What to Do in Today’s Environment, Part 3: Ensure Effective Internal Communications

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In the last two blog posts, we have shared about the challenges presented in today’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion environment. It seems like the only constant is change, and that can cause a feeling of whiplash. We recommended starting by optimizing what you already have in place and then shoring up your DEI business case.

The third step is to ensure that you have effective internal communications. As Michelle wrote about shoring up your DEI business case, the goal here is clarity. It is critical to communicate effectively with employees, partners, and stakeholders with clarity around what is happening, how it impacts the organization, and what the organization is doing as a result.

Having effective internal communications has many benefits:

• It focuses internally first. When people think about communications, they are usually thinking externally, about things like websites, social media, and press releases. Focusing internally ensures that employees, partners, and stakeholders are prepared before information is shared externally, especially around topics like DEI, which have become politicized in our current world.

• It gets information where it needs to go. DEI impacts people, and people want information about the things that impact them. Effective internal communications means each person gets the information they need about the organization’s DEI work so that they can feel informed.

• It reinforces that DEI work will focus on transparency, accountability, and trust. DEI is a critical component of a strong organizational culture, and it should reinforce a culture built on transparency, accountability, and trust. Organizations can broadcast widely the importance of DEI and the pressing DEI-related issues the organization is facing, and organizations can share their DEI strategy and action plan. This demonstrates the organization’s desire to articulate its position, to address issues head-on, to share important events and updates with team members, and to be held accountable for its actions.

• It promotes feedback and employee engagement. DEI is most effective when it is an inclusive and collaborative effort. Effective internal communications create a two-way street: the organization shares important DEI information and seeks out employee insights, and employee insights provide additional context and ideas that can help the organization adjust and evolve its DEI strategy and plan of action.

• It ensures alignment. DEI work thrives when the entire organization is moving in the same direction, towards the same goals and outcomes. Effective internal communications ensures everyone knows where the organization is heading, why it is heading there, and how it plans to get there, allowing everyone to see how they fit into the larger picture, how they contribute to organizational goals.

So how do we ensure effective internal communications for DEI? We recommend making a plan:

• What is the message? What information do people need to know? (who, what, when, where, why, and how)

  • What are we communicating about? Why are we communicating about this? Why now?

  • What is the purpose of the communication? How does it tie to our mission, vision, values, and KPIs?

  • What are the key points?

  • What supplemental materials need to be provided (ex. FAQs, website links, handouts, etc.)?

• Who is the audience? What’s in it for them? How will they be impacted? What is the call to action?

  • In what order does this communication need to be shared?

• Who is delivering the message? Consider authority/relationship history when determining who will share the information.

  • Who is developing the communication?

  • Who needs to review or approve the communication before it goes out?

• How and where is the message being delivered? Have a plan. Take tone, timing, and emotional response into consideration. Be open, honest, and authentic.

  • How important and/or urgent is this information?

  • What channels are we using to share this communication?

  • How will we gather feedback?

• When is the message being shared? Consider other company news, timelines, schedules, holidays, and business priorities to ensure optimal timing.

  • How frequently are we sending out this communication?

  • How will we follow up on this communication and any feedback we receive?

Effective internal communications for DEI work foster a culture of transparency and accountability, build trust, promote feedback and employee engagement, and ensure alignment. It moves the organization from haphazard and disjointed information sharing – or not sharing at all – to thoughtful, intentional, and timely communications about strategies and initiatives that impact employees, partners, and stakeholders.

Effective internal communications for DEI work honor the relationship between the organization and its employees, partners, and stakeholders; they show that organizations trust their employees with important information and want their employees to be informed, prepared, and involved in the organization’s DEI work. They move organizations from Do we share this information? to How do we share this information?

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