As we know Public Relations deals with the relationships among organization and all types of various public whom its success or failure depends. You probably think of public relations as communicating with external publics. However, the internal publics, thus the employees are any organizations most important publics.
What is internal communication? Internal communication is a subset of effective business communication, which is built around this simple foundation that communication is a dialogue, not a monologue. Internal communication is considered a vital tool for binding an organization, enhancing employee morale promoting transparency and reducing attrition.
Again, you might be wondering why I am writing about internal relations or communication. Well, during my internship at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning I had the opportunity to participate in a staff event. It was actually my third day at work, we had a casual Friday and the purpose of this event was to raise money for our community project upcoming during the end of the month of December. I was in the committee; the agenda was like this, if you wearing casual wear you pay P10 (RM5) and if you wearing formal you pay P50 (RM25). We had to come a bit earlier that day, I arrived at the office by 630am and stood by the entrance to collect the money. As I was doing the money collections I learnt that some of the staff did not know what’s happening and why they have to pay and why other people are wearing casual. It was a serious miscommunication more so that some of the staff members were angry and started insulting me and shouting and I cried. YES I CRIED so hard and i remember my supervisor told me welcome to the corporate world.
But later during my internship I learnt that Ministry of Finance lacked internal communication, most events staffs were always complaining that they did not get the information in time. Staff events can help communicate cultural change or organization achievements or priorities. They bring staff together that may not have much contact normally and raising the visibility of senior managers.
Good internal communication will:
1. Help create a “can-do” culture and build a committed and high performing workforce focused on achieving the organization’s goal
2. Boast morale and motivation
3. Encourage staff to be your ambassadors
4. Help the organization learn your staff a vital source of information and ideas
3 comments:
Hey Tumelo
Communication within an organisation is often far more powerful than any other communication. The internal publics are what an organisation is. They have the power to create a good name for the organisation or destroy if their needs are not taken care of or they are not given the ‘attention’ that they need. A company’s good image starts with the internal publics before we can involve other external publics. What matters most is to have a good communication with the employees so that you can have a healthy relationship which do wonders to your organisation as the internal public will be able to provide good customer services to other key publics that comes after them. In your case , I think what PR department could have done is was to inform the employees through meetings or other forms of communication like memos ,newsletters and emails so they can have an idea of what will be happening on that particular day and what is expected of them. Is not good PR when the important publics do not know about the event or informed late. The main thing is to communicate with them so that people like you could be saved from such an embarrassment.
GOOD LUCK
Internal Relations are vital to every organization,and every relationship. Internal Communication, in a business context, is the dialogic process between employees and employer, and employees and employees.
Communication requires both parties taking part.There are many case studies that have shown that internal communication its the best way of keeping your employees , involved and can increase morale, for instance the Disney case study. Today due to technology internal communication is made easier through,
Emails,Voice mails,Video broadcasts.
NB.
Always keep the employees informed about what is happening around the office.
Hello Kgomotso and Kealeboga
Thank You for taking time to read my blog and share.
Yes, you both telling the truth, everything have to start internally first before we can go externally. If we don't communicate well, as PR practitioners with our employees then we cannot expect them to even communicate well with our stakeholders.
Employees want to know about career development opportunities, training and advancement avenues, salary packaging and work condition. They want to be recognized and valued for work well done ( Individual needs)
“The absence of proper communication is filled with rumors, drivel and poison.” Professor C. Northcote Parkinson(creator of the famous "Parkinson's Law')
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