Insanely Clever Marketing

How To Motivate Your Team to Success

Posted by Penelope Herbert on October 20, 2015 · 2 Comments 

Have you ever worked for an organisation where there was too much gossip, backstabbing, and rumour mongering? Was the corporate culture one where no one knew what was going on so everyone was on tender hooks thinking negative things about the company? I have. And it’s not pleasant.

I worked for someone who didn’t like anyone else’s ideas except his own. He thought this made him look more like a ‘leader’. What a joke; staff laughed at him behind his back. They didn’t respect him and staff turnover was high.

Another organisation I worked for only shared company financial information with a few people at the top. Why wouldn’t you share good news about company profits with everyone? Because everyone has contributed to the profits, haven’t they?

Conversely, if there is bad news staff deserve to have a clear picture supported by the CEO providing solid strategies for getting back on top. Loyal staff who are kept informed and feel valued can be your best ambassadors.

Even the most simple internal communications plan will significantly reduce staff turnover, increase production and lead to a happier and more collaborative working environment.

The smallest business will benefit from an internal communications process. Good communication is linked to good employee relations and increased productivity – two crucial elements for any successful business. Many larger firms have an in-house public relations officer or outsource the role to a PR firm. Even allowing for staff training and induction programs, the PR role also should be audit managed to ensure success.

No matter the size of a business, internal communication has the ability to;

– create a shared sense of purpose

– create happier and more productive employees

– create solidarity amongst geographically scattered employees

– tie different elements of the organisation to one corporate or business identity

– allow the business to profit from the varied ideas of those within the organisation

– assert consistency if a product line or service is diversified, minimised or changed

TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE USED:

– social clubs

– public information

– conferences and seminars

– employee suggestion schemes

– annual or seasonal staff picnics

– induction process for new staff

– competitions within the organisation

– the use of noticeboards and posters

– the use by staff of the company insignia

– reports to staff explaining the annual report and results

– visits to the office, factory or plant by employees’ families

– provision of company uniforms to an in-house sporting team

– award schemes that recognise the contribution of long-standing employees

– newsletter or in-house journals featuring company people and company successes

– the use of employee attitude surveys to understand their points of view and to show management what actions needs to be taken where needed

Whilst organised social events are popular amongst larger organisations, newsletters are still widely used to improve the public relations cache of a business.

If you are considering an internal newsletter, ensure it is relevant, timely, fun and largely contributed to by the employees. Be reasonable in assigning a budget and time frame for each issue and do not expect staff to work on it in their own time. The size, style, cost and method of distribution should be tailored to the situation.

DEFINING, IMPLEMENTING AND MONITORING YOUR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM

DEFINE THE PROBLEM: Before embarking on an internal communications program, define the problem. What is it that needs to be changed? Unhappy employees? Geographically scattered staff? Diverse product range? New CEO?

SET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: One size may not fit all. Ensure your goals and objectives are reasonable and relevant to the problem. If you have scattered employees, then a central noticeboard won’t address communication problems, but a newsletter might.

If you only have a few staff, creating a company football or softball team won’t improve interaction but a staff ten-pin bowling team might. If you want to create better communication between staff, the company and their families, a visit to the factory may not be appropriate but a company-sponsored staff quiz night could be lots of fun.

CREATE A FRAMEWORK: In simple terms, create a program to achieve your goals. Identify resources that may be required and methods for program management.

EVALUATION: If it can’t be measured, it can’t be managed. There are two key things to consider when deciding how to evaluate your internal communications program. Firstly, provide evidence of the worth of the program, and identify opportunities to improve or modify the program.

To be a valid measurement of progress, your evaluation should focus on the effects – change in the knowledge, attitude, opinions, and behaviours – the program has provoked.

Good luck, and happy communicating. I’d love you to join me on Twitter @insanelyclever and Facebook /InsanelyCleverMarketing for more great advice, free business tips and insanely clever marketing inspiration.

If you liked these tips, you might like to read about five steps to a more profitable 2016, getting out of a black hole and don’t make this rookie marketing mistake.