Internal Communications
Table of Contents
Introduction...... 3
Executive Summary...... 3
Purpose...... 4
Goals...... 4
Objectives...... 5
Key Audiences...... 5
Themes...... 6
Key Messages...... 7
Recommended Communications Vehicles...... 8
Internal Communications Channels...... 10
Tag Conventions...... 14
Content Guidelines for Digital News & Information Resources...... 15 • Jagwire (Aggregator Site/University News) • Media Relations Homepage • Health System News Page • Research and Scholarship News Page • Working@GRU Collaboration...... 17
Guidelines...... 17 • Announcements * Mass Emails * Newsletters
1 2 Introduction
In recent years, digital news outlets and social media platforms • Content truly is king; a greats news program or publication have transformed the way we consume information: We want offers information and perspectives its audience can’t it now, and we want it through whatever device is in our hands. get anywhere else, and the same is true for employee This fundamental shift has manifested itself in the work place; communications. employees, too, want information to be at their fingertips — immediate, customizable and easily consumable. • There is no one-size-fits-all platform: technology solutions must be tailored to fit your workforce’s unique needs and Many organizations are thus developing internal news platforms preferences for engaging with information. that emulate online media outlets with more immediate, more accessible and more shareable information than in years past. • If you build it, they won’t necessarily come: Any news source Some are restructuring their communications team to operate must be positioned with and marketed to employees with more like a newsroom. educational and promotional communications.
The consequences for not optimizing internal communications • Make friends with key communications stakeholders. The key can be dire. A recent study conducted by Melcrum, an to a successful employee news and information site is the ability international leader in effective internal communications to share breaking company news with employees before they strategies, found that in companies that don’t prioritize internal hear it from external sources. To achieve this goal, it’s critical communications, nearly one in five employees is disengaged. that the news team receive a heads up on breaking news that Productivity and performance suffer. external news sources are likely to cover.
Businesses are responding by re-evaluating traditional internal • Shift into a 24/7 news mentality. To deliver compelling news communications models and creating channels that combine and information to employees with the right frequency, it’s collaboration and information sharing with user friendly and essential the resources are organized accordingly. responsive delivery vehicles. • Get to know your readers, and adjust as needed. Measurement According to the Atlanta-based public relations giant Edelman, is key. During the initial launch phase, track platform adoption a new perspective on employee engagement suggests six and the rate at which people are returning to the site. Pay principles to bear in mind when exploring how best to deliver attention to what readers are interacting with and tailor content meaningful, timely content to employees: to fit their needs.
Executive Summary
Georgia Regents University and Health System relies on – whether arts and entertainment on Summerville, upcoming traditional approaches to internal communications – whether lecturers in the medical school or information on patient it’s town hall meetings, newsletters, emails, bulletin boards, parking for the hospitals and clinics – in one space makes it videos or magazines. Messages are typically passed through impossible to easily locate news items relevant to the individual. layers of leadership, or top-down, and instead of content tailored to the individual, everyone receives the same message The current need is to create a more appropriate at the same time. communications environment and to make sure that all employees – from senior leaders to rank and file – know how Readership surveys in 2014-15 revealed a lack of engagement, and when to use it. transparency and communication between leadership and front-line staff. Administrative communications “inform” This plan outlines the need, resources and maintenance employees but fail to effectively communicate with them, and required for a digital communications system with more often, inappropriate communications vehicles are used for the immediate and interactive content tailored to specific job at hand. constituencies.
As further indicated in the survey results, the use of a one-size- This plan is intended to serve as a framework for centralized fits-all approach to internal communications has resulted in a communications platforms, supported by individualized flood of information with an associated decline in readership. communications plans for programs and departments. The number of unrelated campus announcements and events
3 Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to:
• Define internal communications goals and recommend steps for achieving them
• Delineate key audiences
• Articulate overarching messages in support of institutional mission, vision and values
• Identify primary communications channels available to internal constituents
Goals
To develop a comprehensive institutional news and communications system that:
• Furthers overall institutional strategic messaging goals
• Is responsive to the needs of a wide range of internal and external audiences
• Respects differences among internal constituents while promoting institutional unity
• Balances coverage among internal constituents
• Promotes the positive GRU story
• Makes maximum efficient use of DCM and external contributor resources
4 Objectives
The newly designed news and information delivery system will:
• Reinforce mission, vision and values to drive culture change
• Provide information about activities and events to solicit participation
• Foster morale and pride in the organization’s role in the community
• Target relevant news and information to appropriate audiences and allow more individual customization of news content
• In a volatile and competitive work environment, use open and honest communication as a tool for retention
• Provide general information that supports professional development
• Keep employees apprised of relevant developments in higher education and health care
• Provide information on where the organization is headed, what measures are in place to ensure it gets there, and how employees will benefit
Key Audiences
The university’s core constituencies are broadly divided into internal and external audiences.
I. Internal a. Faculty b. Staff c. Students (undergraduate, graduate and professional) d. Alumni e. Board members
II. External a. Community b. Parents c. Prospective students d. Prospective faculty and staff e. Donors f. Media g. Public Officials h. Visitors
5 Themes
The institution’s six strategic priorities and their associated themes IV. Provide service to the local, state, national and global communities provide a basis for communications and advance the tripartite mission a. Partnership of research, teaching and clinical care. b. Health care
I. Be a national model for the successful consolidation of two higher- V. Optimize our potential as a whole through greater efficiency, education institutions into one fully integrated and aligned university: effectiveness and productivity supporting strategic growth a. Collaborative, enriching work environment and development b. Open, honest and constructive communication a. Leadership c. Resource stewardship b. Recruitment d. Access c. Retention d. Engagement II. Be a comprehensive research university that leverages its history of excellence in health science and medical education with a strong VI. Provide sustained commitment to diversity and inclusion across foundation in the liberal arts education and professional degrees all missions a. Excellence a. Inclusivity b. Innovation b. Cultural competency c. Enhanced educational experiences and cultural offerings d. Increased student retention, progression and graduation
III. Be a nationally and internationally recognized leader in research, discovery and scholarship a. Discovery b. Scholarship c. Diversity d. Economic impact
6 Key Messages
Georgia Regents University is a center of innovation and catalyst for What we deliver: change in Georgia, delivering future-driven educational programs, • Groundbreaking research that propels the future from across the full high-impact research and cutting-edge clinical expertise that improves academic and health sciences spectrums. lives. GRU is a destination of choice for academics, research and clinical care. • Innovative pipeline, inter- and transdisciplinary educational programs at the vanguard of higher-education innovation that What we do: capitalize on the breadth of our scholarly excellence and expertise. • Leverage our nearly 200-year history of excellence in research, education and health care to improve lives today. • Vital health care services to our community, state and nation through world-class cutting-edge, patient-focused clinical expertise. • Create the future through innovative and future-oriented approaches to resource, administrative, educational, health and technological Why we matter — GRU: challenges. • Drives the future of our community, region and state.
• Promote equal access to higher education while meeting the needs of • Is an essential center of economic development and growth. a diverse community of students. • Enhances the overall health and vitality of society.
7 Recommended Communications Vehicles
- - - -
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policy ments key issues
Update a unit on Event information Complex change in ments needed by a number of people HR Info & action items Information/ announce Information/ announce Simple change in policy news and announce number of people number of people Significant institutional Planned change in work Planned change in work ments needed by a large ing practices for a large ing practices for a small specific group of people
University Calendar 3
Email to all
Email to unit 3
Jagwire 3 3 3
GRHealth news & info site 3 3
Working @ GRU 3 3 3 3 3 3
Research news & info site 3
Social media 3 3
Intranet 3
Magazine
Face-to-face/unit meetings 3 3 3 3 3
Unit e-newsletter 3 3 3 3
Open forum/focus group 3 3 3 3
Leadership visits 3
Events/ roadshows 3 3 3
Video 3 3
Posters, banners, flyers 3
Text/Emergency alert
8
other values Good news Good news practice unit level Highlight best urgent action Praise good work Dean and above institution level Inspiration/goals/ Executive messages Information requiring In-depth storytelling Administration changes, Administration changes,
University Calendar
3 3 Email to all
3 3 3 Email to unit
3 3 3 3 Jagwire
3 GRHealth news & info site
3 3 3 3 Working @ GRU
3 3 Research news & info site
3 3 Social media
Intranet
3 3 Magazine
3 3 3 3 3 Face-to-face/unit meetings
3 3 3 3 Unit e-newsletter
Open forum/focus group
3 3 Leadership visits
Events/ roadshows
3 3 3 Video
3 3 Posters, banners, flyers
3 Text/Emergency alert
9 Internal Communications Channels
UNIVERSITY CALENDAR AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, • Brief event information • Centralized and • Resources needed to • Need gatekeeper to administrators, community comprehensive keep it comprehensive and approve content current • Feeds “events” section on • Liven up with photos & internal websites descriptive prose
EMAIL AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, • Disseminating information/ • Can reach mass audiences • Can be overused and cause • Need gatekeeper to administrators announcements needed by a fast information overload control access to mass large number of people communication option • Cost effective and simple • Not everyone may have to use easy, immediate access • Use the subject box to get across key message • Consistent and controlled • Impersonal and open to message misinterpretation • Keep it short and simple • Reaches the recipient • Can’t be sure they’re read • Use headings and bullet directly points for key messages and • One-way – doesn’t to break up the text • Good for information, generate dialogue or awareness or instruction discussion • Can track open & click rates
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS WEBSITES (UNDER DEVELOPMENT) AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• GRU-wide news & info • Current news & information • Great way to provide info • Relies on people seeking • Need strategies to “train” (Jagwire): All tailored for target site to targeted, but still large, out information users to visit site on their own audiences audiences • GRHealth news & info: • People may not have time • Could include strategic use patients, GRHealth personnel • Up-to-date information to read it of emails (teasers) and/or content specifically intended • Employee news & info: • Possibilities are endless • Significant resource to draw people in Faculty, staff – can be entertaining and commitment to keep current visually appealing • Research: Interested • Must manage content with internal & external • Subscription options consistency across platforms audiences can allow more individual
tailoring • Share content across sites • Can provide interactive capability • Web stats show who is reading
10 SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, • Current, catchy, usually • Immediacy • Multiple channels with • Gear content to the younger administrators, community casual info bites different administrators can audiences who are the most • Participatory – generates cause issues likely to use these channels response & dialogue • How to ensure consistency of messaging across platforms • Difficult to control content from others
INTRANET (CURRENTLY PAWS) AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, • Institutional & • Self-exploration • Need more back-end IT administrators administrative content support to make useful • Not for public consumption • Secure
ELECTRONIC & PRINT ALUMNI MAGAZINES AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Alumni, donors, faculty, • Telling the GRU story in • Opportunity to define GRU • Long content life can get • How to drive readers to the community more depth through storytelling stale web site • Fosters emotional • Challenging to make it • How to keep website fresh connections to the institution relevant to all audiences • Even time-pressured • High cost of print magazines audience can find opportunities to read over time • More time to develop content • Can portray vision and reinforce brand • Highest quality visual & editorial content
UNIT E-NEWSLETTERS AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Members of specific • Disseminating information/ • Content targeted to • Typically sent via email, • Determine appropriate departments, units, colleges, announcements for a specific audience which increases # of emails frequency etc. group of people • Consistent and controlled • Resources needed to create • Content must be relevant to message content audience • Good for information, • If content isn’t relevant, • DCM can help by providing awareness or instruction people will not read or will be templates & guidance irritated at receiving
11 MESSAGE BOARDS AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty staff, students, • Peer-to-peer communications • Platform for discussion • Not easily controlled administrators and discussions • Potential for inaccurate • Leadership can disseminate information timely and brief instructions and information
FACE-TO-FACE AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, • More complex information • Preferred by employees per • Success depends on skill of • Make the best possible use administrators or issues significant to survey leader of this time – it’s valuable attendees • Can make communication • Time commitment for both • Line managers may benefit personal and relevant to the manager and audience from training team involved • Beware of content overload; • Opportunity for discussion, other channels are more feedback, questioning and effective for information ideas delivery • Good line manager can facilitate a lively and interactive session • Can help build understanding and involvement
TEXT MESSAGES, VOICEMAIL AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, • Emergency alerts, GR Alerts • Instant delivery of • Difficulty getting people to administrators important Information sign up
OPEN FORUM, FOCUS GROUPS AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, • Opportunity to discuss and • Opportunity to raise and • Dismissive or aggressive • Issue a summary of administrators, get feedback on significant discuss the real issues response to questions can discussion for everyone to community changes, new initiatives or close down dialogue see • Genuine open dialogue issues • Line managers can feel • Proactively raise difficult • Helps leaders to understand disempowered if their issues or ask for questions in how things really are decisions are overruled or advance to prompt the real • Enables people to feel heard contradicted debate
LEADERSHIP VISITS TO INDIVIDUAL UNITS AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, • Discussion on issues • Shows leaders are listening • Leaders won’t experience • Give leaders a good briefing administrators related to a specific group and want to see what the real the real issues if treated as on site issues before they visit of people issues are “royal visitors” • Track issues raised and • Keeps leaders in touch with • Requires considerable report back on actions issues of concern to employees preparation of leaders • Promotes dialogue and • Time-consuming for senior understanding leaders to visit multiple sites
12 EVENTS/ROADSHOWS AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, • Substantial changes • Opportunity for key people • Can become one-way “tell” • Involve staff in setting the administrators or issues to reach large audiences sessions agenda and format face-to-face • Agenda set by center may • Involve staff in event itself, • Can include Q&A sessions, not be what the audience as hosts or facilitators break-out groups and involve wants many people • May be expensive • Can build team spirit and • Time-consuming for motivate organizers, presenters and • Can be used to address audience controversial issues
SURVEYS AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, • Solicit feedback to gauge • Can be effective tool for • Disengaged employees may •Length: enough questions to students current status and/or leaders to obtain target not participate get good info, not too long to measure progress of new audience opinions discourage participation • Can be overused initiatives • Tool to ID progress or • Consider incentives for • If concerns raised problem areas responding are not effectively • Promotes target audience addressed, will increase • Good questions are key to engagement disengagement getting good info
VIDEO AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, • Broader messaging relevant • Visual, creative and • Potentially expensive • Use as part of a briefing administrators, over time entertaining session to stimulate debate • Not interactive on its own community • Shows real people talking • Use “real people” to talk about their experiences about their experiences, not just senior execs • Makes people and places accessible for a mass • Avoid overuse of talking audience heads • Consistent, controlled message
POSTERS, BANNERS, FLYERS AUDIENCE BEST FOR ADVANTAGES MINUSES CONSIDERATIONS
• Faculty, staff, students, •Information or cultural • Creative and eye-catching • Difficult to deploy • Put a “display until” date on administrators, reinforcement messages effectively in large posters • If read, probably read relevant over time organization multiple times • Post in widely visited • May not be read places, such as in the elevator or main hallways • Managing posting to keep timely & avoid out-of-date posters • Lose their impact if over used
13 Tag Conventions
Acronyms: Avoid them; spell out for tags. Journals: Full name. Georgia Regents University instead of GRU. Do use GRHealth, American International Journal of Contemporary Research. though. Names, Building: Full name of building; do not use commas in Ampersand: Do not use; spell out “and.” the name. J. Harold Harrison M.D. Education Commons, Science Hall, Jaguar Athletics: Distinguish between men’s and women’s sports. Student Activities Center. Men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s track and field, women’s track and field, softball, baseball. Names, People: First name + last name only; do not use “Dr.,” “PhD.,” “Mrs.,” etc., or middle initial. Awards: Full name of award; no commas. Brooks Keel, Gretchen Caughman, Jack Evans.
Departments/Sections: Drop “Department of,” “Section of,” Organizations: Spell out; do not use commas in the name. “Division of,” etc. And do not use commas in the names. American Association of University Professors. English and Foreign Languages, History Anthropology and Philosophy, Cardiology, Neurology. Programs: Full name, including “program.” Honors Program, Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, Master of Diseases: Spell out. Physician Assistant Program. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome. Plurals: make common nouns plural. Grants, gift cards, scholarships. Disorders: Spell out. Down’s syndrome. Scholarships: Full name of scholarship; do not use commas in the name. Events: Full name. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Alumni Weekend. Titles: Tag with the person’s name, not the title/position.
Foundations: Spell out. University Values: Collegiality, Compassion, Excellence, Augusta State University Foundation, Georgia Health Sciences Inclusivity, Integrity, Leadership Foundation, Medical College of Georgia Foundation.
Institutions: Spell out. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
14 Content Guidelines for Digital News & Information Resources
JAGWIRE (AGGREGATOR SITE/UNIVERSITY NEWS) Highlighted events: Top-featured calendar items should promote top-tier priorities and Mission: be of interest to multiple audiences. Items are at the sole discretion of To communicate institutional news and strategic messaging to a wide DCM. Weight is given to free events, arts and cultural programming, range of internal and external audiences. The site serves as a homepage community activities and university-sponsored events. for all news under the GRU brand while also pulling content from and driving traffic to audience-specific content homepages including: • GRHealth Newsroom Media Relations homepage • Research News • Working@GRU Mission: • Experts@GRU To promote top-tier priorities with a site that: • The Fine Print (university magazines) • Connects reporters with university and health system content online • Is responsive to the needs of broadcast outlets by providing high- Audience: quality downloads through a digital media center All internal and external audiences, including faculty, staff, students, • Promotes faculty experts through advisories, tip sheets and video leadership, external media, potential students and alumni. interviews • Prepares faculty for media interviews with internal training resources Frequency: Daily updates include: Audience: • Featured story All local, regional, national and international media with a particular • Top headlines emphasis on higher education and health reporters. • Featured calendar items Frequency: Weekly or monthly updates include: Top-featured stories and experts are updated weekly or as needed in • Featured expert response to breaking news and events. • Magazine content Content: Content: The media relations site features top news releases, experts, upcoming Top-featured content should promote top-tier priorities and be of events and video produced by the media relations office. interest to multiple audiences. As the homepage for university content, student news and successes are given particular weight, as is content Submissions: that goes beyond transactional research news and achievements. Top items featured on the media relations page are at the sole discretion of the Division of Communications & Marketing. Submissions: Top items featured on the main GRU news site are at the sole Digital media: discretion of the Division of Communications & Marketing. All featured content should include a high-resolution photo. The Announcements pertaining to official university business or to media relations site will also give preference to content featuring photo university-sponsored activities may be submitted to DCM. To submit galleries, video, social media integration and audio. events to the online calendar, use the events submission form. DCM reserves the right to determine whether announcements pertain Highlighted events: to the entire university community and to recommend alternate Top-featured calendar items should promote top-tier priorities and be communications vehicles for promotion. of interest to external media. Items are selected by the media relations office. Weight is given to university-sponsored events most likely to Digital media: warrant news coverage. All featured content should include a high-resolution photo. The news site will also give preference to content featuring photo galleries, video, social media integration and audio.
15 Health System News page Frequency: Top-featured stories and experts are updated weekly or as needed in Mission: response to breaking news and events. To inform the Health System community about administrative details relevant to their daily lives and promote positive stories that help to Content: build pride in the organization. The research site includes featured news items, recent headlines, experts, upcoming events and video. Audience: Health System faculty and staff, patients and their families, media and Submissions: prospective employees. Announcements pertaining to research operations, activities and events may be submitted to DCM. To submit events to the online Frequency: calendar, use the events submission form. Administrative items are updated daily, and features are updated weekly or as needed in response to breaking news and events. DCM reserves the right to determine whether announcements pertain to the entire university community and to recommend alternate Content: communications vehicles for promotion. The Health System News page will feature administrative briefs and stories that demonstrate top-tier priorities or institutional values. Digital media: All featured content should include a high-resolution photo. The Submissions: research site will also give preference to content featuring photo Announcements pertaining to official Health System operations, galleries, video, social media integration and audio. activities and events may be submitted to DCM. To submit events to the online calendar, use the events submission form. Highlighted events: Top-featured calendar items should promote top-tier priorities and be of DCM reserves the right to determine whether announcements pertain interest to target audiences. Items are selected by DCM. Weight was given to the entire university community and to recommend alternate to events that have impact and relevance across the research enterprise. communications vehicles for promotion.
Digital media: WORKING@GRU All featured content should include a high-resolution photo. The Health System News site will also give preference to content featuring Mission: photo galleries, video, social media integration and audio. To keep internal and external audiences informed of events and administrative updates relative to their everyday work. Highlighted events: Top-featured calendar items should promote top-tier priorities and Audience: be of interest to target audiences. Items are selected by the DCM. Current and prospective faculty, staff and students; and the public. Priority is given to items that have impact or relevance across the clinical enterprise. Frequency: Top-featured stories and experts are updated weekly or as needed in response to breaking news and events. Research and Scholarship News page Content: Mission: The Working@GRU site includes featured news items, recent To keep internal and external audiences informed of research-related headlines, experts, upcoming events and video. news and information. Submissions: Audience: Announcements pertaining to employee operations, activities and Current and prospective faculty, staff and students; and the public. events may be submitted to DCM. To submit events to the online calendar, use the events submission form. 16 DCM reserves the right to determine whether announcements pertain Collaboration to the entire university community and to recommend alternate communications vehicles for promotion.
Digital media: Individuals and departments are encouraged to coordinate with the All featured content should include a high-resolution photo. The research Division of Communications & Marketing or the assigned college/ site will also give preference to content featuring photo galleries, video, department communicator in developing communications plans. DCM and social media integration and audio. its affiliates can provide guidance on media and internal communications strategy and best-practice expression of university-wide strategic priorities Highlighted events: and messages at the college/department level. Top-featured calendar items should promote top-tier priorities and be of interest to target audiences. Items are selected by DCM. Weight is given to events that have impact or relevance across the research enterprise.
Guidelines
Announcements • Messages sent to faculty, staff or students within a college or department may be sent at the dean’s or administrator’s discretion and are drafted and Deans and other appointments distributed through their respective college or department. • Information about new hires, including CV and headshot, provided by Human Resources. • Messages from the president, provost or executive vice presidents to the university community are drafted, edited and distributed by the • DCM will coordinate with college/department communicator if Division of Communications & Marketing in collaboration with the appropriate. appropriate executive.
• DCM drafts announcement for media and internal audiences. Newsletters
• DCM vets announcement with new hire and receives approval from hiring manager. • The Division of Communications & Marketing is responsible for template development and content review prior to distribution. • Announcements issued to president’s cabinet, university community and media, in that order. • Each college or department is responsible for content creation and newsletter distribution; there must be one person designated as • Upon arrival to campus, new hire will participate in an interview with the administrator of the newsletter. Division of Communications & Marketing for a more in-depth piece for internal audiences. • Fees incurred for out-of-house template design, distribution and printing are billed to the respective college or department.
Mass Emails
• Only critical or time-sensitive messages should be sent as mass emails to the university community. Event information and administrative updates do not qualify as critical and therefore should be publicized through the university’s calendar and news and information website.
17 Division of Communications and Marketing Georgia Regents University 1120 15th Street Augusta, GA 30912