The Power of your Employees: Effective Internal Communication and Engagement is the Foundation for Every District

By Bob Noyed, APR, Vice President, CESO Communications

There is an old saying in school communications that notes, “If you only had a dollar to spend on communications, you should spend 95 cents on internal communications.”

A well-designed and implemented internal communications strategy not only helps to maintain a positive culture with school employees, it also establishes a foundation for communicating with parents and other external stakeholders. An effective internal program can help to create a culture where staff members serve as positive ambassadors for the district.

School employees are typically seen as highly credible by the public. When employees understand their role in communicating, strong connections are created with parents and families. In addition, well informed and engaged staff members can reduce concerns and increase loyalty to the district.

1. When designing an internal communications program for your district, here are a few “must haves” that will make your internal communications effort more effective:

■ Consistent & Regular: communication happens on a schedule and it is expected of the leader

■ Expected, Not Optional: each staff member needs to understand that being informed is part of their job

■ Organized & Concise: regular communication is organized in a concise package so it is easy to read and understand

■ Clear & Purposeful: staff members clearly know what they are supposed to do or know after consuming the communication

■ Effective & Efficient: staff members should be better informed while also reducing the number of emails and other clutter they receive

■ Informative & Engaging: along with sharing information, there are regular opportunities to solicit input from staff One of the most important tips from this list is to create a culture where staff members understand that being informed is part of their job. To be the most effective ambassadors for your district, staff members need to know a little about a lot of things happening in the district. They don’t need to be, nor should they be, the experts about everything, but they should be well informed so they can share information with parents and other external stakeholders.

2. The most effective internal communication effort focuses on addressing the following goals:

■ To more effectively communicate with district staff members

■ To reduce the amount of email sent by district leaders and principals to staff members

■ To help district leaders and principals plan ahead and look out to what to communicate

■ To streamline how information flows to and from staff members

■ To increase staff member accountability to stay informed about school and district issues, events and activities

3. Internal communication is essential but it does not have to be complicated. To assess the effectiveness of your internal communication effort, start by answering the following questions:

Do you have:

■ A regular newsletter or some other way to connect with staff?

■ A documented process for providing information to frontline staff so they can share it with others?

■ A new employee orientation to provide information on the brand, culture, vision and overall direction of your district?

■ A program(s) to recognize staff (e.g. years of service, staff shoutouts or profiles, etc.)?

■ A process to regularly seek input and feedback from staff members?

■ An understanding among staff that they are expected to be informed?

Building a solid internal communications effort will reap benefits, and, help to create a sustained culture of communication in your district.