Leading in Limbo: How to Drive Internal Communication in Goal-less Situations

As we kick off the new year, setting goals is top of mind. If you’re leading internal communication (IC), aligning your goals with the organization’s and your team’s is crucial. But what if your organization or manager is slow to share their goals? It’s mid-January, and you’re left without clear objectives.

Now what?

 Based on my experiences in these situations, here’s what I’d recommend:

• Revisit what IC should be known for
  Personally, I like IC to be known for strategic communication, collaborative partnership, executive counsel, and storytelling. Within each of those four pillars, I’ll make a list of actions I can take in the new year to deepen the function’s reputation for those four things within the organization.
  
  

• Consider your near and next-term IC priorities
  What was left over from the previous year as ongoing work? Perhaps you’re in the process of building a business case for deploying an employee app that will be a one-stop shop for news, information, and engagement. Make sure you continue building momentum on carryover projects and develop a clear plan for your next steps in the new year.

• Engage with key internal stakeholders
  This is a back-door way to start determining what the overall organizational objectives will be for the year. Connect with the business functions you often work with, like human resources, IT, and operations. Ask about their priorities for the year to begin developing a roadmap of key initiatives that will require IC support to ensure success.

• Connect with your manager
  In the absence of clear guidance from the organization and your manager, outline your planned approach to your manager (i.e., the first three bullet points). Ensure that they’re aligned with this approach and set some expectations on how you will both move forward.
  
  

• Stay persistent in asking about organizational and team goals—As the weeks tick by and you’re still waiting for goals, follow up with your key contacts. Leading an IC function puts you in the unique position of having connections at all levels of the organization. While your requests for updates shouldn’t become irritating, do establish a regular follow-up cadence for status updates. If you need to adjust the annual goals you’ve set for the IC function independently, it’s better to know as soon as possible.

In the absence of clear organizational goals, take the lead in shaping your IC strategy. Prioritize ongoing projects, connect with key stakeholders, and stay persistent. Communicate openly with your manager, and be ready to adapt once the organizational goals are revealed. In uncertainty, be proactive, setting the foundation for a successful year ahead.