Why intentional internal marketing?

Most employers hire a person to fill a specific need that they have identified within their firm.  Typically that person is trained how the last employee performed within that role, taught what the basic processes and resources are, then they are left to their own devices.  Good leaders provide frequent performance feedback and incentives such as quarterly reviews and bonuses or maybe even a few extravagant annual company outings, but more often than not that is where the formal support ends. 

Employees frequently develop ties with coworkers to help them better understand the context of their job or to gain perspective on office personalities.  Sometimes those relationships generate organic morale and you hear collaboration in the halls.  However, sometimes they can lead to misinterpretation of company goals or strategy, and occasionally it can negatively skew the company culture altogether.

Here is where intentional internal marketing comes into play.  Instead of one-off efforts such as bagels and casual Fridays, the random extra vacation day, or even a quarterly company meeting, what I am talking about is a thoughtful and comprehensive strategy to create team buy-in.  Investing in your employees’ belief in your leadership and your firm can set you apart.  Assuming you have a solid mission, clear values, and a relevant and effective business strategy, the best way to advance your success is to have a people around you who understand your goals, see your motivation, and appreciate how they fit into the pie.

How can you create a comprehensive internal marketing strategy?  I can’t emphasize this enough… communication is key.  Your strategy should not only include quarterly meetings and an open door policy for senior management, but also strong corporate structure with clear channels for employee growth, trust among leaders, consistency, and strong messaging on how each role within the firm is essential to the firm’s success.  At the end of the day, each employee must feel proud of where they work.

Plenty of companies make-due without purposely investing in their team, but peek behind the curtain and what do you see?  Disengaged hamsters running in their wheel, or worse expensive turnover, small profit margins, or nay-sayers spreading the virus of discontent…?

To me the investment is obvious – in today’s demanding and unpredictable business environment it is smart to build momentum from within.  Benefit from those smart hires and grow the intellectual talent you already have so that you can focus on everything else.