As part of the KPCB 12-200 Meet-Up series, KPCB’s Marketing and Communications Partner, Christina Lee led a panel to discuss the value of internal communications with Keith Burton, Partner at corporate communications firm Brunswick Group, Dani Dudeck, VP of Communications at Zynga, and Erin Hosilyk, Director of Communications at LinkedIn.
Clip 1: Why Are Internal Communications So Important?
At many organizations, internal communications are an afterthought, something PR and communications professionals are informally expected to do in addition to their official duties. However, internal communications are increasingly important and strategically critical to a company’s success.
Clip 2: Building Internal Communications from the Ground Up
Erin Hosilyk, Director of Communications at LinkedIn, discussed what it was like to build LinkedIn’s internal communications function from the ground up, starting three weeks after LinkedIn’s IPO.
Clip 3: How to Run a Successful All-Hands Meeting
Erin Hosilyk discussed how she and her team at LinkedIn use the company’s all-hands meeting as their premier internal communications tool. She highlighted the importance of up-to-date communications, relevant, company-wide content, and, above all, transparency.
Clip 4: Transparency = Empowerment
Keith Burton, Partner at corporate communications firm Brunswick Group, discussed the importance of creating transparency for employees in parallel to companies’ public disclosure obligations. He also discussed the effect that services like Glassdoor and Secret have on companies’ ability to keep internal information from leaking.
Clip 5: How to Create Employee Ambassadors through Effective Internal Communications
The panelists discussed how to use internal communications strategies to empower employees and create employee brand ambassadors. Erin Hosilyk, Director of Communications at LinkedIn, discussed how she helps employees across the organization make their voices heard internally.
Clip 6: What Role Does Internal Communications Play During a Crisis?
Internal communications plays a critical role during company-wide crises. The panel zeroed in on the importance of employee ambassadors, transparency, consistency, and reaching out to employees early on in the crisis process.
Clip 7: The Strategic Importance of Internal Communications and Employee Engagement
Erin Hosilyk, Director of Communications at LinkedIn, talked about the value communicators add by connecting different parts of the organization and Keith Burton, Partner at corporate communications firm Brunswick Group, highlighted the critical advisory role communicators play in informing executives’ point-of-view.