Good communication is vital to creating awareness of your staff network and can be used effectively in different ways to make an impact. It is also essential to maintaining strong working relationships at all levels of an organisation. Whether you are promoting your activities, growing your membership or trying to increase visibility, communication will help your network succeed.
Here are some tips to consider:
HAVE A PLAN: A communication plan is a great way to demonstrate the value of your staff network and show goals, progress, and success. It also helps you understand how best to reach your audiences. In your communication plan you will need to think about what your objectives are, who you are trying to ‘speak to,’ (your audience) as well as what your approach might be. For example, a communications objective might be to engage younger members and an appropriate approach may be to increase your presence on social media by creating more content or posting more regularly. You might also measure the impact of this objective, over a period of time, to indicate if this has been successful. For example, whether more younger employees had engaged with the content and if there was an increase in membership.
WAYS TO ENGAGE – As a network, there will be different opportunities for communication and you may use different channels depending on the context to raise awareness. Communication channels can be non- verbal and include examples such as posters to advertise events or newsletters to update on activities. Communicating can also be in person, with your network members and other stakeholders, such as at an event or meeting.
MEMBER VOICE – Good communication is a two way process, and not only involves delivering key messages but also actively connecting with the issues affecting your members. As a staff network, you need to enable your members to have their voice heard in the organisation and communicate their priorities and concerns. By actively encouraging good communication with them and seeking their views and feedback, you are not only increasing engagement but also learning about any key issues that need to be raised within your wider organisation.
STAKEHOLDERS – Communicating well with your stakeholders is important as it not only builds trust but ensures they have a shared understanding of your work and network value. Consider who your stakeholders are and what communication style might work best with them. The better you understand your stakeholders needs, and how you can align with their goals, the more effectively you will be able to communicate with them. Regular communication with stakeholders not only increases transparency and ensures different parts of the organisation are joined-up on relevant issues but can result in better decision making.
Are you looking to invest in your Network Communication?
Our Network Communications Programme is the first of its kind, designed specifically for ERG communicators at every level. Whether you’re a Network Lead or Committee Member, we’ll help you to fine-tune your EDI communication skills and use your voice to ignite change.
To find out more contact our team click here
