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IC checklist (2025): 7 fundamentals every team must master
If you find yourself scrolling social media at the end of any year, you’ll find an age-old tradition of people sharing their hot takes on the trends to follow in the coming year. For posts about trends in internal communications, it’s not just boring in its predictability — they can actually be counterproductive.
The undercurrent is that if you don’t read this, click here or buy that, you’ll miss out on the brand-new idea that will completely transform your job, role or organization. But here’s the reality: while buzzwords evolve, the fundamentals of IC remain constant.
We simply don’t do our jobs well when we get distracted and jump on every new trend that crosses our desks. We succeed when we understand our employees and focus on getting the fundamentals right to drive our organization’s strategy forward.
Below are the essential practices that will keep your IC strategy strong, relevant and effective. Master these fundamentals, and your internal communications strategy will thrive no matter what trends come and go.
1. Create an internal comms charter
An internal communications team charter is your north star, clearly defining your team’s purpose, roles and responsibilities. It helps set expectations with stakeholders and ensures alignment within your team. Your charter will also serve as a helpful tool to onboard new IC team members.
A well-crafted charter outlines your goals and scope of work, preventing overlaps or misunderstandings. For example, it can clarify whether your team owns company announcements, employee surveys or event coordination. The charter also provides a reference point when you’re navigating new challenges or responding to shifting business priorities. Having this clarity empowers your team to stay focused and deliver consistent value.
2. Align on an annual communication strategy
A yearly communication strategy provides a structured roadmap for your IC efforts. It ensures that your initiatives align with the organization’s broader goals while giving your team a clear sense of direction. After all, we aren’t in the business of communicating for no reason.
Your strategy should include these essential components:
✅ Clear objectives tied to business goals
✅ Target audience segments and their needs
✅ Core narratives and key messages for the year (e.g., cultural change, business transformation)
✅ Success metrics to track progress
✅ Campaign calendar mapping out (planned company milestone, annual recurring events like benefits enrollment, performance reviews, major leadership. priorities, space for emerging needs and opportunities)
✅ Channel and timeline plans for each initiative
✅ Team roles and key stakeholder partnerships
A clear strategy streamlines your efforts and ensures you don’t miss important opportunities to engage employees.
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3. Build a communication channel matrix
Employees are inundated with information. A communication channel matrix helps you map out how and where to reach them most effectively.
What to include in your channel matrix:
✅ The primary purpose of each channel. For example:
- Email: Time-sensitive updates, must-know information
- Intranet: Knowledge hub, searchable resources
- Messaging apps: Quick team updates, informal collaboration
- Digital signage: Visual reminders, culture building
- Town halls: Two-way dialogue, leadership visibility
- Newsletters: Regular roundups, success stories
✅ Best practices for each channel
- Message length and format
- Ideal posting frequency
- Expected response times
- Content ownership and approval process
✅ Audience targeting capabilities
- Which channels reach which employee groups
- Geographic or department-specific considerations
- Accessibility needs and accommodations
Review your matrix quarterly to assess channel effectiveness and adapt to changing employee preferences. Remove or consolidate underperforming channels to prevent information overload.
4. Define a measurement strategy & tools
Without metrics, it’s impossible to know if your efforts resonate with employees or drive the desired outcomes. High-performing IC teams typically measure some or all of these metrics:
✅ Content Performance
- Open rates, unique clicks and forwarding rates by message type
- Most-read vs. least-read content categories
- Time of day and day of week engagement patterns
- Device and location access patterns
- Drop-off points in longer communications
✅ Channel Effectiveness
- Intranet unique visitors, time spent and search terms
- Meeting attendance and participation rates (town halls, team meetings)
- Social/collaboration tool engagement (likes, shares, comments)
- Video viewership duration and completion rates
- Newsletter subscription trends and opt-out reasons
✅ Employee Experience
- Message clarity scores (“I understand what’s being communicated”)
- Information overload indicators (too much/too little)
- Preferred channel feedback
- Leadership message trust and credibility ratings
✅ Business Impact
- Change initiative adoption rates
- Program participation (benefits enrollment, wellness activities)
- Knowledge checks on key messages or policies
- Manager communication effectiveness scores
Remember, don’t just collect data – tell its story. Share key insights with stakeholders quarterly, highlighting wins and areas for improvement. Keep it simple by focusing on metrics directly related to your communication objectives.
Start by identifying the KPIs that align with your goals, then invest in tools to track these metrics, such as survey platforms or analytics dashboards. Regularly reviewing these insights helps you pinpoint what’s working and refine your approach, ensuring your IC strategy remains effective. You should also be on the lookout for these deadly strategy sins.
5. Reinforce your company mission, vision & values
Mission, vision and values (MVV) statements are more than just words on a wall — they’re the heartbeat of your organization. Internal communications teams play a critical role in bringing them to life and ensuring they resonate with employees.
Weave your mission, vision and values into everyday communication:
✅ Use Stories & Examples
- Feature employees who embody specific values in action
- Share customer stories that demonstrate your mission’s impact
- Highlight team projects that advance the company vision
- Create “values spotlights” in your regular communications
✅ Establish Leadership Connection
- Coach leaders to reference MVV in their messages naturally
- Include specific values callouts in town hall presentations
- Connect business decisions back to mission and vision
- Ask leaders to share personal stories about values alignment
✅ Pay Attention to Day-to-Day Integration
- Start meetings with quick mission/values moments
- Include values icons or tags in recognition programs
- Frame change initiatives through your vision
- Connect departmental goals to company mission
By consistently reinforcing these statements, you create a strong sense of purpose and alignment across the organization. Your year-end messages are another great place to reinforce these ideas.
6. Amplify leadership messaging
Leadership communication is the backbone of any successful internal communication strategy. Leaders set the tone for what is prioritized and in forming the organizational culture. By ensuring leadership communication is consistent, transparent and engaging, you build trust across all levels of your organization.
Pro Tip: Play to each leader’s communication strengths.
Different leaders have different natural communication styles — and that’s a good thing. Some shine in town halls, others excel at written updates, and some are masters of informal conversation.
Help each leader identify and lean into their strengths:
- Video-first executives might do quick monthly updates
- Strong writers could pen authentic blog posts
- Natural storytellers might lead informal coffee chats
- Data-driven leaders could host quarterly deep dives
- Engaging speakers should maximize face-to-face opportunities
The key is a consistent message and authenticity in delivery. Employees feel more connected to the organization when leaders show they’re on the same page and have a clear vision for the company. Establish regular updates from leadership — whether it’s through town halls, newsletters or video messages — and stick to a predictable cadence.
Remember that these updates shouldn’t be one-sided; they should invite feedback and questions, and demonstrate that leadership values two-way communication. Help your leaders find comfortable ways to encourage and respond to this dialogue through Q&A sessions, response videos or written follow-ups.
7. Gather employee feedback
No internal communications strategy is complete without a robust system for capturing and acting on employee feedback. After all, communication is a two-way street, and listening to your employees is just as important as sharing information with them.
✅ Build a Mix of Feedback Channels:
- Quick-pulse surveys (2-3 questions, high frequency)
- Comprehensive engagement surveys (annual/bi-annual)
- Anonymous feedback tools or suggestion boxes
- Focus groups on specific topics or changes
- Comments enabled on intranet articles
- Q&A portions in town halls
- Manager listening sessions
- Employee resource group input
✅ Make Feedback Count:
- Set clear expectations about what happens with feedback
- Create a feedback review process with stakeholders
- Identify themes and priorities for action
- Share “you said, we did” updates regularly
- Close the loop even when you can’t act on suggestions
- Track feedback patterns over time
- Report impact back to leadership
A solid feedback mechanism shows employees that their voices matter, which can boost engagement and morale. The key is to follow up. Act on the feedback you receive and ensure employees see their input’s impact. Employees who feel heard are more likely to engage with internal communications and contribute to a positive workplace culture.
Are you set up for success in 2025?
By mastering these seven timeless best practices, your internal communications team will be prepared for every year ahead. Trends may come and go, but focusing on the fundamentals ensures your efforts remain effective, meaningful and aligned with your organization’s needs. Shiny thing syndrome? Not us.
Trends come and go.
IC fundamentals drive real impact.
