Helen Schick, acting head of internal communications, British Red Cross Visit the CharityComms website to view slides from past events, see what events we have coming up and to check out what else we do: www.charitycomms.org.uk

1. British Red Cross
Internal communications

2. Who we are

3. How can we help?
> How internal comms can help engage a remote
workforce – and reflect diversity and inclusion
> How engagement can build your brand
> How we can use influence and persuasion in the
workplace to make your work a success

4. Our corporate
strategy road map

5. Meeting in a box

6. How internal comms can help engage a remote
workforce – and reflect diversity and inclusion
• Keep ideas simple
• Realistic goals (who really needs to be engaged and why)
• Make it personal
• Make it inclusive
• Gain leadership buy-in
• Ask people what they want
• Make tools accessible and flexible
• Find a way to let them contribute their thoughts back to the
organisation
• Let go – give people the freedom and permission to make it
their own

8. Claimed understanding and perceptions of the strategy
2 in 3 staff (66%) understand what the strategy means for them and more
than 1 in 2 (58%) could describe some of its themes to others. About 1 in
3 staff (56%) feel engaged with the new strategy.
. Somewhat/Strongly Agree(%)

9. How engagement can build your brand
• Your people are your most powerful advocates
• Moving people from awareness to understanding and
engagement
• Making them feel special is key – it has to be a two-way
relationship
• It takes, time and effort. Money helps, but always not
essential
• Engaging your people is worth it’s weight in gold when
you need it (reputational risk)

10. People Survey 2015
> I understand the aims and objectives of the British Red
Cross 96% (1)
> I understand how the work I do helps British Red Cross to
achieve its aims and objectives 94% (3)
Strategic change
programme

11. • Understand what your exec team are really interested in, what they
want from you, and how you can report success
• Understand them as people: are they stat’s obsessed, people
people, profile raising
• Use this understanding to get your message across in a language
that they understand or spikes their interest
• Where possible back-up proposals with evidence
• Internal comms should be able to demonstrate ROI – to a degree
• Never under-estimate the power of a coffee outside the office
How we can use influence and persuasion in the workplace
to make your work a success.

12. Visit the CharityComms website to
view slides from past events, see
what events we have coming up
and to check out what else we
do:
www.charitycomms.org.uk

13. Internal
communications:
from staff to volunteers
North West Regional Group
21 January 2016
Manchester
#ccnorthwest