Transparency or information overload?

Being transparent is a hygiene factor for companies today - not only externally, but also internally. Employees expect constant access to information and ongoing communication, and want to know what's happening within the company at all times. Right?

With the best of intentions to be transparent, many companies are setting up a variety of communication channels - intranets, Teams, Sharepoint, chat forums, etc. Here, employees can find everything from board minutes to current events, research findings and CEO blogs. Here they can - and are often expected to - share material themselves. At the same time, emails are still being sent, often with cc to all those more or less concerned.  

This is a common scenario for many companies. Good, some think. Pressing, say many more. We see that many employees feel drowned in an information overload they can't handle. Transparency has become a burden. The problem, of course, is not that the information exists. The problem is the difficulty of prioritising and weighting what concerns whom.  

The line between being transparent and over-informing is not always easy to see. To work towards more transparency within the organisation, you need a plan and a direction. Transparency is not about bombarding employees with information that does not concern them or is relevant to their work, but about making sure that all employees have and can find the information they need to do their job well. The key is a clear internal communication strategy, closely linked to the business strategy, that points the way and makes it easier for everyone to navigate the flow of information. Clear channels with clear objectives, relevant information and targeting. Only then can you achieve a return on your communication efforts.  

Contact us to find out how we can help you.