Marjorie Lara L, Specialist in PR, Marketing & communications.
LATAM Intersect PR knows that Internal Communication (IC) is one of the most relevant tools for a company’s organizational development and, when correctly applied, it can help to guarantee success. Therefore, nowadays when technology and the digital world interconnection have overcome birders and the companies are part of Global Work Teams (GWT), it is vital to know and innovate the ways to implement an efficient Internal Communication strategy.
In order to achieve this, It is essential to understand the two variables mentioned in the title:
Internal Communication and Global Work Teams.
- IC is the communication strategy focused on internal customers in order to maintain a fluid and efficient communication to help reaching their goals; as the author Felipe Fuentes states: “… It is the answer to the companies’ necessity to motivate their workforce and keep the best of them in a corporate environment where changes are
- On the other hand, when we mention GWT, we refer to a team of collaborators with the following characteristics: different time zones, multicultural, diverse sociodialects, different family situations and work environments, among others, thar may represent obstacles to maintain a clear communication to reach their goals.
When we understand that in the current work environment, these two concepts – IC & GWT- apply to a large number of companies around the world, it is key to consider elements the before, when companies had work teams in the same country, didn’t have to take into account.
Keeping this in mind, and with our empirical knowledge, LATAM Intersect PR – agency specialised in Public Relations – offers a simple yet effective orientation to guide you when working with the multicultural wealth that GWT provide.
- Comprehend: the first step, and probably, the most relevant one is to learn and comprehend the colaborators’ culture in every country. For example, learning about simple things, such as the national holidays, typical food, even the slang they use. These details demonstrate a sincere interest, which is beneficial to foster the loyalty of our people, because “it goes beyond work concerns”.
- Cut and share: the professional training determines the way we work. The “exchange” created by learning new work methods from different parts of the globe results in obtaining the best from all places, thus, creating an all-inclusive work format that is constantly receiving feedback. The best way to achieve this is simple: by asking and listening.
- Consider: it is very important to never forget to consider basic details such as the work schedule. I know, the geographical location doesn’t really help with this, but we have the technology to learn about time zones of the places where our collaborators live, which allows us to respect the schedule of all people involved when setting meetings, sending emails, or contacting through WhatsApp.
- Connect: technology ensures that borders don’t become an obstacle to work. Therefore, we need to use it in our favor: if we have the opportunity to meet with our team, let’s turn on the cameras to create the closest connection that technology allows. The goal is simple: “to ensure that what you want to communicate will be understood correctly”.
- Coordinate: the word “coordination” plays a key role. If you manage to coordinate all projects under one “language”, success will be ensured. And by “language”, I don’t mean the Spanish, English or Portuguese language (a mixture of these languages can be found in every general meeting at LATAM Intersect PR), but standardize a work system. If we manage to establish unified formats, processes and tools, the languages and cultures will represent benefits, instead of being obstacles to reach goals.
The digital world came to overcome borders and interconnect us in proximity, and at the same time, it allows us to enjoy the benefits of creating work teams that not only provide professionalism, but also a multicultural wealth.
