Here’s a Classic Case of Internal Communication Driving Connection & Behavioral Change

When communication doesn’t connect, it’s just noise. Does anybody need more noise in their lives?

Does anybody really need more comms noise at work, ever more information coming at them that’s not useful or relevant? Communication that never stood a chance of creating a connection with them in the first place?

Anyone answer yes? Didn’t think so. Yet, too often organizations talk and think about workplace communications without any or little thought about how—or if—the comms will connect with people who are already overloaded with all types of information coming at them from all corners every day.

It’s a bit crazy when you stop to think about it, because communication without connection is as useful as a pen without ink. 

True, useful, effective communication has always been, and always will be, about human connection—and this is as true for internal comms as it is in any other part of our lives. If it ain’t connecting, forget it. 

It’s so good, then, to come across an organization that really ‘gets’ this; an organization that had the smarts to know it needed to really connect with and engage its people to drive behavioral change, so that its ambitious transformation program would be a success.

That organization happens to be a local government council in England, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. In 2023, its leadership embarked on a major transformation to reshape how it delivered on its top priorities, which ranged from providing homes, to accelerating education, empowering communities, and investing in public services for a clean and green future.

To achieve this, the council realized it needed a transformation comms strategy that would forge real engagement and connection with its 10,000+ employees—not something that’s easily accomplished by any company or organization of that size.

But it’s exactly what the Internal Comms team, led by Asha Isaac, achieved, working in close alignment with Tower Hamlets' HR and Strategy teams. And we here at Poppulo were delighted to play our part along the way, as Asha said:

“The transformation program hinged on engaging people and gaining their support. Poppulo's role in our communications strategy was instrumental in making this happen."—Asha Isaac

Here’s a sense of what can be achieved when a transformation vision is supported by connection-focused communication to drive engagement and behavioral change:

• Improved employee understanding of key issues: 84% positive feedback, showing "very good" or "good" understanding, up 38% from the previous year
• Doubled attendance at their Chief Executive Roadshow compared to the previous year

You can read more about the Tower Hamlets story here.