Internal communication is reflected externally

Blog post by Whitney Harmel Whitney Harmel is the director of strategic partnerships at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. Through her career history and past role as chair of the Emerging Leaders United Council, she has over a decade of sales, leadership, and relationship-building experience.

I often talk about my network-building and how important it is to constantly water and nurture relationships. Yet, one type of relationship I’ve yet to touch on happens to be one of the most important, and those are internal relationships. The relationships I have with my coworkers are extremely important to me especially as we’re working toward a common goal. Being a part of a team is a vital aspect of my role, and my partnerships within my place of work are just as important as those outside of it.

Some of the country’s most successful corporations attest their success to a strong internal communications ethic. It keeps staff of all levels “in the know” and ensures a team dynamic in the workplace. Larger companies utilize internal communication to connect various locations, departments, and levels of expertise to one another other; all within their company. But, in this day and age, it proves to be beneficial to organizations of all sizes.

Internal communications practices can vary from utilizing a project management platform to an in-house publication; marketing and alerting staff of wins, losses, and happenings of the organization.

For a smaller organization, internal communication can be as simple as opening the door between departments, allowing staff to have the creative freedom to support and lend insight or feedback to another department. The main benefits tend to be: breakdown of departmental barriers, strengthened team dynamic, productivity, and higher quality of product.

Here at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, we share our wins and our losses. We work as a team. I’ve witnessed for myself how cultivating and fostering relationships within the workplace creates an environment in which people do their best work. Whether celebrating an increase in social media followers, a successful event or a new member, we share it. How can we be proud of the wins if we’re not aware of them? How can we tackle the setbacks together, if they’re not on our radar?

When every voice is welcomed, every voice feels valued. This provides a sense of belonging, which will foster a sense of pride in one’s work and in the end, encourage an elevated quality to the final product. A strong internal standard will inevitably reflect outwardly.