Successful Employee Communications: A Practitioner's Guide to Tools, Models and Best Practice for Internal Communication

by Sue Dewhurst, Liam FitzPatrick

Overview

Communicating effectively is crucial to improving employee engagement, organizational culture, and performance. Learn how to focus your time and resources to make the most positive difference to your organization and its people.

Successful Employee Communications explores how to help organizations work with purpose, be better listeners and connect with employees who have higher expectations and new ways of working. Easy-to-follow frameworks and checklists will help you conduct an internal communication audit, develop and measure a communication plan, work with difficult news and behaviour change, and support leaders to be more effective communicators.

Written by leading PR and internal communications experts and packed with new case studies and updated content, this second edition of Successful Employee Communications blends theory and practice, sharing insights and lessons from global organizations including AB InBev, Cambridge University, Reckitt and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is essential reading for anyone responsible for internal communication, employee engagement, organizational culture or employee experience in the new world of work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781398604483
Publisher:	Kogan Page, Ltd.
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Sue Dewhurst worked as a senior internal communicator in house and as a consultant for over 20 years, before specializing in learning and development. She's trained thousands of leaders and professional communicators and her models and frameworks are used in organizations worldwide.

Liam FitzPatrick is experienced in change management, PR and internal communications in-house and for major consultancies. He lectures on developing teams, research, and planning, and has served as an external examiner at UK universities.

Table of Contents

** Chapter - 01: Making the case for employee communications – Understanding the value leading practitioners add; ** Chapter - 02: Conducting your own employee communications audit – Tools and tips from experts; ** Chapter - 03: Setting objectives – Considerations and templates that work based on real life examples; ** Chapter - 04: Understanding your audience – Building a realistic profile of your workforce and how to use it; ** Chapter - 05: Defining your messages – Insights from pros on why it matters, how to define them, get them agreed and stick to them; ** Chapter - 06: Channel choices for employee communications – What to consider when choosing and using methods; ** Chapter - 07: Line managers as communicators – How to help them add the most value; ** Chapter - 08: Making it happen – Overcoming obstacles and project management when implementing employee communications; ** Chapter - 09: Change and transformation – Understanding the differences for effective employee communication; ** Chapter - 10: Communicating in tough times – Preparing leaders for delivering tough messages; ** Chapter - 11: Is it working? – Evaluation and measurement of an employee communication strategy that adds value; ** Chapter - 12: Communicating on purpose – Helping employees find meaning in the modern workplace

Editorial Reviews

"Written by two of the most experienced people in employee communication, what makes this book really special is that it is like having two wise, friendly mentors by your side whom you can consult whenever you need to. Authoritative, easy-to-read, practical and pragmatic, it's packed with great case studies to illustrate the key points."

international speaker and author of Neuroscience f Hilary Scarlett

"Sue and Liam have collected a broad range of great examples of practice and explain how communications professionals at every level can apply these lessons in their day-to-day work. With its explanation of recent research and academic thinking, this book is a valuable resource for anyone investing in their skills and career."

Jennifer Sproul

"Employee communications have always been a critical part of how organizations engage their people. Now, more than ever, when ways of working mean employers have to work harder to ensure their people feel connected to their purpose and culture, a focus on effective communications is essential. This book is a timely update giving great practical advice for any communications or HR practitioner to raise their game in employee communications."

Jacky Simonds

"The perfect blend between capturing highly relevant thinking from an impressive array of experts combined with useful insights and applications of successful employee communication from leading practitioners. This is a very timely book and highly recommended to communication leaders and executives."

President of the European Association of Communica Kim Larsen

"More than ever, people expect to understand where they add value to an organization and be credited for the value they bring. This second edition superbly blends theory, practice and many expert case studies in a highly practical way. Its very readable style from two battle-worn, time-served, highly experienced practitioners again makes it an excellent practitioners' handbook."

Head of UK Government Internal Communications Prof Russell Grossman

"The refreshed edition is an excellent handbook for practitioners involved in enhancing their organization's internal reputation and raising their own standards as professionals. As organizations grapple with rising disengagement and attrition, the authors share deep insights on how internal communicators can step up and bring clarity, drive connection, and build communities that enable shared success. The chapters blend theoretical perspectives with practical wisdom and the book is highly recommended for practitioners to gain a better understanding of dynamics shaping the workplace."

Aniisu K Verghese

"Successful Employee Communications receives a timely update after an extraordinary couple of years since its initial publication. Packed with even more insight, as well as further wisdom in the form of case studies and interviews with heavy-hitting communication professionals, Sue Dewhurst and Liam FitzPatrick never lose sight of one thing: it's about people - whether we're talking employees or leaders. This is a book I see myself coming back to regularly to challenge or confirm my thinking."

Simon Monger

"This book is a terrific and timely resource for communicators who seek to bring their employee communication skills to the next level, teachers, students, scholars, and leaders in diverse organizations. It is a deep dive into various crucial issues and surging trends in employee communication. The book beautifully blends professional expertise, insights, models, expert views, numerous cases and examples, and organizational best practices on a global scale. Integrating strategies, tactics, checklists and toolkits, this book not only helps us "know" more but also provides clear roadmaps for communicators to actually solve day-to-day employee communication problems and issues. The book belongs on the must-have list."

Rita Men

"This updated edition is packed with strategic insight, practical advice and fascinating case studies. It's essential reading for anyone wanting to demonstrate the true value of effective employee communications in the workplace."

Katie Macaulay