A successful organization must have a set of methods to communicate within the company in order to successfully carry out daily procedures, orders, meetings and simply exchange of information. This type of communication is also commonly known as internal communication, intercom, internal media or in house media. There are many types of them, and I will only discuss some which are commonly used in today’s offices.
House Journal
Today’s house journals can be printed or even accessed on-line. It ranges from one single sheet of paper to a full colored magazine. Its function is to provide updates on the information regarding the organization, executives, employees, events, and such. Its frequency of publication can range from weekly to quarterly, or even monthly.
Notice Board
A bulletin board contains information and updates on recent organizational activities. It is a valuable internal communication tools because it can be updated daily if needed, and are placed on walls in the office so that people would not easily miss them. Unfortunately it’s easier to put up a notice rather than take one down. When this happens, the notice board will be cluttered with old information, and people tend to ignore it. Therefore, it should be managed and its notices should be sorted often.
Suggestion Box
Suggestion boxes are an excellent way to encourage upward communication. Employees often have great ideas about product innovation, new strategies, or events but they are less likely to see senior management in person, especially in large organizations where there are multiple office buildings that are scattered across the globe.
Radio
Some corporations have their own internal radio station which broadcasts news just like the journals and bulletin boxes. The advantages of having an internal radio station are that they are able to provide music entertainment during break or lunch time, and also a great tool for immediate announcement.
Annual Reports
Organizations are required by law to provide annual reports and to publish their accounts. It is now recognized that these documents provide major opportunity to promote company image.
Online Database
The function of an online database is similar to house journals, notice boards, and annual reports combined. Having an online database can be very beneficial since it is easily accessible throughout the organization’s network.
Local Phone Line
Local phone like and extensions have been used since the early 90’s until now to easily contact and address fellow employees immediately.
Memo
Memo is short for memorandum. It is used to communicate between individuals within the organization through writing. Today’s memorandum has been replaced by e-mail since it more efficient and less time-consuming.
