BEST PRACTICES IN INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS (A011)

Atlantic Workshops > Internal Communications

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

The current public sector environment is dominated by management efforts to ensure that federal, provincial and municipal public services respond to significant changes in their internal and external environments. In this context, the ability to harness internal communications and engage employees at all levels is a pre-requisite of successful organizational transformation, that is, transformation that reflects and effectively deals with the complex impacts of shifting economic, social and demographic realities.

This workshop is designed to tune-up and strengthen participants’ understanding of, and skills in, various aspects of internal communications and employee engagement, as well as to bring examples of best practices from diverse public sector organizations.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

The workshop will focus on:

• What is internal communications - principles, linkages and definitions
• Relationship between internal communications and employee engagement
• Key issues and drivers of internal communications
• Diverse approaches to internal communications
• What others do and do not do and why
• What works and what doesn't - sine qua non of best internal communications practices
• Impact of social media on internal communications and employee engagement
• Importance of research, monitoring and evaluation
• Linkages to external communication
• An integrated strategic approach to planning, developing and implementing internal communications and employee engagement

WHAT WILL YOU TAKE AWAY?

• Workbook, handouts and references

Agenda
8:45 - 9:10	Introductions and Workshop Overview
9:10 - 10:30	What is Internal Communications The role and benefits of an internal communications policy Definitions, principles and linkages Issues and drivers of public sector internal communications and employee engagement Understanding and using "impact mapping" to drive internal communications Key issues and challenges in internal communications and employee engagement Exercise: Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Organizational Health Quiz
10:30 - 10:45	Break
10:45 - 12:15	Internal Communications Approaches Addressing diverse internal communications and engagement needs From “corporate” to “HR” to “change” to “crisis communications” Different communications flows and applications What techniques and approaches to use and when Exercise: Participants will work in small groups to build an internal communications and employee engagement system
12:15 - 13:15	Lunch
13:15 - 14:45	Effective Internal Communications - Public Sector's Sine Qua Non What works What doesn't work How do we find out Integrating internal communications and employee engagement Do's and don'ts of internal communications research, monitoring and evaluation Exercise: Participants will work in small groups review a case study scenario and to identify the right communications and engagement tools to be used
14:45 - 15:00	Break
15:00 - 16:15	Integrated Strategic Approach to Internal Communications Linkages to organizational strategies and business plans Internal versus external communications Building an internal communications strategy and action plan Planning, developing and implementing internal communications Exercise: Developing an internal communications strategy for flexibility and change
16:15 - 16:45	Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation Participants will complete a short evaluation