Top-down comms are used to inform staff of the overall business strategy and direction, and therefore are largely company-wide and traditionally formal in their nature.ĭelivery channels can range from a town hall meeting or video stream to a corporate newsletter for the most part, they’ll tend to be scheduled or come with decent notice, with supporting input from Internal Comms, Marketing, HR or any other number of departments. Hearing from the boss makes a difference to how staff define purpose in their work – one of the increasingly important components of employee engagement, according to Gallup. In larger organizations where many staff may never meet their senior leaders in person, internal communication has a challenging task and even more important role to play. Senior leaders play a crucial role in defining the culture and direction of a business, so getting them visible and heard across the workforce is essential. Top-down information from the business to its people. The business agenda, it’s traditionally to facilitate the distribution of They’re first for a reason when internal comms rises onto We identify the common types as:ĭownload the free eBook Leadership and top-down Many types of comms will overlap, but all deserve a Internal communications strategy, and the appropriate tone or style for each. Tools work for different types, where each type has its place in the wider
Internal communication requires us to understand their different goals, what Identifying, nurturing, and promoting the different types of Won’t necessarily be responsible for every type: but you will be a key Internal communications, it’s critical to understand the different types. Business Dictionaryįor those charged with managing, driving, or overseeing Internal communication is the sharing of information for business purposes. Important to your overall internal communications strategy. And while we may pay moreĪttention to certain types as an organization, each has its own value and is Your business, with or without a dedicated plan. There are a multitude of different types of internal communication: from top-down memos to peer-to-peer acknowledgment, from crisis comms to information campaigns and more.Įach is designed to serve a different purpose, a differentĪudience, to deliver a different outcome. There are many different definitions out there, but the truth is, the term is a bit of a capture-all. When we talk about internal communication, what do we even Room for them in your internal comms plan? Types of communication happening in your organization right now. Often used as a blanket term but in fact, there are a huge range of different