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Introducing The Elements of IC - Simplifying the Science of Internal Comms


Alan Oram

Remember The Periodic Table of Internal Communication?

It was an idea developed by ICology founder Chuck Gose and myself which spread to thousands of communicators in more than 30 countries around the world. And the table is still being downloaded today.

I love ideas. I love the way they develop as thoughts and imaginations take hold. And this, right here, is a perfect example of that.

The Elements of IC is something different

This new tool is a comprehensive community resource that captures the essential (and maybe even some non-essential) elements of IC and collates them all in one place to help people strategize, plan and communicate better.

The Elements of IC is a practical resource for the comms community to refer to, share, enjoy and build upon. We’ve focused on simple functionality and logical processes and crucially, our priority was to make this a tool that’s fun to use and easy to share.

How does it work?

Like the original table, the site is split into 7 categories (Strategy, Objectives, Themes, Audiences, Formats, Channels and Metrics) currently containing over 150 elements, clickable tabs that explore all corners of the internal communication function. The categories follow a logical flow through the process of comms planning, execution and measurement.

It all starts with a Strategy, then Objectives explore challenges such as behaviour change and winning trust while Audiences include everyone from the CEO to remote workers, offline employees and volunteers. Formats covers all manner of approaches from face-to-face comms and working out loud to storytelling and digital communication. And the final category, Metrics, explores a number of ways to measure outcomes from audits and pulse checks to focus groups and feedback.

Each element will then link to a number of associated articles, videos, visuals and podcasts from diverse global sources.

The Elements of IC needs YOU

This is just the beginning. We’ve designed The Elements of IC to be an ever-evolving source of information. And for that to happen we need you, the comms pro, to submit YOUR sources as well as those you discover. We’re also looking for other subject matter experts to contribute on topics like behavioural change, wellbeing, L&D and much more.

Bring on the elements too - you can continue to submit new ones via the site. What’s your current comms challenge? What objectives aren’t yet covered? There’s absolutely no limit - the more elements and resources that you contribute, the better this will become.

Having chatted to many IC pros who downloaded the original periodic table of IC, this is a welcome development that will help to highlight the vital role of IC, jump starting discussion and plans and helping to spark and communicate new thoughts and ideas.

I for one am super excited to see how the IC community develops and broadens this exciting new resource.

Alan Oram is Founder and Creative Director of Alive With Ideas.

Follow Alive With Ideas on Twitter @alivewithideas and LinkedIn.

IC Kollectif is a global independent nonprofit organization. All editorial content is published independently and without the influence of any advertiser, commercial sponsor or partner.

Capture d’écran, le 2019-04-03 à 17.31.5
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