The state of internal communication is an indicator of an organisation's health. If it isn't smooth sailing, the ship will sink. But how can we ensure a smooth voyage?

Internal communications can easily frustrate an organisation's individuals.

Having experienced both sides of this conversation, I've seen how detrimental it is when an organisation doesn't prioritise effective communication strategies.

But also to ask: Colleagues, don't you think you are receiving these messages because you need to hear them, not want to?

It's not like I want to email you about farewell contributions, bathroom woes and the enraged "who ate my darn lunch out of the fridge" message.

But I hear you. You want to receive the information most efficiently. And you don't have time to delay.

You are inundated with tight deadlines, mountains of work, and the bossiest of bosses.

(not me; Umar is an insightful, impactful leader :). Get to know more about our team here)

As the media-savvy Gen Z in charge of communication within Accensis, my open rate on emails is, quite frankly, trash.

Despite the rise of Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, and Slack, many businesses still consider email a significant communication tool and even a marker of productivity.

Recently, Manchester United joined many companies mandating that staff return to the office after working remotely during and after the pandemic.

New ManU investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe has banned working from home.

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His reasoning? An experiment was undertaken at one of his other companies.

After analysing the emails of 1,000 employees, he saw a '20% drop in emails sent' on a trialled 'work from home Friday'.

This move has sparked debate amongst leaders and professionals.

It's fair to ask questions. Are emails a meaningful measure of productivity?

I'm sorry (not sorry) to be captain obvious here, but Man United hasn't been tanking because they didn't send enough emails.

With the advent of new communication apps and communication norms, email has progressed from what it used to be.

In a poll by Slack, employees spend nearly 9 hours drafting emails every week.

And the kicker? Only about half of those emails are read.

ICYMI: (Do we still use this acronym?) Slack is one of the largest instant messaging platforms for businesses. On their part, interest in email efficiency could be 'anti-email propaganda'.

But email doesn't need the kind of press that it has already given itself:

• I forgot to attach the document
• Who else must I cc or bcc?
• Who's phishing, and why is he attacking me?
• Robot voice: You have (23457) unread mail

Email ignorers have a point. Why must I read a saga only to come out with a single sentence's worth of information?

• It's ineffective
• You're wasting time
• "These are only internal communications. I should be spending time on my clients and meeting deadlines,"

At Accensis, I have implemented simple and effective strategies to overcome these issues:

Internal emails are kept to a minimum

As the person in charge of internal communications, I prefer to use messaging apps like Microsoft Teams (work) or Whatsapp (social events/weather updates since we live in KZN).

It keeps things simple and sweet.

I encourage my colleagues to do the same. As Teams and other communication apps provide more interactive communication, emails are for our clients, potential clients and anyone outside the organisation.

It's been an uphill battle as old habits die hard. Slowly but surely, emailing our colleagues will be a thing of the past.

Keep communications brief

I don't have time for nonsense - something you have said to yourself after reading nth paragraph about a water shortage.

Reading long stories is boring and a chore, and that's not what you get paid to do.

Include only the most critical information, highlighting and emphasising takeaways.

The most important information is in the subject line

The subject line must contain the essence of the message. The few words in the subject line should help me understand the task/ask/instruction.

E.g.

"change desktop pics to company pics."

"check desk drawers for spare bathroom keys."

The body should include any additional/support information.

Empathise with your colleagues

I've learned that people will listen if they believe you understand their struggles. It's much easier to connect with someone who needs help understanding your core values or what makes them tick.

Our Accensis community cares about (and is not limited to) the following: service delivery, valuing personal happiness and innovation for an efficient future. These are values I keep in mind when communicating with our people.

It can feel so cold to receive a standard email about the loss of a colleague or tragedy to befall our community. Express how

Ofcourse, this must be balanced with the organisation's needs.

We can improve our communication in 2024. By valuing effective communication, we unite our community with clarity and effectiveness.

You'll succeed with your words when you know how to make yourself heard.