On October 11, 2014 participants from companies such as Unilever, Quintiles, L&T, Target and Société Générale converged at the Internal Communications 401 Workshop to debate and share perspectives on trends shaping the workplace and workforce, communication challenges they face and expectations of the evolving function.
The passion and drive of these committed professionals made me realize that the internal and corporate communications functions are in great hands although there is a greater need to nurture talent though capability building and coaching.
Every participant received a free copy of my book, Internal Communications-Insights, Practices and Models (Sage Publications, 2012), a free e-book on building brand ambassadors and a certificate of participation.
During the day the group discussed how employer branding and employee engagement are often misunderstood and why we needed to make employees central to the communication we do. Participants engaged in case studies, shared experiences in managing assignments and influencing stakeholders. We discussed why employee branding is more powerful and authentic than employer branding efforts and the need to tap the power of employees who are already passionate advocates of the brand.
Participants exchanged ideas and tips on ‘moments of truths’ in internal communication and what it meant to identify, inspire and build strong brand ambassadors from among employees. As a group we reviewed industry research reports and discussed checklists and assessments to gauge organizational readiness for improving brands from within.
Overall, the group increasingly felt that communicators are being called to deliver more with less and to demonstrate innovative ways of getting the message across. There is a greater need for internal and corporate communicators to influence and project their function better and more often.
This workshop, the 4th in the series, is the first and only such workshop in the country which brings the community together to learn and grow as professionals. Look up details from the Internal Communications 301, Internal Communications 201, Internal Communications 101 conducted in 2013, 2012 and 2011 respectively.
If you are interested to participate in future workshops or have a point of view on the themes that you would like to see covered in these forums please feel free to write to me at intraskope@yahoo.com. I will be delighted to take your suggestions and have you participate.
INTRASKOPE - Internal Communication Viewpoints 
It was an excellent opportunity to network with some very enthusiastic and like minded internal communications practitioners. We debated, shared experiences and best practices as well as shared tips and tricks. It was a very lively session and Aniisu is a wonderful trainer who knows how to engage each and every person. Thanks for a great session Aniisu!
In a one of its kind session, Internal Communications professional from diversified set ups came together to discuss the present and future of the domain. A very enriching session right from the start, it never had a dull moment. Great insights on how internal communicators can aid build an internal (and thus external) brand through effective storytelling and employee engagement. It also broke some myths and helped us come face to face with new and emerging trends in internal communications. Aniisu is a superb communicator and meeting him was a sheer delight. A Saturday well spent! Thanks Aniisu!
It was a good interactive session and many diverse perspectives were shared. Thanks.
Employee branding was the crux of the workshop and it certainly provided a deep insight on the way communication professionals need to take forward the process. A cross-section of professionals from a wide spectrum of businesses made the workshop an interesting one. A lot of sharing on the best practices in internal communication across organizations by the participants was very useful. Aniisu had teamwork sessions planned on key areas of internal communications for the participants and made the workout a very lively one. Thank you Aniisu.
I have always been interested in being a part of a workshop where we can share ideas, discuss and debate on best practices, to understand the current market trends and the need for enhancement in Internal Communications to constantly engage the employees. The 401 Workshop had just what we needed. It was an enthralling session where we exchanged ideas on implementing key campaigns, set up feedback mechanisms, leverage employees and their specific talents to engage them and bringing in a change in our thought processes with fresh ideas and even to the extent of making them a part of key decision making team of an organization. We can read books and online journals but to actually sit through a captivating session and discuss project planning, development and execution of communication strategies that worked, is an experience that will always inspire us! Aniisu is an experienced professional and his presentation and ideas were superbly articulated. He conducted the session with keen interest to imbibe in us the facts, trends and knowledge that the changing market demands. The contents shared with us were comprehensive and extremely useful. Thanks Aniisu for the session, for what we take back is extremely valuable. Not to forget, the immensely talented professionals whom I could connect with who, like me, were never coached for this role but groomed their expertise to be where they are today.
The workshop presented a wonderful opportunity to interact with fellow communicators who often have similar challenges and requirements. The energy well levels, enthusiasm and Aniisu’s enlightening presentation created a great fun-learning environment. I was inspired by the detailed research and the particularly well-chosen infographics that were used in the session. The session covered the diverse responsibilities of internal communicators and also presented the future roadmap. I would recommend this session.
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