THE EVOLUTION OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

Executive Summary

1.   The internal communication function has, as predicted in Business Intelligence's report, The Strategic Management of Internal Communication,¹ grown in numbers, resources and status over the past five years.

2.   Internal communication practitioners report that on average, their work has become more strategic, and that they work more closely with the business and have a clearer idea of their roles and priorities than they did three years ago.

3.   Several factors indicate that senior executives are increasingly recognizing the importance of internal communication: more communicators feel that their leaders are committed to internal communication, and many note that they are called in to help with change initiatives earlier than they had been in the past.

4.   An increasingly competitive business environment may force some organizations to reduce or outsource some of their internal communication activities. Alternatively, the same trend could lead to greater demand for communications to help employees adapt to a more competitive environment.

5.   A trend towards empowerment and flatter hierarchies is likely to increase the demand for communications, as employees at lower levels will need, and expect, more information to do their jobs.

6.   A trend towards outsourcing non-core functions may inspire more internal communication teams to demonstrate that internal communication is, in fact, a core function.

7.   Internal communication teams will need to develop new technology and approaches to communicate effectively with the growing numbers of mobile, virtual and temporary workers.

8.   Employees today are less likely than earlier generations to feel loyalty and commitment to their employers. Communicators can respond to this change in attitude by demonstrating to employees how meeting the business needs of their employer can also fulfil their own personal objectives.

9.   Research has demonstrated strong links between effective communication and employee commitment, and between employee commitment and business success. The same research shows very low levels of commitment among British employees, at all levels.

10.   The widespread use of e-communications will mean that, while professional communicators no longer generate most messages, they are needed more than ever before to manage those messages.

11.   A growing recognition of the link between internal communication and business success has driven much of the function's recent evolution. Although much of this evidence is anecdotal and intuitive, recent studies have found quantifiable links between communication competency and business outcomes.

12.   The vast majority of internal communication practitioners feel that they could contribute more to the strategic process than they do currently.

13.   After a major reorganization, communicators at Littlewoods, the British retailer, were charged with encouraging managers to co-operate better across functional lines. They launched the idea at a management conference, using managers rather than professional presenters as speakers. The tactic was successful partly because the conference itself was an example of how effective cross-functional work can be.

14.   At Raynor Garage Doors, rapid growth and the development of new communication channels drove changes to the communications function.

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