(This is the part two of a five-part Reflect & Amplify series of posts about how IC pros can Pivot With Purpose into 2021. Missed part one? Here it is.)

Reflection is powerful, especially now. Taking time to look back on 2020 will help you amplify your impact in 2021. The first part of this series focused on noticing employee stories. Now we move on to reflecting on how much your employee audiences have changed. 

Reflect: Notice How Much Your Audiences Have Changed

Take a few minutes to think back to pre-Covid-19 times and the state of the workforce. Your organization has changed and so have the employees who power it. What they needed to know, do and understand before Covid-19 may be very different now. 

You understand this all too well.  As an IC leader, you’ve adapted in many ways. Doing things differently is just part of your world.

• Remember back when you could see the faces of your colleagues and hear their voices down the hall. 

• Picture yourself walking through the halls of your company or workplace at the start of the year. Remember how the experience felt.

Now, let’s think about how much your colleagues, near and far, have changed in 2020. It’s time to put yourself in the shoes of the workforce. 

• Picture them walking through the workplace instead of you.

• Imagine what their day-to-day work life experience was like.

Question: Ask Yourself These Questions

• How has the information that you need to know as an IC pro changed?

• Now think about the various internal audiences in your organization: How has the information that employees need to know changed since the start of 2020?

It’s likely that what they need to know, do and understand is now different. How they work and interact may also be different. What they need to do their jobs may not be the same as it was a year ago.  

The workplace and employees may not even be in the same state or even close to where they were at the start of last year. What they want and need may have shifted significantly.

Here is where you can use this reflection to pivot forward into the new year.

Amplify: Focus on Employee Need and Respond

The change that employee audiences saw in 2020 was just the beginning. As you look forward into 2021, I encourage you to keep moving. Anticipate a workforce that will continue to change, and respond to their evolving needs.

Picture employees walking through the workplace as you build your stories, communications and messages in 2020.

• Focus on what your employee audiences will need to understand and know.

• Be clear on what actions and steps employee audiences will need to take. 

• Connect employees with the guidance and information employees need to embrace change as best as possible on their terms. 

Using what audiences now need to be successful as your compass, be open to switching up and investing in your IC world to make the employee work world better.

Responding to the changing needs of your audiences in bothwhatyou do andhowyou do it will help amplify their impact. But it will also amply your impact as an IC leader. When you do this, you’re absolutely leveling up your ability to serve your audiences and your organization well.

Next in the Series: Reflect & Amplify – Internal Audience Success is a Team Sport