Harnessing the power of internal voices is not without risks, and organizations must be incredibly deliberate about engaging and nurturing communications in this way.

Openness. Before enacting a strategy such as this, open a line of communication to hear internal opinions and concerns. The key messages of any campaign pertaining to business transformation need to assuage potential concerns and stoke enthusiasms that are identified in this initial outreach phase. Opening a channel of communication with employees will convert them from stakeholders who need to be communicated with to partners who are invested in the matter’s success.

Honesty and Realism. As communications strategy progresses, honesty and realism are of crucial importance. In times of significant business change, it is perhaps easy to slip into excited hyperbole – promising, or (depending on the situation) warning against, a tomorrow that might not be realistic. This should be avoided at all costs. Credibility is key and it is tremendously difficult to win back once lost.

Honesty inspires confidence and strengthens a messaging campaign’s resilience in the face of criticism. No business change will be without its drawbacks. Engaging frankly with fair criticisms whilst effectively promoting the benefits of a given development will cultivate an atmosphere of honesty that will only serve to bolster a business’s narrative and reputation.

Internal Forums such as town halls can foster an atmosphere of honesty and transparency, where employees have the opportunity to engage directly with their leaders regarding upcoming changes that an organization is pursuing. It also presents the perfect platform for business leaders to draw attention to employee activities in response to a given change.

Consistency. Another essential dimension to successfully harnessing the power of internal voices is consistency. Even seismic business developments can lose their gleam over time. Keeping internal voices energized for the long run is essential to realizing their full impact on a communications strategy. In addition to ensuring that there is a regular cadence of clear internal communications, with clear actions that employees and other internal stakeholders are encouraged to take, unforeseen external events often present opportunities to ensure continued employee advocacy and enthusiasm for a given business change.

External Events, provided that they are delicately managed, can serve as an excellent forum to elevate internal voices in support of business initiatives. While organizations should not impose their viewpoints at or about these events (e.g., public hearings and local political gatherings), what they can do is alert employees to them, provide resources for them to attend and offer support with public-facing statements. In parallel, companies can empower internal voices by leveraging existing media connections and use best practices in a controlled manner. In such cases, providing these employees with guidance and appropriate media training can be useful in elevating their opinions on the matter to a wider audience.

Digital Amplification. As appropriate content by internal stakeholders is produced, an organization can play an important role in helping it reach a wider audience, such as relevant decision makers. By investing in digital amplification, companies can strategically supercharge the content emanating from amongst its ranks, promoting ideas and conversations to relevant audiences to coalesce support for its objectives. A comprehensive digital campaign also enables an organization to monitor sentiment and reaction, helping to adapt messaging and content in real-time, evolving to achieve success.