Book Review: Internal Communication Strategy
Rachel Miller's new book Internal Communication Strategy offers a practical, step-by-step guide to organisational communication by developing a robust internal communication strategy.
It’s not every book about internal communications that offers a revolution.
However, Rachel Miller’s new book does just that, opening with the mission statement: “Organisations that understand and harness the power of corporate communication can revolutionise from the inside out.”
Internal Communication Strategy: Design, develop, and transform your organizational communication provides a structured, step-by-step guide for bringing about that revolution.
Miller, a former in-house practitioner, Fellow of both the CIPR and the Institute of Internal Communications, and founder of internal communications consultancy All Things IC, has mined her experience to deliver a book that takes readers through her bespoke model for developing an internal communications strategy.
She positions internal communications as essential to a company’s long-term success. She explores how robust measurement and evaluation can help this function prove its value to the bottom line.
A no-nonsense style permeates the book, dispensing gems such as “lack of clarity means everyone is working hard, but not necessarily on the right things” and “hierarchy often inhibits honesty.”
This book is intended to be practical for anyone with internal communications in their remit, whether in a communications or human resources team. While not an academic read, it touches on useful theory, deploying a breadth of references, including renowned internal communications theorists such as Dr Kevin Ruck. However, the book remains practical, even when tackling topics that interact with the more psychological elements of internal communications, such as sense-giving and sense-making.
Miller has a clear and direct writing style that befits her practical approach. While a technical expert, she does not rely on jargon. Anyone with internal communications in their brief, whether in human relations, corporate communications, or an internal communications specialist, should be able to follow the concepts and advice.
The book is divided into two parts: the first is broadly about the importance of an internal communication strategy. The second, focuses on implementation.
Using the author’s own MILLER framework for designing internal communications strategy, each step is demonstrated by her guidance, tools and personal examples, additional expert contributions, and the first-hand views of an impressive array of senior internal communications leaders from the worlds of business, academia and the third sector. Case studies include Marks and Spencer, the Met Office and Battersea Cat and Dogs Home.
This is also a book that is at the cutting edge of organisational and communication thinking and development, containing thoughtful advice on issues like neurodiversity, culture, AI, diversity and inclusion and much more, encouraging the reader to think and explore, while developing a rigorous internal communication strategy that can set their organisation on the path to success.
The book is published on 3 April in the UK and 30 April elsewhere. You can use the code COMMSFRIEND to save 20% when you buy the book from the Kogan Page website. Alternatively, a custom edition of the book is available from the All Things IC website, where you can get a signed copy and an additional two-page foreword.
Internal Communication Strategy: Design, develop and transform your organizational communication
Rachel Miller
Kogan Page, 2024
About Claire Munro
Claire Munro is an award-winning communications professional and manager with over 15 years’ experience in Scotland’s environment and housing sectors.
She has served on the Committee of CIPR Scotland and holds the CIPR Diploma in Internal Communications and the AMEC International Certificate in Measurement and Evaluation. Claire is both a Chartered PR and a Chartered Marketer.