How to Spark Intranet Engagement Through Senior Leaders
5 mins read
Thu, Jul 11, '24
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Sarah Gasparick
5 mins read
Thu, Jul 11, '24
Building a thriving intranet takes dedication, but keeping it vibrant? That's an ongoing process. Here's the good news: senior leaders hold the key to unlocking your intranet's full potential. Research shows their active engagement is the secret weapon for driving user adoption and building a truly connected online community within your organization.
Let’s dive into the data and unveil actionable strategies to turn senior leaders from silent supporters into vocal champions for your intranet. We'll explore why their voice matters, how to make engagement effortless for them, and ways to leverage their influence for maximum impact. So, buckle up and get ready to reignite the spark in your intranet – with the help of some of your most valuable team members.
The good work of building and maintaining a healthy and vibrant intranet doesn't have an expiration date. It requires owners to keep thinking about their intranet as a thriving project that will only grow and improve in the days ahead. With the schedule and time of an intranet site owner being stretched, it’s important to have a high impact with the activities you choose to invest in for your site. Research points to spending some time nurturing your senior leader sponsors as a leading factor in making your intranet "project" a success.
Prosci, a global leader in change management, has done deep research that consistently shows that sponsor effectiveness is critical to project success. Participants in the latest research reported that sponsor effectiveness directly impacted whether the project met objectives. In fact, those projects with an extremely effective sponsor met or exceeded objectives more than twice as often as those with a very ineffective sponsor. 79% of projects met or exceeded objectives when you had “extremely effective sponsors,” dropping to 50% for “somewhat effective sponsors,” and it just gets riskier from there.
We have the data to know that senior leadership support and engagement are critical to your intranet's success. So, how do you get truly visible, engaged support from these critical teammates?
Explain to your leadership why their intranet presence is important to internal communications. Emphasize the impact the leadership comms can create for your organization. Make sure to define and suggest goals, initiatives, topics, channels, and posting frequency.
Specifically, focus on the type of content and target audience. Have leaders ask themselves these questions: Would I have the greatest impact if I shared updates, celebrated achievements, provided strategic information, or engaged with employees on a specific brand value? What kind of post would resonate with this leader’s goals and passions? Whom do I want to reach with their posts?
Prompt employees to engage by asking questions, encouraging comments, or creating polls. This fosters a sense of community and participation. Add calls-to-action (CTA) whenever relevant to drive engagement. For example, the CTAs could be:
Decide on the content details, including:
Your intranet audience craves transparency. Encourage your organization’s leaders to develop a regular posting schedule to ensure consistency and reliability in communication.
Empowering senior leaders and providing them with the education they need to post effectively and consistently is important. Here are some recommendations for senior leaders who plan on posting to your company’s intranet to maximize their communications' impact.
Write in a conversational tone that reflects your personality and the company’s culture. Authenticity helps build trust.
Given the preference for concise content, aim to keep your posts short and to the point. Use bullet points and subheadings to enhance readability.
If you want employees to take specific actions, make sure to provide clear instructions. If you ask a question to the audience within the post, be sure to monitor the comments to react and reply.
Senior leaders hold the key to unlocking your intranet's full potential. Their active participation isn't just a bonus, it's the key to driving user adoption and fostering a vibrant online community. Senior leaders, the power to ignite your intranet lies within you. By amplifying your voice, you'll inspire collaboration, knowledge sharing, and ultimately, a stronger, more connected organization.
If you are looking for a platform to bring all knowledge of your organization together with its people and effective internal comms, you’ll want to take a quick tour of Happeo.
Learn how Happeo brings your sources of information together so your team can cut through the clutter