More employees are demanding remote work options as companies are trying to pull their people back into the office. In the middle of this tug-of-war, hybrid work is gaining popularity as the "happy" compromise. But it doesn't always function the way parties on both sides expect. In theory, a hybrid work model allows employees the flexibility and balance they crave while giving employers the reassurance of seeing their team physically showing up for work and doing their jobs. But many executives worry that if their employees are not in cubicles, they won't see the same outputs. A quick search o ..read more

In our last post, we talked about conquering imposter syndrome in the workplace. Today, we want to delve a little deeper into some of the specific fears that hold internal comms leaders back and offer solutions to quell them. These fears are some we've struggled with ourselves and some we hear in our conversations with other internal comms professionals. They can hold you back if you give into them. Or, you can work to overcome them. When you make the extra effort to put these fears behind you, you become a stronger and more confident internal comms leader. With that goal in mind, let's dive i ..read more

Ah, imposter syndrome: another little phrase that is making its internet rounds, helping some people understand their struggles while confusing others. What exactly do these two words mean, and how do you know if you're actually a victim of them? We're going to dive into those questions and look at imposter syndrome from all angles in this blog post. Let's Define Imposter Syndrome First: What Is It Actually and Who Experiences It? As internal comms professionals, we are uncomfortably familiar with how doubts from your superiors at work can cause self-doubt to creep in and confuse or demotivate ..read more

It's easy to tell when an organization doesn't understand the importance of its managers. An engaging management team can drive its employees to produce consistent results every quarter. But a team of managers who fail to communicate well can hold their employees back, which hurts the company. Great managers = a strong and resilient workforce. Disengaged managers = an apathetic and underperforming one. Even an outstanding executive team can't counteract the damaging effects of poor management. Inspiring Workplaces validated the importance of different tiers of leadership when it split out its ..read more

If you want to have a thriving culture, building trust in the workplace is an important place to start. It's nearly impossible to make progress in personal relationships when there is a lack of comfort and safety. The same is true of work environments. It's hard for employees to do their best work when they have to be on their guard. For this reason, your team's comfort can have a serious impact on your company's success. Establishing trust can help build better relationships between co-workers, and it also helps foster a more productive environment. But trying to build trust can be a daunting ..read more

Interest in internal communications has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic in 2020. This has only been a good thing for internal comms professionals like us! Executives want to know how we can help keep the company strong through times of trouble and the C-suite is ready to give us a shot at influencing change in the company's culture. This shift in awareness means many internal comms professionals like you are facing new opportunities for the first time. We know you want to make the most out of this opportunity and show your boss and peers just what internal comms can do. So, we've c ..read more

We are living in a world of customization and targeted content. We curate our feeds to match our interests and shop companies that support our causes. Advertising returns the favor, using the information we share with them to make personalized suggestions for our products, entertainment, and activities. While we may not be crazy about how the data that drives this effort is collected, we now expect to be surrounded by things that feel familiar to us. This expectation carries over to our professional environments. Recent workplace trends and movements prove a reality that some employers try to ..read more

"Listening with deep attention and empathy," is the way Coursera defines active listening. Now, we know a phrase like "active listening" sounds like it belongs in a counseling session and not a board room. But, we have found that it can be the secret to transforming workplace culture for the better. If your organization is failing to engage and retain employees, we'd ask that you hear us out on why active listening in the workplace is important. Communicating with employees effectively starts with understanding them. Too many executives assume they know how their frontline employees feel and h ..read more

You're sitting at the big table in the big conference room, listening to the department leaders share their successes and ask for expanded budgets. But once the attention turns to you, the mood shifts. There is no intelligent discussion about the company's employees. There is no mention of your internal campaigns. Instead, the leaders compliment your latest intranet graphics and ask why there don't seem to be many likes on some of their recent posts. And unfortunately, all you can do is nod and give them some vague answers. You know those graphics don't matter at all. You know the lack of enga ..read more

Ah, internal marketing, the art of pitching yourself to your own organization! We've all heard of marketing and understand why a strong public image is important for a company's success. But why in the world is this important internally? If you've only heard of external marketing and brands, the phrase "internal marketing" may be a confusing one. Your external brand does impact your employees. But, internal marketing isn't just repurposing that customer-facing brand within your organization. Internal marketing is attached to your employer brand, which is different from your public one. Your em ..read more