A communications degree can open many doors

I am a huge believer in having as much experience as possible, and thankfully my supervisor understood this and gave me the chance to experience work in the Traffic Operations Centre. 

Starting at 5:30 every morning was challenging yet rewarding.  With supervision, I was given the chance to write Traffic Media Reports which were published every 15 minutes to the media and to Main Roads stakeholders. Without the help of my supervisors I would have struggled to know what to do as it was a daunting experience viewing all the cameras and watching out for any congestion or accidents. I made such a good impression that the supervisors at the Traffic Operations Centre suggested that I stay and complete my Internship at their department.

I am now interning there permanently and every morning I get to write the media reports, newsletters and other internal documents such as surveys. The most exciting thing is that they have also given me the opportunity to make the public radio announcements of traffic accidents and congestion. I have never considered going into radio but I am now realising how many opportunities a communications major can create, and thankfully I am having the opportunity to experience them all. I feel like a communication degree can open many 'doors' that i didn't even know could be 'opened.' 

(Me at the Traffic Operations Centre where i record the traffic media reports)

My intern role is known as the Public Affairs Coordinator, but I have also had the opportunity to work alongside the operators who are in control of the traffic light signals. Experiencing this role has allowed me to view ‘green light corridors’, which allows the Centre to communicate directly to the police, ambulance and other services in situations such as the transferring of organ donors.

I also worked one on one with an operator to organise the movement of Asali, a baby giraffe from the Perth Zoo to South Australia (provide new link or photo?). Without the direction of Main Roads operators, the movement of the giraffe would not have been as efficient and could possibly have turned into a crisis as we had to change the initial movement of the giraffe due to bridges and power lines. We had direct communication with Western Power and the Police Department to organise power lines to be heightened so the giraffe arrived safely. I got to write a news article about the transfer of the Giraffe, which was published internally.

(A photo of Asali the giraffe taken by my Supervisor at Main Roads)

After experiencing everything the Traffic Operations Centre does it has made me aware of how little the public know about the Centre. Without their constant communication with the public and other stakeholders the road would be unsafe and congestion would be far worse.

Personally, I would suggest that Main Roads publically acknowledge the Traffic Operations Centre more in situations in which they have played a big role, such as the movement of the Giraffe. The story was shown on every mainstream news segment, and nothing was mentioned about the assistance the Traffic Operations Centre had in the movement and how they had created a safe route through manipulating traffic signals.

So again, I got to see the importance communication has within a large organisation, as without the constant communication Main Roads has, accidents could potentially turn into crises. I'm feeling fortunate that i've had the chance to experience different parts of the Public Relations world, so i have a question for you all;

Has anyone else had the opportunity to experience all the different public relations sector in such a short amount of time? 

I would love to here your stories!

Until next time,

Caris Dinardo

The 3 reasons why internal communication leads to a more successful organisation

We have all heard time and time again of the importance Internal Communication within an organisation, but it’s easy to forget why. From my firsthand experience as a Public Relations Intern in the Internal Communication department, I have developed the 3 reasons why internal communication is so important, which should always be remembered.

1)    It keeps the whole organisation in the ‘loop.’

Main Roads Western Australia is such a large organisation. There are offices all around Western Australia and they work within so many other departments such as the Office of Road Safety and the Department of Transport as well as the Traffic Operations Centre.  Being such a large organisation comes a large number of employees, all which have the potential of damaging your reputation if there is a insufficient amount of communication.  By focusing on internal communication, it shows employees the importance their role plays to the success of the organisation.

2)   Internal communication provides a source of information and coordination.

It allows organisations to have easier access to information, particularly when there is an internal website. Main Roads has an internal website, ‘IRoads’ which gives all employees access to employee news, important information on any crises, organisational guidelines and tips on how to communicate to the media. I have learnt forom university how important internal communication is and have seen this first hand through the IRoad websites as it allows top management to have easy and sufficient communication with their employees. It also allows the organisation to coordinate with all departments so that they are all working towards the same organisation goal.

(Example of IRoads)

3)    Increases employee motivation

Internal communication motivates employees as it creates good relationships amongst the hierarchy. Obviously, in an organization there are different roles. But internal communication allows employees to see that everyone is treated equally and that the focus of the organisation is on providing sufficient communication. It also increases employee's motivation, as they feel comfortable with exchanging ideas and their views on how the organisation can improve and can increase overall employee efficiency.

I have seen the benefits of internal communication first hand by interning in the Internal Public Relation department. I have had the opportunity to update information on their internal website about particular staff movements and stories. 

Another advantage was having access to all the staff at Main Roads as you were able to see what department they worked in and what projects they worked on. As a soon to be graduate, I saw this as a networking opportunity as I was allowed to ‘add them’ as my friend. By adding staff which had similar roles which I one day aspire to work in made them aware of who I was and what I majored in at University as I was listed on the Main Roads website. I was noticed in the team room by 2 staff members as they came up to me and asked me how my Internship was going.

Has anyone else realised the huge impact internal communication plays in an organisation? Or has anyone else created their own network opportunity?

I would love to hear your stories.

Caris Dinardo