Internal Communications—It's Not Rocket Science - Government of ...

DetailsIn basic terms, this tool resembles an employee newspaper or magazine. It can beproduced in a variety of formats, in colour or black and white, and the frequencycan vary. Traditionally, these are monthly or quarterly publications.The publication can be simple or complicated, considering the audience and thecontent; both have their pros and cons. For example, a manager may want to publisha simple newsletter to minimize cost and staff time; staff may interpret this asmeaning that they are insignificant. On the other hand, a glossy colour publicationmay be resented by staff, who say that the money would be better spent on training,program support, etc. The needs and desires of the audience must be gaugedbefore committing to a format.Content is usually feature-oriented, people-focused, and light. It can be used toreinforce or expand on other communication tools (e-mail, bulletin, etc.).Content options include, but are not limited to, the following:• human interest stories, involving employees: e.g., hobbies, vacations, pets• profiles of workgroups or individual employees• new/departing staff, promotions, transfers• employee recognition: e.g., long service awards, training, graduation• general announcements• new policies or procedures• departmental accomplishments: e.g., the response by TPW’s snowplow operatorsduring a blizzard• corporate sports and social events• promotion for United Way or other charitable projects• health and wellness information• marriage, birth, and death announcementsNewsletters can be perpetually ongoing, or they can be tied to a significant eventsuch as a reorganization or special project.36I N T E R N A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N S : I T ’ S N O T R O C K E T S C I E N C E !