10 Challenges All Internal Communicators Face At Least Once

10 Challenges All Internal Communicators Face At Least Once

Internal comms is a journey, not a destination 

There are so many things I didn’t know when I started my internal comms career. Honestly, in what became my first internal comms role, I didn’t even know internal comms was a thing.

However, what I did know was my laundry list of expectations: start the company-wide newsletter, make the meeting for our managers “better,” launch the intranet, and so on. And that was just the beginning, because as any internal communicator knows all too well, every project opens the door to another.

 

I learned eventually that this work (that I didn’t even know was a prioritized function in orgs literally the world over) was—and continues to be—a journey. If I treated every program, event, and initiative as a destination, I was going to burn myself out. (Side note, if you’re curious about burnout read our post about it here.)

Had I known the challenges I was up against in those early days were common in the world of internal comms, I think I would have had more compassion for myself and paced myself better. A list like this one would have been literal gold in my hands—here’s hoping it’s gold in yours.

 

Solving problems and slaying dragons 

Over the years—decades, actually!—Local Wisdom has helped internal comms teams of all sizes and all levels of maturity (more about that in a sec…) solve some of the most complex challenges within their organizations. And we love to do it, because core to our business is problem-solving.

We know what it feels like to be at your wit’s end. In those moments, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. But, we believe there is always a way forward. Personally, what I think sets us apart is our ability to meet you and your team right where you are during this process. If you need us to navigate from the passenger’s seat, we can do that. If you need us to drive so that you put your focus on other things, we can do that, too.

Which leads us to our list of 10 common challenges all internal communicators face at some point. We’ll identify why each quest is worth completing, and, ultimately, how to know if you’ve slayed the dragon.

• The benefit of completing this quest: A more proactive approach to company-wide communication (i.e., less scrambling).
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You have a standardized process for content production that lays out WHERE content is coming from, WHAT needs to be communicated, and WHEN it should be released.

 How we help teams manage content production.

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: A more static place where relevant updates and essential information can live long-term—a single source of truth for your company.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You made it across the finish line and launched your company’s first intranet and have integrated it as a new channel of communication within your process for content production. (That last part is huge.)

 How we stand up Intranets and microsites (so you don’t have to).

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: A more technologically advanced platform that’s easier for your employees to navigate and for you to update.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You have successfully reorganized and shifted all relevant content from one platform to another and managed the change within your org.

  How we migrate Intranets from one platform to another.

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: Increased trust between executives and employees.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You have created a steadfast rhythm for leadership comms outside of, or in addition to, established cadences for creating and publishing content.

  How we help leaders communicate effectively within their people.

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: Your team has more bandwidth to meet the growing comms needs of your company.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You have a clear understanding of the areas of strength and opportunity for your team and there is more headspace to focus on other important business initiatives.

  How we help internal comms teams level up.

 

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: Comms that are more inclusive of all employee types, ensuring everyone is informed and able to focus on their work.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You have implemented (or optimized) a tool to further the reach of organizational updates, announcements, and other vital information.

  How we pinpoint the right tool for the job.

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: A culture of recognition that celebrates individual efforts and stronger connections between employees and the company.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You have launched a program or initiative for recognition that clearly identifies the standard of excellence within your organization.

  How we help companies make recognition a part of their culture.

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: Prioritizing people team comms impacts organizational health in a positive way.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: Announcements, updates, and reminders from the people team are proactively collected and shared out as part of regular comms cadence.

  How we help our friends in HR strategically deploy their comms.

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: High performers are retained because they see a clear path for growth in your organization.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You have launched a program, initiative, or campaign that emphasizes talent development and supports employees during their tenure.

  How we reinforce retention through talent development programming.

 

• The benefit of completing this quest: An internal comms function that is closely aligned to the current needs of your audience and organization, and yields higher rates of satisfaction, productivity, and retention.
• You’ve slayed the dragon if: You have set aside time to assess all channels of communication and identified specific updates or upgrades that will directly impact engagement in a positive way.

  How we assess internal comms practices to create more engagement.

 

So… How’d you do?

You made it to the end of our list of common internal comms challenges! How many have you completed? Full disclosure, I scored 8/10, and still feel like a total rookie. I guess that’s because we never slay the same dragon twice, but I digress. More importantly—

Is there a challenge we mentioned that’s looming on the horizon for you and your org? Or are you dealing with something we didn’t touch on at all? Either way, we are here to help. Take action today by scheduling a quick, pressure-free discovery call with one of our team members to continue the conversation.

 

One last thing

Thank you for giving us your time and attention—two things we never take for granted. If you want more wisdom from us, follow us on LinkedIn or listen to our brand-new podcast, Why Does It Feel So Wrong To Be Human At Work?, available on all major streaming platforms.