In our second ‘Behind the scenes’ feature on the All Things IC Masterclasses we’re focusing on our Internal Communication Measurement Masterclass.
It’s ideal for anyone working within internal communication, whether you’re new to the profession, an experienced comms professional or even working within a marketing team and wanting to support with colleague insights.
All Things IC Communication Consultant Dan Holden delivers this Masterclass, and I asked him some questions on what attendees can expect from the day.
To start us off Dan, who should attend this Masterclass?
It’s ideal for any in-house comms practitioners involved with internal communication.
For those new to the profession, it’s a strong introduction to measurement and means that early on in their career, they’ll have a strong knowledge of effective measurement. Equally, for anyone with more comms experience, the Masterclass gives the space to reflect and have time with peers to put theory into action.
I first taught this Masterclass in 2022, we had colleagues from three very different organisations, providing very different perspectives. It’s not often in-house communicators can talk with peers in other organisations to network and share learning and insights. So that is one of the strengths of this course.
I mentioned earlier about individuals joining from teams outside of internal communication. In some organisations, colleagues working within an analytics team can help support the measurement efforts of internal communication. Those colleagues would find this Masterclass helpful in adding additional context, frameworks and approaches used for internal communication measurement and evaluation.
Is there anyone this Masterclass isn’t aimed at?
We often have in-house colleagues from Human Resources teams join us and this Masterclass is likely to be more detailed than they’ll need. I’d suggest those colleagues join our Effective Internal Communication Masterclass. This provides a general overview of internal communication and briefly introduces measurement.
This Masterclass is for in-house professionals only. Agencies who want to attend an All Things IC Masterclass should contact us about a separate session. We’ve run bespoke sessions for agencies in the past, including creating tailored Online Masterclasses for them.
So Dan, what do you cover during the Masterclass?
It’s a full-on day, but there is a lot of time for discussion and, importantly, a chance to practice some of the learnings from the day. We explore:
- What is internal communication measurement
- Why we measure
- What to measure
- How to measure
- Measurement reporting
- Putting theory into practice.
Throughout the day, I provide handouts and templates so attendees have useful resources to use when they return to work. One part I love about this Masterclass is in the afternoon, you’ll have time to try out some measurement frameworks for your own work in small groups with support on hand to help.
As with all our Masterclases, we always spend time the following day reflecting on the Masterclass and updating the content to ensure it remains relevant based on the insights from attendees.
Catherine Talbot, Digital Communications Manager at Voyage Care Ltd and an Internal Measurement Masterclass attendee said: “I found the day incredibly valuable and left reeling with ideas and inspiration! I can’t wait to get started putting them into action.
“I found Dan extremely engaging and throughout the day he gave so many examples and practical steps that were targeted to resonate with the group.”
Is there a particular learning style the Masterclass is best suited for?
All our Masterclasses are mindful of the different ways we all learn. There is a mix of reflection, handouts to read and resources to listen to later. Attendees can share, but no one is put on the spot and if you prefer to learn by listening and reflecting, that’s fine.
The attendee numbers are small (up to six people) so when we break into smaller groups there is plenty of time to talk and learn from others including over tea and cake. I make sure there is time within the day to stop and discuss any particular challenges or situations attendees face. That way, it brings the content of the Masterclass into a more relevant context.
Is there any pre-work or actions afterwards?
I know people are busy so there isn’t anything to do in advance. Louise from the team looks after everyone, ensuring you have directions to the All Things IC Hub and capturing any dietary requirements. You don’t even need to bring a laptop or notebook as we’ll give you some lovely All Things IC stationery.
There is time at the end to reflect on your learnings and think about what you’re taking away from the day. This doesn’t mean creating a big to-do list but taking a few moments to plan what you might do after the day.
It could be trying out a measurement framework on a small campaign, adding measurement outcomes to your channels matrix or having an initial conversation with your team about what measurement metrics you might want to try capturing.
You’ll also be invited to the All Things IC Masterclass alumni group on LinkedIn. This is optional but means you can stay connected with fellow attendees and network online with other internal comms professionals.
Is there an option for communicators who can’t make it to London?
Yes. The Online How to Measure Internal Communication Masterclass is available for in-house practitioners. You’ll get 12 months access to the learn materials and so can study at your own pace. You can also arrange a separate 1-2-1 Power Hour call during your study with an All Things IC team member if you wish to.
What should people do if they aren’t sure this is the right Masterclass for them?
Send a message via the All Things IC website or email hello@allthingsic.com. We can either arrange a short call or send you a reply with our suggestions.
Sometimes a Candid Comms podcast or an article from the All Things IC blog is enough to help you.
Book a spot for the next in-person Measurement Masterclass at the All Things IC Hub with Dan on Wednesday 25 January 2023. If you can’t make this date and would be interested in joining a future Measurement Masterclass, send us a message via the website or email hello@allthingsic.com.
Learn more about internal communication measurement with All Things IC
You can find more resources about how to measurement your internal communication on our website including:
- Podcast: Why measurement matters for IC professionals.
- Podcast: How to measure internal communication.
- Podcast: How to create a monthly measurement report.
- Blog: Learn how to measure your internal communication.
- Blog: Exploring the measures of engagement and the role of internal communication.
- Blog: How to make internal communication add up.
- Blog: How to measure communication.
- Online Masterclass: How to measure your internal communication.
Post author: Dan Holden
First published on the All Things IC blog 6 January 2023.
