Contact Jen to learn about how we can deliver results for you.
Contact Jen to learn about how we can deliver results for you.
5 tips for internal communications
It's not news to anyone in higher education that our organizations are going through a monumental upheaval right now. On top of a difficult decade of declining enrollments, campus closings, and a cultural shift that makes college a potential flashpoint in conversations, the whiplash of week-to-week and even hour-by-hour change can leave leaders feeling overwhelmed, maddened, and defeated.
As an agency deeply committed to the sustainable success of higher education, KW2 is facing the same headwinds. Our advantage is that, as expert communicators, we can offer ways to engage with internal stakeholders and help your teams stay fully informed, ready to buffer against new blows, or take advantage of an opportunity — together. Here are our tried-and-true methods to connect internal stakeholders during crises, uncertainty, and change.
With organizational disruption on everyone's minds, it's important to have a dedicated channel to be your "one source of truth." For example, a dedicated intranet page can deliver informational updates about specific developments across all departments.
A single consolidated channel for organization-wide communication ensures accurate information is delivered to all internal audiences and can alleviate anxiety or frustration from stakeholders who need leaders to be as accountable and transparent as possible.
Holding off on communicating news can be tempting until you have complete or perfect information. But it's human nature to fill information voids with speculation or catastrophizing — it's simply how our brains try to make sense of disorder.
To minimize anxiety, impulse decisions, and wasted energy across an institution, consistently and constantly clarify what is known while acknowledging the unknown. Regular, strategic information sharing goes a long way in building trust and resolve. In addition, internal teams can better prepare for the most disruptive possibilities, plus you'll ease some of the stress felt by faculty and staff who worry in the absence of answers.
When big decisions need to be made, many leadership teams retreat to a small circle to determine what needs to be done. But while this smaller team is busy solving issues, others in an institution may be left in the dark regarding decision-making — again potentially causing anxiety, inaction and freeze, or impulsive choices simply to be "doing something."
Communicating your decision-making framework can add a comforting sense of progress and purpose. By helping internal teams understand the clear plan for next steps, leaders can stabilize expectations for the long term, provide rationale for difficult or unpopular decisions, and illustrate their commitment to accountability and transparency.
A transparent framework could share:
Keeping leaders visible and available in intentional town hall-style meetings for all internal stakeholders lets faculty and staff hear leaders acknowledging the uncertainty and potential impact of the current climate and also share their points of view, concerns, and questions.
Being heard in a collective environment can lighten the weight of a challenging time. In addition, meetings like these illustrate that leadership has broad enough shoulders to take on complicated emotions without reacting defensively and that each individual's point of view matters.
It's common for leaders to fall into the trap of believing they always need to communicate strength and hope, even in the face of public truths that have faculty and staff feeling hopeless and cornered.
Resist any urge to resort to toxic positivity and platitudes of reassurance amidst change or chaos. Instead, leaders can start by showing they are human beings who genuinely care about an institution and feel equally angry, mournful, or anxious about the ramifications of the current situation. After showing this shared emotional response, leadership can shift to serving as passionate champions, cultivating hope, inspiration, and confidence.
Sustained trust and inspiration can be developed, even in times of crisis. While it can seem tremendously challenging to change communication structures right now, helping stakeholders be focused, informed, and united is a crucial first step in collaboratively facing not just what's happening right now but also unexpected new challenges that are sure to come down the road. It's the path we choose at KW2 to keep our teams focused forward, acting as trusted advisors to our partners as they develop their communication plans. To hear more about KW2's work communicating strategically, talk with KW2 CEO Jennifer Savino.