The Future of Internal Communication

In this episode, the team is joined by guest Howard Krais to discuss the importance of listening in organisations and the role of leadership in fostering a listening culture. He highlights the lack of emphasis on listening in business education and the challenges organisations face in prioritising and acting on feedback from internal stakeholders. He emphasises the need for leaders and internal communicators to develop interpersonal listening skills and become the voice of employees. He encourages internal communicators to take action by leveraging their influence to drive change and improve organizational outcomes through effective listening.   Takeaways Listening is a crucial skill for leaders and organisations to foster trust, engagement, and innovation. The lack of emphasis on listening in business education hinders leaders' ability to effectively listen and engage with employees. Organisations should prioritise and act on feedback from internal stakeholders to drive change and improve outcomes. Internal communicators can play a vital role in creating a listening culture by becoming the voice of employees and influencing decision-making.   About Howard Krais Howard co-founded True, a business set up to help organisations build winning cultures through maximising the potential of their people in early 2023. Before True, Howard spent much of his career in senior in house communications and engagement roles at businesses such as Ernst & Young, GSK and latterly Johnson Matthey.  Over the last six years, together with colleague Mike Pounsford and Kevin Ruck, Howard has led work focused on how organisations listen. Following four ground-breaking reports, a book, entitled “Leading the Listening Organisation” was published by Routledge in December 2023.  Howard was President of the UK chapter of International Association of Business Communicators for two years (2019-21), and Chairman of Wealdstone Football Club (2007-16).    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-krais-4094a02/    

In this episode, hosts Cat Barnard, Jen Sproul and Dom Walters are joined by Chris Carey and Christina Dolding from Axiom Communications.  The guests discuss the importance of colleague experience and its impact on attraction, retention, and business transformation. They emphasize the need for organisations to focus on the entire colleague journey, including pre-joining, onboarding, and post-honeymoon periods. The distinction between engagement and experience is highlighted, with experience being seen as more strategic and intentional. The role of internal communication in designing and improving colleague experience is emphasised, with a focus on listening, co-creation, and authenticity. The future of colleague experience is seen as more intentional and focused on managing life events. The conversation highlights the importance of listening and understanding in employee engagement. It emphasises the need for organisations to truly listen to their employees and take action based on their feedback. The discussion also explores the concept of designing the employee journey and the role of technology, HR processes, and leadership in shaping that journey. Training leaders and supporting line managers in communication are identified as crucial factors in delivering a positive employee experience. The conversation concludes with a focus on the potential benefits of investing time in employee engagement and the importance of considering the human journey in policy design. Takeaways Colleague experience is crucial for attraction, retention, and business transformation. Organisations should focus on the entire colleague journey, including pre-joining, onboarding, and post-honeymoon periods. Internal communication plays a vital role in designing and improving colleague experience. Listening, co-creation, and authenticity are key elements of successful colleague experience. The future of colleague experience will be more intentional and focused on managing life events. Truly listen to employees and take action based on their feedback. Design the employee journey by considering technology, HR processes, and leadership. Train leaders and support line managers in effective communication. Invest time in employee engagement to gain time back and improve overall performance. Consider the human journey when designing policies. About Chris Carey With more than 25 years in employee communication and engagement – the past 20 at the helm of Axiom after holding top corporate communication posts with several multinationals. As a consultant, I help organisations communicate with and engage their people, especially during times of change. I also devise and deliver communication skills training to help people become better communicators and am a seasoned facilitator of conferences and other live events. I’ve designed and delivered a wide range of employee engagement workshops for CEOs and frontline staff alike in organisations across sectors including pharmaceutical, manufacturing, retail, travel, banking and charities. When I’m on stage facilitating a big event, I like to use a high-energy, high-impact facilitation style to make the event live long in the memory. I’ll engage your audience and hold their attention – and then get them to identify and commit to pragmatic actions they can take when they get back to the office or factory floor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriscareyaxiom/ About Christina Dolding  I have enjoyed over 30 years partnering with people and teams in the corporate world, focusing on both customer and employee experience. I have led and delivered transformation programmes which created outstanding, award winning colleague and customer centric journeys. I strongly believe delivering great, consistent and intentional colleague experiences is, without doubt, the route to delivering the highest possible level of customer experience. Over the years, I have designed and implemented a wide variety of innovative and creative end-to-end solutions that deliver remarkable results, whilst also achieving substantial cost benefits. By translating the tools, techniques and training used extensively in the world of customer experience, I ensure the voices colleagues are heard and their diverse insights harnessed to positively impact the things that matter most to them and their stakeholders. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-dolding-ccxp/

Steve Wells is a global futurist who helps organisations and their leaders improve their future change readiness through the delivery of horizon scanning executive education. The co-editor and a contributing author to seven books on the emerging future, Steve is expertly placed to identify the trends most likely to present opportunity for internal communication in 2024. In this episode, Cat, Jen, Dom and Steve chat about the shifting nature of work and the risks and opportunities for business in the year ahead.   Takeaways Business leaders need to be aware of the interconnections between geopolitical frictions, cyber attacks, and elections. Internal communicators play a crucial role in scenario planning and navigating uncertainty. Embracing complexity and agility is essential in the face of rapid change. Internal comms can become the new leadership function, driving understanding and collaboration.   About Steve Wells Steve is a global futurist and founder of Informing Choices Ltd, a foresight business focused on helping organisations improve their future change readiness through delivering thought provoking speeches and presentations, executive education workshops, and horizon scanning studies. He is also the co-editor and a contributing author to seven books on the emerging future. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-wells-futurist-speaker/  

In this episode, we turn the spotlight on IoIC CEO, Jennifer Sproul to hear her reflections on how the internal communication profession has changed since she took the helm in 2017. And where she feels the emergent opportunities lie.     Find out more about IoIC |  Website: https://www.ioic.org.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-of-internal-communication Twitter: https://twitter.com/IoICNews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ioic_uk/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/IoICupdates

Welcome to Series 5, Episode 6 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   In this final episode of 2022, Dom, Jen and Cat reflect on all the conversations they’ve had this year and summarise what they perceive to be the biggest opportunities for internal communication professionals.   This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 5, Episode 5 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication   This episode, Cat and Dom chat with Katrina Collier, keynote speaker, facilitator and author of The Robot Proof Recruiter.  With a track record in recruitment, Katrina is on a mission to fix poor candidate experience in hiring; something that’s been exacerbated by hybrid working. We talk about changes in the UK labour market since the onset of COVID and the critical role of communication in recruiting.   This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 5, Episode 3 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   This episode our guest is Domna Lazidou. With a PhD in intercultural communication and culture in multinational companies, Domna is an IoIC trainer and expert in the field of organisational culture across geographic boundaries.  In this episode, Dom, Jen and Cat chat with Domna to understand how today’s organisations are more culturally diverse than ever and explore how internal communication effectiveness provides the antidote to this intercultural complexity.  This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 5, Episode 2 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   Luis Suarez has been exploring the potential of web 2.0 since the dawn of the commercial internet. An experienced Social Business Strategist, his expertise covers enterprise knowledge management, collaboration, learning, online communities and social networking for business.   This episode explores how COVID19 has accelerated the future of work and examines how human networks and communities are fast becoming the glue that holds organisational innovation together. How effectively we communicate internally sits at the heart of successful business transformation.   This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 5, Episode 1 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   Andrew Try is the founder and CEO of ComXo, the leading boutique provider of outsourced integrated business services and technologies for hybrid and distributed workforces. A firm advocate of the role good employment plays in society, Andrew has built a multigenerational team to deliver exceptional commercial results.   In this episode, Cat, Jen and Dom take a closer look at Andrew’s experience of cross-generational engagement and pick his brains for hints and tips for effective communication across the age divides.   This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 4, Episode 6 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   Our guest this week is the founder of the Physical Intelligence Institute, Claire Dale. Author of the award-winning book Physical Intelligence, Claire coaches and trains executives to deliver enhanced business results using embodied intelligence.    Cat, Dom, Jen and Claire explore how we can develop techniques to improve our responsiveness, resilience and performance in the face of ever-changing work demands.    This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 4, Episode 3 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   In this episode, we chat with a very special guest David Macleod. David is co-author of the Macleod report, commissioned by the UK Government in 2008. ‘Engaging for Success’ has become the definitive work on the topic of staff engagement. Employee voice has been identified as one of four enablers of employee engagement. In this conversation, Jen, Dom and Cat explore with David its criticality in increasingly tumultuous work landscapes. This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 4, Episode 2 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   David Price is an internationally renowned author, speaker, futurist and trainer. He keynoted at the 2021 IoIC Festival and shared his ideas for the future of the internal communication profession.   In this episode he chats with Jen, Dom and Cat about the rise of employee activism. With an escalating array of social and environmental challenges in the world today, how can employers harness the activist sentiment and leverage collective power to make the world a better place?     This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 4, Episode 1 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   In the first episode of a new series, hosts Jen, Dom and Cat chat with Steve Hayes, Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at GreenSquareAccord. Given the pace at which the world of work is changing and the very clear rise in demand for employer transparency and authenticity, we explore whether its time to end fragmented thinking about the role of communication in organisations today.       This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 3, Episode 6 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   Our guest this week is the Chief Executive of the Society of Occupational Medicine, Nick Pahl. The Society of Occupational Medicine is the UK-based membership body for healthcare professionals with an interest in the field of occupational health.   The pandemic has accelerated both the pre-existing mental health crisis and the loneliness epidemic.  Jen, Dom, Cat and Nick explore the role of communication in building connection and community at work and ask – how can internal communication contribute towards building healthier workplaces?     This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 3, Episode 5 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   This week, we’re in conversation with Monique Zytnik. Monique is an accomplished internal communication expert who’s worked in a variety of roles both in Australia and Europe. Since the start of the pandemic, she’s been helping organisations explore how to leverage internal communication to build community in increasingly distributed working environments.   We ask what internal communicators can do to ensure the entire team feels connected and included, regardless of location. And we explore how to leverage digital channels for optimal engagement and productivity in the age of hybrid work.   This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 3, Episode 4 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   This episode, Jen, Cat and Dom chat with co-founder of Meeting Magic, Katherine Handy-Woods. For more than twenty years, Katherine has been working with global corporates to help improve meeting effectiveness.    With so much of our work life now online and still consumed by meetings, we explore why so many meetings are mediocre and what skills are needed to improve meeting effectiveness.    This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 3, Episode 3 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   In this episode, we’re chatting with special guest Harold Jarche. Harold is a globally renowned blogger who helps organisations rethink their approaches to learning, work and innovation in the digital age.   Jen, Dom and Cat chat with Harold to explore the disruptive nature of digital communication and to examine the role internal communication can play in improving social cohesion at work for enhanced collaboration, engagement and productivity.    This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 3, Episode 2 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   This episode, Jen, Dom and Cat are chatting about the role of communication in recruitment and retention. Prior to setting up Working the Future, Cat spent more than twenty years working as a staffing expert and head-hunter within the fast-paced field of communications technology.   In this episode she shares her insights into the pivotal role that communication plays in recruiting, and presents ideas for how internal communication professionals can help address the staff recruitment and retention issues challenging so many businesses today.   This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 3, Episode 1 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   In this first episode of 2022, hosts Jen, Dom and Cat chat with Institute fellow Colin Archer. COVID-19 has set in motion a sequence of events that’s transforming the expectation workers have of organisations in the 2020s. In the face of rising demand for transparency at work, they discuss who and what internal communication is now for.     This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.

Welcome to Series 2, Episode 6 of the Future of Internal Communication podcast, brought to you by the Institute of Internal Communication.   In this final episode of Series 2, we’re chatting with special guest Paul Jocelyn about the vital role communication plays in organisational learning, development and evolution. With so much change all around, we all need to adapt how we work, and indeed the work itself.    Paul presents some compelling ideas for how we learn, and how every organisation needs to become a ‘learning organisation’, fuelled of course by outstanding internal communication.   This podcast series is produced for the Institute of Internal Communication by Jess Williams and Olasubomi Tolu-Ogunpolu.