Internal communications is something we take very seriously at Elsevier. This is not just because we see it as vital to the functioning of a diverse, global organisation. We feel that our people have a fundamental right not only to know what is going on but to have an active part in developing the business.

We created the UK Internal Communications Group in 2004 – a group of volunteers designed to represent all divisions across all UK locations. All the members meet monthly and work in subgroups on initiatives and actions designed to empower and inform Elsevier people, and influence the decisions of the Group’s senior management sponsors.

The first key objective of the Group was to deliver improvements in internal communications as measured by the Employee Opinion Survey (EOS). By 2006, positive scores to all questions asked rose by 12%.

But our achievements are broader than that. Some of our individual successes have been:

The Communications Toolkit – a set of best practice tools for managers and all employees. All details are found on our intranet site and have been distributed to all employees via a desk flip pad.

Communications Toolkit Workshop for Managers and Directors – a half-day workshop delivered to managers and directors in the UK during 2006 – 76% of attendees rated this above average and took away at least one main action to help them improve on their own team communications.

Communications Awards - sharing best practice – conducted at the end of 2006. This brought in a wealth of good nominations and produced ten excellent winners with communications best practice which are now being shared across the business.

Back to the Floor – managers spend a day in a department, getting to learn more about its function. This has proved to be an excellent visibility exercise and has helped build relationships with many senior managers.

Managers’ Forums – a regular networking opportunity for all levels of managers, where topics suggested by attendees are discussed openly. Topics have included the Basics of Finance, Appreciating Cultural Differences, Cross-functional Communications, Change Management and EOS Action Planning. Nearly a half of all managers have attended at least one session, and many attend regularly.

Email Etiquette Briefings – a half-hour session delivered to employees early 2007, setting some common principles of email etiquette to help make the most of this important communications method.