Driving Success with Proactive IC Partnership
One of our most frequent complaints as internal communication (IC) professionals is that we’re often pulled in at the eleventh hour to develop and execute a communication plan. These are the fire drills I’ve previously written about. While there may not be a foolproof way to prevent your last-minute inclusion in major initiatives (or even minor ones) every single time, there are ways to mitigate it. Proactive partnership is one of those ways.
Proactive partnership involves identifying key internal partners and consistently connecting with them. These partners typically include departments such as human resources, IT, and operations, which benefit most from your IC expertise. As you compile your list of key partners, consider the areas of your organization with which you frequently intersect or should collaborate more closely. Some of these partners may already seek your guidance and expertise, while others may not yet realize the potential benefits of collaboration.
The next step in proactive partnership is identifying key individuals or groups within each department who serve as your primary contacts. For instance, within human resources, these individuals may include those with responsibilities related to employee experience, learning and development, benefits administration, and diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. If you don’t already know these people, introduce yourself and set up one-on-one or small group conversations with them.
Once you’ve established that initial rapport, it’s crucial to make regular communication a priority. Set up recurring touchpoints on your calendars. It could be a monthly reminder for you to email, call, or meet with these individuals. However you choose to connect, this is your opportunity to ask:
What are your strategic priorities for the next month?
Since our last conversation, what, if anything, has shifted with quarterly or annual priorities?
What internal communication challenges is your team currently facing?
You can also review the internal communication plans you’re collaborating on and discuss the outcomes and outputs from previous plans. This is also an opportunity to identify stories from within the various business functions that you could highlight on IC channels.
By taking proactive steps to partner, you’re tearing down silos and gaining better visibility into what’s happening across the organization. You might spot overlapping priorities and timelines that could overwhelm affected audiences. These are the moments when you need to connect the dots between functions, ensuring they’re in sync. If one department’s actions affect another, you may have to be the one to break through their communication barriers.
Investing in proactive partnership strengthens IC while fostering a culture of collaboration and transparency. Prioritizing these connections is about more than just mitigating last-minute fire drills—it’s about building a foundation for sustained success in your role as an IC professional. Then there’s the added perk of making your life a whole lot less chaotic.
