Forget Jargon, Listen to Beyoncé: Explaining Internal Communication with the Help of Pop Culture
Dafna Arad
External Contributor - Internal Communications Expert
31 May 2024
We’ve all read those serious articles about the role of internal communication managers.
They usually use action verbs like informing, engaging, aligning, and listening to describe our mission. Focusing on change management, stakeholder engagement, strategic messaging.
It’s true, of course, but they never answer a basic question: ‘Who run the world?’. (Spoiler: internal communicators, but we’ll get to that.)
This article takes a different approach. Ditching the formality and rebranding ourselves as influencers, we’re giving you a VIP pass to the funky world of IC through the lens of pop culture.
Because internal communication pros are not just informers.
We’re more like… Bob Marley! Hermione Granger! Glue! The 80s!
Searching for meaning in your day-to-day work? Continue reading.
The quest for the perfect metaphor
Memories of London underground rides can sometimes blur together – a flickering, shaky mess where even dogs wear sweaters. Yet, one particular journey stands out: listening to #TheICPodcast by Katie Macaulay a while ago, I was struck by a golden metaphor from Gihan Hyde, founder of CommUnique [UK]. She compared managing internal communication to leading Beyoncé’s fan club.
Mic drop moment! I almost missed my stop and became crazy in love with that idea.
But I had a few questions:
- Dear Gihan - Am I the leader of this fan club, or am I the #BeyHive?
- And who are the employees? All the single ladies?
- One last crucial question: Is my employer Beyoncé?
“Yes, the org is Beyoncé,” She explained. “You are the fan club manager who will be in charge of making sure all the fans of all ages are engaged, loyal, and always getting the special treatment.”
I shared this glamorous concept with my team but they disagreed: “We are obsessed about our company, but we’re not running a fan club. The BeyHive bosses probably think she’s a perfect human being and would never criticize her music. We, on the other hand, deal with imperfections: addressing concerns, asking all the hard questions, and bridging communication gaps.”
Well, I guess they were right.
A symphony of voices: exploring more metaphors
Now the hunt was on for a pop culture metaphor that everyone would get, from my kid to the curious engineer who was already drinking beer at 11am.
Google sent me to the Voxeon communications site. This international communications agency based in Cape Town, South Africa, posted an article with metaphors for the role of internal communications at organizations. GLUE, for example. I like this one. Connects everything. Sticky messages.
Another metaphor they mentioned is the conductor – harmonizing different sections. It's musical, it’s a classic – but I was looking for more juice.
ChatGPT compared internal communication managers to NASA’s mission control; the company is the spaceship and employees are the astronauts. It had a certain ring to it but, honestly, ‘Houston, we have a problem’ could apply to any project manager, founder, chief of staff, or producer, not just us IC pros.
Back to the metaphorical drawing board!
The M to James Bond
As the quest for the perfect metaphor continued, I reached out to internal communication pros from around the world for their take on the perfect IC metaphor. They had some very interesting ideas.
Kerry-Ann Betton Stimpson, CMO, JMMB Group/Host, The Internal Marketing Podcast [Jamaica] said: “IC managers are like Bob Marley. He came from humble beginnings, and through his message delivered in a unique way, became the voice that led a movement that forced people to think differently about how they see themselves and how they see the world. His voice was also that of empowerment and equality.”
Emily Hecker, Internal Communication Coach, Consultant, and Author of Me, Myself, and IC: A Guide to Building Internal Communication as a Team of One [USA]: “Internal communication managers are the Hermione Grangers in their friend group. Bright, brave, full to the brim with common sense, and everyone thinks they can do all kinds of magic.”
Carly Murray, IC Director, The Surgery [UK]: “IC is just like the 80s – a time when people were brave, bold, out-there, willing to try new things to stand out. It was a heady mix of music, fashion, videos, and more – and you've got to find a way of making it all mesh together!”
Monique Zytnik, Global Employee Communication Expert, [Germany]: “Internal communication professionals need to be the M to James Bond. As head of the Secret Intelligence Service, M is personable, professional, strategic-focused, and always questioning. We work behind the scenes to make sure intelligence and information flow in all the right directions.”
Jo McRell, author of Making Work Work for You (coming soon) and Employee Experience Consultant [USA]: “Internal communication pros are just like Muggles in the era of AI: we’re all newbies in this emerging era. And with all the hype, AI can seem kinda magical, certainly powerful, and maybe a little scary – like something straight out of a Harry Potter story.
“This is exactly the kind of challenge internal communications embraces. We thrive in making ambiguity relatable, in smoothing the path to new advancements and change, and in using stories to help every employee see themselves in the journey.”
Keren Arazi, Global Internal Communications Manager, Rapyd [Israel]: “Managing internal communication is like editing Vogue. We spot the trends, arrange them in an exciting, innovative, digestible format, and people count on us to spot the trends.”
Keith Berman, Global Communications Leader and Strategist [USA]: “Internal comms is like Dulles Airport Chief Engineer Leslie Barnes, as seen in Die Hard 2. We help keep the planes in the air and keep things running smoothly when times are good, and when the stuff hits the fan, we devise clever ways to keep the information flowing. We may not be John McClane out there fighting the fight, so we don't get credit as a result, but we definitely make some big contributions toward success.”
Jessica Roberts, Internal Comms Consultant & Creator of The Internal Comms Expert Programme™️ [UK]: “I often think of internal comms like Google Translate: the business speaks one language and our job is to decode it and turn it into something that speaks directly to our audience. Internal comms is all about our people. When we know them, it’s much less likely that things will get lost in translation.”
Neena Dominic, Senior Internal Communications Manager, British Council [UK]: “Internal communications operates like the bustling Central Perk café in my favorite TV series Friends, acting as the central hub where employees are brought together to stay connected virtually through tools like emails, intranet platforms, and town halls.”
And some more Beyoncé fandom now, from Laniece Williams-Green Sr., Employee and Leadership Communications Specialist at Siemens Healthineers, [USA]: “My favorite Beyoncé song from the Renaissance album is 'Alien Superstar', and I think it is the perfect song to describe IC folks:
- I'm one of one – We are sometimes quite literally teams of one
- No one else in this world can think like me, true – IC pros have a unique perspective when it comes to business problems and solutions. We are often thinking strategically and tactically, identifying problems that others may gloss over
- I'm twisted, twisted – IC Pros are creative and sometimes our ideas can raise eyebrows if they go against convention
- I'll contradict it, keep him addicted – My job as an IC pro is to find the flaw in your plan and advise you accordingly. Also, we strive to create engaging content that keeps employees coming back for more.”
Who Run the World (internal comms, that's who)
These are all great metaphors by very smart (and cooperative) professionals. I’m a bit starstruck now, but still haven’t found the perfect metaphor for IC.
Maybe that’s because the beauty lies in our profession’s multifaceted nature. We're storytellers, best friends – sometimes even secret agents! We’re all about leaving a mark while making sure everyone’s voice is heard.
So, next time you wonder about the role of internal communicators, remember: pop culture can sometimes shine a light – bright like a diamond – on our day-to-day challenges, and make us prouder of what we do.