Strategic Internal Communication: How to Build Employee Engagement and Performance

A 2012 State of the Sector survey compiled by Gatehouse, in conjunction with the Institute of Internal Communication, reveals that improving leadership communication has emerged as a top priority, with 60% of respondents naming it as their main focus over the next 12 months. While decisions made by management may be perfectly rational, poor communication can leave employees confused, worried or disinterested. This can directly impact the levels of engagement and performance across an organization.

Strategic Internal Communication offers a holistic approach to building engagement, performance and cultural integration. It looks at the relation between the traditional silos of internal organizational communication, HR and employee engagement and demonstrates how communication is a key factor in breaking down barriers. Using the Dialogue Box approach, an efficient framework for assessing the needs and impact of internal communications, it allows managers and leaders to understand the emotions of their company and how this links to the ways employees interpret events and information.

About the Author

David Cowan is currently Visiting Scholar at the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Boston College, and an advisor to Weber Shandwick, a leading global PR firm, where he has advised a variety of clients, including Honeywell Aerospace and SAP. Previously, he was Head of Internal Communications at ArcelorMittal, where he developed an award-winning global internal magazine, restructured the internal communications capability, and coordinated a global team of a hundred to manage the merger integration communications for Arcelor and Mittal. He has also worked at the World Bank, where he was responsible for the internal and external communications of the Environmental and Social Development Department. Prior to his career in communications he was a financial and technology journalist, writing for a range of publications, including the Financial Times, Euromoney and The Middle East.