“Internal comms the glue that binds the Four Enablers of engagement” Jo Moffatt, CharityComms Internal Comms Group event
The idea was for an audience of internal comms professionals from the charity sector to learn from experts outside their field. Brief presentations were followed by a lively panel Q&A, chaired with aplomb by not for profit comms specialist, Sarah Browning, giving Fiona Bruce a run for her money.
The panel (pictured l-r) comprised the following
- Madeleine Porter, Head of internal communications at GVC Holdings PLC
- Advita Patel, Communications consultant, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
- Ruth Chrystie, Internal communications and engagement lead at the BBC
- Jo Moffatt, Engage for Success Core Team member, radio show co-host and MD of specialist agency, Woodreed
- Rich Brown, Head of internal communications at the Department for Transport
Jo shared the EFS Four Enablers and relevant TAG outputs – Communicating for Success and the ‘Engaging the Engaged’ report from the Not-For-Profit group (not forgetting to call out for volunteers along the way). They seemed to strike a chord as evidenced by the furious note-taking and photographing of the slides! Finally some BIG scary numbers – not only about the estimated cost to our GDP of disengagement in the UK (£26bn pa) but closer to home the cost of inefficient and ineffective internal comms inside organisations.
A passionate advocate of measuring the impact of IC, Advita shared experience from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Manchester airport and the NHS on how the IC function could be taken more seriously by leaders and influence at a more strategic level beyond the day to day tactical. She encouraged people to become IC rebels, saying no to late nights in the office pulling together clip art adorned posters for Margaret’s retirement party.
Madeleine outlined the challenges faced by a major plc in the betting sector and the impact of looming market changes – an internal communications challenge that needs handling with real strategic skill and empathy.
A great story of successful change management at everyone’s favourite, the Beeb, was told by Ruth Chrystie – a masterclass in getting change through by telling the story and listening to employee voice, over and over.
And on a day of turmoil and jitters in government, Rich Brown, ably plotted a route (see what we did there?!) which tactfully avoid any politics, telling the story of the complexity of internal comms in a key government department with multiple stakeholders and an environment where everything can change in an instant.
CharityComms Internal Comms Group event – https://www.charitycomms.org.uk/events/a-new-internal-comms-perspective-cross-sector-learning Tuesday 15th January 2019
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