It may sound hard to believe, but Microsoft introduced PowerPoint to Office users 25 years ago, and the World Wide Web was created just one year later. So while the tools we use to communicate in 2015 are dramatically different from those we used in the early nineties, the principles of digital technology have largely remained the same.
Similarly, the overarching principles of internal corporate communication have remained rooted in training and engaging employees. As legendary management consultant Peter Drucker said, “The most important thing is hearing what isn’t said.” However, thanks to advances in digital technology, the tools and software we now use in our internal communication have shifted dramatically and we “hear” a lot better.
Communication in the Digital Age: From Paper to the Cloud
Thirty years ago internal communication and company policies were still distributed via paper, which has evolved today with largely paperless offices and communication in the digital age. The cloud now allows companies to send virtually limitless communication to employees, forever changing the frequency in which we interact with co-workers. The question is no longer, “How do we make sure everyone sees this?” but rather, “How much is too much?”
Internal Corporate Communication: From Desktop to Mobile
According to the UN, six of the world’s seven billion people have mobile phones, and many use them for internal corporate communication. Communication and commerce has been going mobile for some time now as desktop computers are becoming something of a relic. Company communication must now adapt to a mobile workforce that is communicating largely via their phones, requiring snackable content and timely, personalized notifications that reach their intended audience.
From ‘Please Leave a Message’ to Always On
Having an office landline seems like ancient history today thanks to email and social media networks. Instead of having a few channels for communication, companies must enable their employees to communicate on multiple channels, removing any barriers that might prevent them from communicating easily and instantaneously. It is now on management to discover where and how their employees are to communicating with each other, to foster it and make sure it is secure.
The classic top-down model of corporate communication no longer works because digital technology has created new networks and workflows that have flattened the communications gap between management and employees. Thankfully the days of posting new company policy in the breakroom are behind us, and we have new ways of “hearing what isn’t said” to create better workplaces and more engaged employees.
Are you interested in improving the way you communicate with your employees? Get in touch with us to find out more about Beekeeper – mobile communication tool for teams and companies, and we’ll be more than happy to show you how you can reach and engage your field employees, as well as collect feedback from them in a simple and secure way.
