In the era of Slack and Zoom, is there really any place for a company intranet?
Do you really want to saddle them with yet another platform to manage?
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(In fact, some dont have much computer access at all.)
A well-maintained company intranet is paramount for that kind of top-down communication.
But they often get a bad rap today and for good reason.
Neglected intranets function more like thecorporate junk drawerthan a dynamic communication tool.
It also reduces the mental overhead associated with messaging multiple people on various platforms.
More importantly, the intranet is native to your company, while other messaging and collaboration services are not.
An intranet also cuts down on the noise that floods workers every day from all of these messaging platforms.
(In a given week, for instance, team members could send200 messages on Slack alone.)
Its hard to find a signal when youre bombarded with both trivial and essential information all day long.
Im not arguing against Slack or email or any other platform.
They all have their uses.
So who should build the intranet?
Likewise, a little under half believed their companys management evenunderstoodinternal communications.
Lack of executive management is a driving factor in failed intranets.
(If the leadership doesnt use it, how can you expect employees to check it regularly?)
But this is good news because it indicates a massive opportunity for improvement.
The ability to tap into those soft skills and an understanding of employees preferences will be crucial going forward.
As the pandemic continues, people are going longer and longer without connecting with their colleagues in meaningful ways.
Without those opportunities, morale will fade, meaning people will also burn out and grow disengaged.
Virtual events and messages certainly cant replace in-person contact.
But in the COVID-19 era, we have to make do.
Though department heads and other leaders should run point on an intranet revamp, you cant do this alone.
Youll need employees to help you write and update content as well as moderate the site.
Luckily, Ive found those tasks can reignite peoples sense of purpose and belonging to the company.
How do you get employee buy-in?
At its best, the company intranet can inform, connect, and inspire.
But first, people mustwantto use it.
Dont expect this to happen overnight itll take a while for the intranet to become top of mind.
Start by meeting employees where they are.
You want people to think of this as the company newsroom, so verify your content is relevant.
At the same time, you dont want to overwhelm employees.
Remember what I said about noise?
The intranet shouldnt add to it.
Publish consistently, but dont post top-down updates more than a couple of items a day.
When all is said and done, your intranet should be well-governed (instead of an everything hub).
If people feel overloaded with information, theyll stop checking the site.
When you cant be together in person, you have to find other ways to maintain a cohesive organization.
With a little bit of teamwork and practice, your intranet could be the best way to achieve that.
So youre interested in the future of work?
