Create an internal communication plan 

Blog
Written By Jim Stowers

Clear and open communication is essential for a vibrant workplace, but the volume of information sent to employees can be a barrier. A simple internal communication plan can help you deliver messages in ways that employees can best receive them.  

I oversaw a team of 50+, within a North American division of 300+, within a global division of 1,000+, and within a corporation of 4,000+. Members of my team often said that the amount of internal communication was overwhelming, so I created a plan to help manage the flow within my department. 

Categorize types of messages

Not all messages have the same significance. Consider the importance and urgency of each type of information. Your list might look something like this:

  • Need to know now 

    • Emergencies and crises  

    • Formal announcements  

    • Change management  

    • Required training 

  • Need to know but can wait  

    • Financials  

    • Staffing updates  

  • Timely but not important to everyone  

    • Birthdays  

    • Development opportunities  

    • Employee recognition  

    • Internal job openings  

    • Social events  

    • Work anniversaries  

  • Nice to know and useful on occasion  

    • Best practices  

    • Job aids

    • Product showcases

    • Upskilling that is not required

Strengths and weaknesses of channels 

Next, consider your channels for internal communication along with their strengths and weaknesses. For example:

Meetings

Strengths

  • Can be more personal and empathetic

  • Can provide opportunity for questions

  • Can build sense of team

Weaknesses

  • Scheduling challenges

  • Disruptive to work

  • Takes attendees away from responsibilities

  • Only as effective as the speaker

Email

Strengths

  • Fast and efficient delivery

  • Reliable

  • Targeted

  • Allows for reviews before sending

  • Can be viewed later and saved for reference 

Weaknesses

  • Can get lost or overlooked in inbox

  • Less personal

  • Can disrupt flow of work

  • Security issues (e.g., can be forged, easily shared outside of team)

Intranet

Strengths

  • Information on demand

  • Allows for editing

  • Allows for search and archiving

Weaknesses

  • Audience needs to know where to look

  • Audience needs to have a reason to look

Workplace communication tool (e.g., Slack, Teams, Google Chat) 

Strengths

  • Fast and efficient delivery

  • Allows for questions and discussion threads

  • Good for smaller teams

Weaknesses

  • Can disrupt flow of work

  • Less personal

  • Usually not edited for tone or clarity

Building your plan 

Once you have your types of information and channels, you can construct your internal communications plan. (My company used Teams, but you can substitute your own workplace communication tool.) It could look something like this: 

  • One-off email or ad hoc meeting 

    • Emergencies and crises

    • Formal announcements

  • Quarterly meetings, archived on intranet or Teams 

    • Financials 

    • Notable anniversaries  

    • Product showcases 

    • Q&A 

    • Staffing updates 

  • Weekly email blast, archived on intranet or Teams 

    • Development opportunities 

    • Change management 

    • Required training 

  • Intranet or Teams, updated at least monthly 

    • Best practices 

    • Birthdays 

    • Employee recognition 

    • Internal job openings 

    • Job aids  

    • Social events 

    • Upskilling that is not required 

Once you have your plan, consult it whenever you have information to share. Ask your staff annually whether they are getting messages in the ways they need to succeed and grow with the company. 

Jim Stowers
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