Exemplify Culture, Thy People Maketh You

Roughly 8 out of every 10 companies shut down within 3 years of starting out. How do the remaining two manage to thrive where the others fail? What differentiates a successful start-up from a struggling one? Products, services, agenda, funding, market strategy, and talented employees all play a part, and it's really a combination of innovative strategising, correct implementation, and some luck.

The Three Value Pillars of a Successful Organisation

When it comes to a company's performance, three things contribute the most to its success, and are equally powerful in causing its failure:

• Products and services offered

• Leadership

• Employees

It's not complicated to see why these three matter. A company's products or quality of service are core to its success, and result-oriented, inspirational leadership is just as critical. But without enthusiastic, passionate employees, the first two factors will eventually prove redundant. These are the three value pillars of an organisation, and what links them together is internal communications.

Without effective internal communications, a company is bound to fail sooner or later. No matter how much leadership talent sits in management, it's of no use if that enthusiasm and agenda never reach the employees. Here are three fundamentals worth focusing on when building an internal communications strategy.

Step 1: Understand the Benefits of Internal Communications

Internal communication rarely feels like a problem in smaller firms, where communication happens naturally. As a company grows into a midsized firm, though, it needs a strategically planned, effective method for handling internal communications. Something growing firms often underestimate, leaving communication irregular or entirely unplanned. In most mid to large firms, a real communication gap opens up between employees and senior management.

Understanding the benefits of effective internal communication is the first step. A planned strategy can:

• Increase productivity

• Build better workplace understanding of organisational values and objectives

• Reduce internal conflicts and the need for micro-managing

• Increase employee retention rates

• Improve customer service

Step 2: Let the Leaders Lead

For internal communications to work, leaders need a thorough understanding of the company's products, services, objectives, and strategies. Leadership must make sure every employee understands the company's mission and objectives, feels motivated by them, and genuinely makes the vision their own, not just hears about it secondhand.

Management should also be careful not to introduce too many new communication processes too quickly, since that can backfire. It's usually more effective to roll out one change at a time and communicate clearly about it as it happens.

Step 3: Open Up Two-Way Communication

There are many ways for management to communicate with employees:

• Newsletters

• Intranet sites

• Posters

• Notice boards

• Group meetings

What matters most is having an effective channel for management to hear employees out, understanding what they feel about various issues within the company. Opening up two-way communication fosters better professional relationships and improves understanding between management and employees.

The Bottom Line

An organisation that prioritises a solid internal communications strategy is more likely to have motivated, enthusiastic employees, who then carry that motivation outward, directly or indirectly, building a better brand in the market, higher productivity, and a genuinely successful run, as long as the effort is sustained.