Best practices for internal communication
Hello! My name is Elina. I am the Sales & Marketing trainee at MeKiwi and the guest writer of MeKiwiNews blog post series. This article is my mid-term review and I concentrated mostly on the company’s internal communication and what are the best practices from a trainee’s point of view.
I am a student at Oulu University of Applied Sciences, studying information technology. I am very close to graduation, all that remains is to complete my internship so I decided to apply for an internship at MeKiwi and here I am!
I was quite nervous before my internship, but that is normal, right? I certainly think it is nerve-wrecking for anyone who steps into a whole new place amid new people and into a new role. As an introverted person, at the beginning I thought will I get my voice heard or will I keep up with the conversation in meetings, but I feel like I have got the chance to proceed at my own pace. Now I also have a bit more courage to bring out my own ideas, but there is still room for improvement.
I had some time to participate in dozens of meetings and observe what kind of challenges are waiting for me in the future and how I can get the best out of it.
So here are some best practises for internal communication that I have learned from my observations as an intern:
- Good planning will be rewarded
It can often be that more effort is invested in communication between the company and the client than within the company. However, communication within the company is just as important. It is good to spend time on planning internal communication, even if at times it may feel like there is not enough resources.
The company’s internal communication includes any types of communication that happens inside a company, meetings and channels and how they are taken care of. Common channels and meeting schedules must be agreed with everybody to avoid misconceptions.
- All members should trust each other
If disagreements or conflicts were to happen, it is good to remain patient and everyone must be willing to solve the problem. Blaming others does not contribute to the progress of the project, first and foremost, a common solution must be found, and as a result, members must be satisfied with the solution decided together. In a good team, everyone participates in the discussion and takes care of their own station.
- People should be less afraid of conflicts and address possible problems directly
Everyone needs to be aware of common goals, future events, and possible changes in the projects and within the company. Don’t keep information hidden from others. Team members should be given space to speak and share their opinions without others knocking the ideas down immediately.
- It is important that everyone has all the recent information
The company has common goals, and well-functioning communication helps to motivate employees and helps to achieve these goals. Make sure that everyone is updated with the latest news, current & upcoming services /products, events etc.
- “We make things happen” attitude is a game changer!
At MeKiwi, things are approached through a positive attitude and everyone has a certain “we make things happen” -attitude. First it may look like overconfidence, but coworkers give encouraging feedback to each other and do not let the issue go under the rug until everyone in the team knows their roles and takes responsibilities to solve the issue!
I hope you find these tips useful. I am looking forward to writing my next article before the end of my internship, in which I will summarize more comprehensively what I have been doing and how I felt…
Merry Christmas and happy new year!
The Intern Kiwi