Interview with the two lecturers of the first CIPR Internal Communications Certificate course in Bulgaria
by Nelly Benova
CIPR Blog requested an interview from Kevin Ruck, creator of CIPR Internal Communications Certificate, who will lecturer, together with Ann Pilkingtion, of the first course in Bulgaria. We spoke with Kevin and Ann about the specifics and the opportunities that stand before internal communicators, and the syllabus of the newest qualification programme, that Apeiron Academy starts in the beginning of 2010.
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Kevin, you are the creator of the newest qualification programme of the CIPR - Certificate in Internal Communications. Give us some brief description of this new professional training, Certificate in Internal Communications? Is it suitable for internal communicators at a beginner level or for more advanced experts? What is the main focus of the course? What basic skills will be taught during the course?
The qualification was introduced to enable practitioners to put some theory behind what they do and to develop a stronger understanding of strategic planning in the context of ongoing change. As organizations move away from old command and control styles of management, the importance of internal communication increases. It is no longer enough to just send out information and hope that it is read and understood. Internal communication is now more about engaging employees and sharing knowledge in communities.
The course is aimed at people who have some experience in internal communication and are looking to develop a stronger professional understanding of theory and practice. It is taught at degree level so it is suitable for beginners though many experienced practitioners will also find it useful.
The course covers six key topics:
1. An introduction to organisational culture and management theories
2. Internal communication and employee engagement theory
3. Strategic internal communication planning
4. Tone of voice
5. Social media
6. The role of the internal communicator.
Basic skills that are developed in the course are:
- How to ensure that internal communication is consistent with management styles and organisational culture and how internal communication can also support changes in culture
- How to use internal communication and employee engagement theory in strategic communication planning
- How to communicate in ways that engage employees
- How to use social media in internal communication
- How to become a trusted internal communication business partner.
What main qualities and specific knowledge the internal communications specialists should have or are expected to develop if they want to prove competitive advantages compared to other communication specialists such as PR or HR experts?
Ann: Internal communicators need to demonstrate understanding of the business and become a trusted partner. Internal communication is a specialist area of PR that requires a good understanding of the organisation’s culture and the practitioner needs to be able to put themselves ‘in the shoes’ of employees and understand their communication needs. I have worked in both media relations and internal communication and I firmly believe that internal communication is much harder!
Kevin: Practitioners should know about what motivates and engages employees and how communication is fundamental to this. Internal communicators share many traits with wider PR experts, especially a strong knowledge of effective communication, however, their primary expertise is in knowing how communication works inside an organization. HR experts specialize in other aspects of management, such as recruitment, learning and development, pay and reward, performance management, organizational design and health and safety - rather than internal communication which is a completely separate specialty.
Can we say that Internal Communications is a profession of the future i.e. experts with good practical and theoretical background in this field will be more required in the next years than they are nowadays?
Ann: Definitely. But internal communicators need to make the most of this opportunity by obtaining qualifications and the specialist skills required.
Kevin: Yes! As organizations come to understand the links between good internal communication, employee engagement and better performance they will certainly invest more in professional internal communication advisors.
Ann, you will be lecturer in the first class of the Certificate in Internal Communications starting January 2010 in Bulgaria. Why did you choose Bulgaria to be the first country outside UK where you personally to deliver lectures in internal communications?
We have both worked with Apeiron before and know it to be a centre that delivers qualifications in a quality way. I also think that there is a lot of interest in the subject in Bulgaria as demonstrated by the popular conferences that Apeiron has run in the past.
подобни статии:
- Ann Pilkington: ‘Students realise there’s a lot more in internal communications than they expected, and then bring that message back to their workplaces’ Last year the CIPR launched Internal Communications Certificate programme...
- “Exploring Internal Communication” by Kevin Ruck A book on internal communication theory and practice We...
- And the CIPR Internal Communications Certificate started… The first lecturing session passed…what we learned? - - -...
- Apeiron Academy awarded two scholarships to students in the first professional internal communications qualification in Bulgaria On 13th January 2010 ended the International scholarship competition for...
- Spread the word – it’s coming… A few thoughts before the CIPR Internal Communications Certificate...
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