RDM's Senior Leadership Team discusses internal communications

Our December Senior Leadership (SLT) meeting included a presentation on philanthropy by MSD’s new Head of Development, Tannis Walker, and a paper from RDM’s Head of HR Emma Engel about the new Charter for the Career Development of Researchers.

I presented an update on the Internal Communications Review that the RDM Communications Team has been carrying out, and I’d like to give everyone in RDM a sense of our approach to this work in this blog post. But first…

Why is internal communication important for RDM?

RDM has just had its departmental review (SSO required). The review panel will be providing us with their report including recommendations, currently expected in late January or early February. SLT will be analysing these recommendations and responding to the Medical Sciences Division. In due course, people in all roles and across all parts of our diverse and widespread Department will have a part to play in the next steps – and internal communication is a key tool to help facilitate that engagement.

We need collectively to develop a common understanding of and pride in what RDM stands for and what it does. This will help us optimise our ability to recruit, develop and retain people and bring in funding to grow our research. A well thought-through internal communications strategy will be important for developing our sense of identity, and helping to bring currently disparate parts of RDM closer together.

Such a strategy will help to ensure that your RDM Communications Team is providing you all (students, early career researchers, PIs, professional services and technical staff, visitors) with the information you need, framed in the right way and at the right time, both in order to do your job well and to feel part of the RDM community.

What has the RDM Communications Team done so far?

A review is the first step on the road to devising an internal communications strategy. We have been finding out whether we are reaching people in RDM, what sort of content is resonating best with different audiences via which channels, what kind of impact we are having, and whether we are missing anything. So far, we have:

• Carried out a comprehensive review and initial analysis of metrics (i.e. clicks/views etc.) for our key channels (e.g. RDM Bulletin/website/departmental events/social media)
• Undertaken an internal communications survey (with 55 responses)
• Had some discussions about internal communications with leaders

Already, based on our insights, we are making the following innovations:

• We have introduced this RDM Blog to provide an informal platform for members of RDM who are involved in shaping and implementing its strategic vision and mission to communicate with the rest of the Department.
• We are including more carefully curated RDM-focused content in our weekly Bulletin, rather than repeating too much University content that is available elsewhere.
• We are refreshing the format of the termly Head of Department Q&As, turning them into an ‘RDM Open Forum’ and involving more of the Senior Leadership Team.
• We are putting a lot of effort into building the RDM community on LinkedIn, celebrating the achievements of RDM people.

What will we do next?

• Carry out focus groups and targeted interviews (e.g. with RDM’s Researcher Association and EDI Champions)
• Think about pros, cons and new ideas for each of our communications channels (e.g. RDM Bulletin/website/departmental events/social media)
• Assess how different members of RDM feel about the different channels, how much impact they are having, and how much effort it takes to maintain them
• Decide which channels we should focus on for which audiences – and whether we should start using any new channels
• Define each channel’s purpose, audience and owners
• Use all this as a basis to draw up a new internal communications strategy and detailed plans

If you have any thoughts about internal communications in RDM, please get in touch: communications@rdm.ox.ac.uk