Inspired by the popularity of the new Gatehouse A to Z of Internal Communication – a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at the world of employee communication created by my colleague and consultancy co-founder Simon Wright - I thought I’d begin an occasional series of blog posts with my own, alternative thoughts a random words relating to what we all do day in, day out. So I’m starting today with A for Audience….
If a tree falls down in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? Likewise, if you pump out internal communications that no one actually looks, hears or responds to, have you communicated anything? The answer is no.
From the days of Aristotle onwards, communicators have long recognised that to communicate you need both a sender and a receiver; someone to talk and someone to listen (and, if you're really lucky, to respond). Without an audience, you simply cannot have communication. It’s a two-way thing.
Granted, the term 'target audience' has a slightly old fashioned ring to it these days. According to the critics it implies a rather passive, static group of people - nothing like employees in your average organisation. And that's why we now use other terms, like ‘stakeholder’. But an audience will always be an audience to me.
Whatever term you prefer, it's important to recognise that employees are not like sponges and do not simply absorb the messages we douse them in every day. Rather they are complex beasts with the freedom to choose what to attend to and what to ignore. That's why so much communication inside organisations is so damn ineffective – it’s effectively ‘white noise’ that employees simply tune out. It's also why 'what's in it for me?' is one of the most critical questions communicators can ask. Self interest is a powerful motivator.
An audience is not, of course, an amorphous mass. Employees, like customers, are not all made of the same stuff. At its most basic an audience is a collection of individuals each with their own likes and dislikes, worries and concerns, attitudes, moods, views and values. Fortunately there is usually some commonality amongst these groups which enables us to 'slice and dice' them, segmenting them like an grapefruit so we can tailor our approach without relying on a one-to-one dialogue.
Understanding your audience is the starting point for great communication. It’s why listening is such an important skill for managers and leaders (just ask Best Companies how much it matters to employee engagement). And it’s why empathy is such a highly valued trait in people.
For the in-house communicators amongst you my advice is simple - get to know your employees better than anyone else inside your organisation. Know who and where they are. Snuggle up and get close to them. Find out what turns them on, and off. Understand what they think, feel and do. Get right under their skin. Make it your business to know which groups are engaged and which are actively disengaged. Identify the influencers and the blockers. Then, and only then, should you start thinking about your message and tactics.
Next up, B for Boss…
Lee


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