not a simple "turf war". The whole organisation has to own IC, albeit it may be led by a team of key managers, strategic planners, HR and communication professionalals. Ultimately, if an organisation is to achieve its vision and goals, be more successful in achieving its purpose, then there needs to be a consistency across the whole organization - among both management and staff - with shared values, open and consistent 2-way communication, accurate understandings of what it means for "me in my role or job" - all translating into appropriate behaviours at all levels.

Posted by: geoff alford | September 1, 2003 10:53 PM

Well stated, Geoff, and we couldn't agree more. Indeed, our counsel to clients is to always treat decisions as their primary communication vehicle, with all other more formal media products playing a supporting role for the messages informally sent by policy decisions and leadership activity.

Posted by: Alan Nelson | September 2, 2003 12:36 PM

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