Managing People - Communication

Author: Jim Riley Last updated: Sunday 23 September, 2012

People management - Communication (introduction)

Communication can be defined as:

The process by which a message or information is exchanged from a sender to a receiver

Communication can be:

Internal: between people in the same business
External: with people outside the business

Internal communication is particularly important. It links together all the different activities involved in a business. It also aims to ensure that all employees are working towards the same goal and know exactly what they should be doing and by when.

Examples of internal communication include:

Formal meetings and briefings
E-mail
Intranets
Wikis, blogs, podcasts, internal social media tools
Informal meetings where employees can meet with senior management
Conference calls & webinars
Internal newsletters, brochures, and other printed materials
Team briefing sessions
Message boards
Training packs (e.g. induction materials)

External communication is where the business communicates with people & organisations outside of the business. This is closely linked with the idea of “stakeholders” – i.e. those who have an interest in the activities and results of the business

Examples of external communication include: