Showing It: Proving the Value of Internal Comms to Leadership

Insights From Poppulo’s Recent Leadership Comms Webinar with the Acclaimed Monique Zytnik

In a highly informative session titled Winning Over Your Leaders: How to Get the Recognition Internal Communication Deserves, Monique Zytnik shared insightful tactics to demonstrate the power and value of internal communication in organizations.

Zytnik, who also chairs the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for the EMENA Region, urges a multi-pronged approach to emphasize the value of internal communications. Before diving into the rich content of this engaging webinar, here's some background on Monique.

A Respected Voice in Internal Communication

Based in Berlin, she is an internationally respected authority on internal comms and the author of the award-winning Internal Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. The book helps readers understand the converging paths of communication and AI, further emphasized in the upcoming Pop Summit—details and registration for that are available here.

Recognizing the Value of IC

From the outset, Monique highlighted the crucial role that internal communication plays in organizations. She underscored the frequent challenges that practitioners face…and they’re all very likely to resonate with you. Spoiler alert—the things you need to consider to ensure your leadership team truly sees the value of IC are the same things you consider daily, when it comes to delivering excellent internal communications. But Monique takes it further, recommending that internal communications—who are always very busy and often forget what they should do for themselves—need to focus on doing their own PR internally with key stakeholders.

Monique outlines an implementable three-step strategy to achieve this:

• Know your stakeholders: A comprehensive stakeholder map will help you identify key individuals and teams, understand their needs, and craft messages that resonate.
• Communicate value: Develop a narrative that clearly outlines the successes and benefits of internal communication efforts.
• Upskill leaders: Educating leaders about the importance of internal communication and providing training can garner greater support and recognition from the top echelons of your organization.

Aligning Communication Efforts with Organizational Goals

Monique later brought storytelling into focus, revealing its potential to strengthen internal communication efforts. Storytelling, utilized effectively, can convey the successes of your efforts, thereby building trust and enhancing business acumen within internal communications teams.

Subsequently, she touched upon the correlation between data and success in stakeholder relationships. She emphasized that data is paramount to the success of internal communication, visibility, and trust-building efforts.

Data can not only upskill and educate those within the organization but also strategically influence external teams. Moreover, data can demonstrate the effectiveness of your communication efforts to management and leadership, thereby bolstering their faith in your work.

Gaining Trust and Visibility

Monique further elucidated tactics for building relationships with new leaders through listening and evaluation. She pinpointed the importance of “quick wins” as a way to gain visibility, align communication with business goals, and deepen trust.

In this context, she highlighted Jim McNamara and Seth Godin's models to underscore the importance of measuring outcomes, impacts, and the value of strategic PR in internal communications.

In her words, gaining visibility isn’t confined to showing up in meetings or events but extends into diving into priority projects, and building robust relationships with influential people. This visibility can, in turn, drive change within the organization by integrating internal communication strategies with business goals.

Making the Most of the Multilayered Internal Communication Model

Monique explained the multilayered internal communication model to ease the understanding of these strategic approaches. Revealing how strategic internal PR can elevate your profile as an internal communicator, by demonstrating business acumen and alignment with organizational objectives.

Throughout the session, anecdotal evidence, personal experiences, and a vivid discussion enriched the learning experience. Ultimately, the session concluded with a vigorous call for internal communicators to invest in their own PR internally with stakeholders.

In these volatile times, when effective and efficient communication is more than a necessity within organizations, this session provides careful, considered strategies and advice to get the recognition you deserve.

If you missed the event, don’t worry, you can catch up by viewing the recorded session here!

The webinar helped to illuminate the value of internal communication, providing actionable steps for gaining the recognition it deserves.

Remember, your efforts to create a greater understanding and appreciation of the value of internal communication among stakeholders don't just benefit you. As Monique said, they benefit the internal communication profession as a whole.