Our regular look at some of the top news, views and opinions from around the wonderful world of IC…
You may have seen the regular LinkedIn posts from Stuart Rhys Thomas, who calls himself ‘That bearded Internal Comms guy’ (he really does have a pretty impressive beard).
He’s been talking about how many times the average employee toggles between apps at work each day looking for information.
He references Speakap research which suggests it’s something like 1,200.
And he says: “This tells me three things. Companies have too many channels, technology doesn’t automatically fix your communication woes, and that people are overwhelmed with information – at work and outside.”
He reckons less is more, signal beats noise, and internal comms people need to stop just sending stuff out.
This discussion will be front-of-mind for a lot of organisations following the news that Meta is closing its ‘Facebook for the office’ platform: Workplace.
44’s Partner – Digital and Operations, Alan Coates commented: “It’s very often in times of crisis when the technology and channels a company uses comes under review. We saw that during the pandemic, and when businesses grow rapidly and add to their colleague numbers.
“It’s important that if you’re looking to move away from Workplace, or create something new, or improve what you have – that you keep the purpose of the platform in mind. There’s a great triptych to keep in mind: do your colleagues have the information they need to do their job; do they have an opportunity to collaborate with each other; do they have an opportunity to share their voice with colleagues and the business? Whether it’s through SharePoint, or great new platforms like Haiilo, if we cover those bases, the platform should have a real impact.”
DATA, DATA AND MORE DATA
Our very own Managing Partner, Tom Abbott, has been sparking debate over on LinkedIn by questioning the currency of modern business: data.
He said: “It surprises me how often companies struggle to connect their people with the data that drives their business.
“Sometimes, just understanding how all these data points influence decisions can be enlightening for all levels of the organisation, not just the strategists and data crunchers.”
We do just this at 44 – help companies to help their people easily navigate and understand the data that directly influences their work and priorities.
If you’re interested to find out more, we’re always available for a chat. You can even ask the expert himself by arranging a free hour with Tom, who can advise, guide and offer a fresh perspective on your IC challenges.
WORDS OF WISDOM
And finally… just as a sign-off – not specific to IC, but fun – this thread started by Monzo caught our eye and seemed to resonate.
THINGS YOU CAN SAY IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY IN A MEETING:
“…it’s all about finding that balance”
“…just to echo…” (repeat what someone else said)
“…sounds good!” (if people are smiling)
“…hmmm” (if people aren’t smiling)
“…are we thinking outside the box though?”
“…everyone’s already covered what I was going to say”
Any thoughts on this month’s topics? Drop us a line or comment below, and we’ll be back with more IC news next month.
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