5 Ways C-Suite Leader Can Unlock Your Intranet Value

As a C-suite leader, you are likely on a perpetual hunt for innovative ways to improve efficiency, enhance communication, and drive growth. Many look to all the usual suspects: 

But there’s one often-overlooked tool that can deliver significant value: your intranet. An intranet is not just a library of dusty, out-dated manuals and the random ad hoc announcement (and if it is, you need a new intranet provider). A modern intranet that connects its people to knowledge management, internal communications, and powerful search serves as a cornerstone for organizational success. It can empower leaders to navigate change, foster a strong company culture, and unlock the potential of their workforce–and the data back it up.

#1 - Navigate change with efficiency

Many businesses are growing and changing faster than ever. It’s difficult for leaders to keep their people up-to-date and aligned around priorities and it’s equally difficult for employees to feel informed, engaged, productive in the midst of shifting priorities. You need to be able to consistently communicate change at the speed of business; you need a way to tether your people to business focuses so they can maintain confidence and trust during times of transition.

Your intranet is your central hub of truth. It provides employees with access to the accurate, up-to-date information, policies, and procedures. This ensures that everyone is on the same page, reducing confusion and enabling employees to pivot smoothly in response to shifting priorities. Further, an intranet is the perfect platform for leaders to be vocal, communicate change in real time, and help guide the entire organization toward the most recent priorities.

Data Points:

• ⅓ of employees say that change is not communicated clearly in their organization. 
• Investing in leadership programs and platforms for change management skills yields a 78% return on investment. 
• Companies are 4x more successful when they take time to identify and shift employee mindsets throughout change
  
  

#2 - Make Knowledge a Competitive Advantage

One of the most valuable (or arguably invaluable) assets they have is the knowledge of their people, the collective knowledge of the organization. Employees having access to information they need to be productive is a critical competitive advantage. But you can’t access what you don’t have captured and retained in a central place. 

One of the key value pillars of an intranet is that it is a repository of knowledge, capturing and preserving valuable insights and expertise. This includes the knowledge of your C-Suite level leaders. Without a way to retain and store that knowledge in a searchable way, the knowledge will literally walk right out the door with every employees who leaves the organization and at every retirement.

By making this information readily available to employees, C-suite leaders are building a cumulative legacy of intelligence for new leaders to leverage and empowering every employee to make informed decisions, solve problems more efficiently, and continuously improve their skills. 

Data Points: 

• A study by IBM found that companies that effectively manage knowledge are 20% more likely to achieve their strategic objectives.
• Replacing a highly-knowledgeable employee costs, on average, 200% of their salary. 
• 90% of Fortune 500 companies use knowledge retention to gain an advantage of their industry competitors.
  
  

#3 - Have a Shared Mission and Vision

One of the core responsibilities of a C-suite leader is to consistently and relentlessly communicate the vision and mission of their organization. This can’t only be done once a month on an all-hands call or sporadically. Having a strategic internal strategy to communicate company vision and mission allows for it  to be deeply seeded in every employee through repetition. Internal alignment is a must-have in order to create the most impact in the market and keep everyone focused internally. 

A modern intranet that includes both a knowledge base and an internal comms function is the perfect way to achieve this goal. Not only does the message not get lost to an email black hole, but leaders’ posts can create engagement with reactions, comments, and a two-way dialogue. To ensure critical communications reach everyone, track their readership and pin them prominently on company feeds and home pages. An intranet is the vessel that any C-Suite leader can use to create targeted, effective comms across the organization.

#4 - Cultivate Culture and Reinforce Values

Where Mission and Vision are what a company sells and the goals they aim to achieve, culture is who a company is, from the inside out. And that starts with leadership; it has to be demonstrated clearly and consistently from the top-down. A strong company culture is essential for driving employee engagement and performance. An intranet plays a vital role in shaping and reinforcing this culture. An intranet gives leaders an always-on channel to exhibit culture and create a sense of purpose and unity among employees. Additionally,  intranets facilitate open communication and feedback, allowing employees to contribute to the company's culture and feel more invested in its success.

Data Points:

• A study by Gallup found that employees at companies with strong cultures are 11 times more likely to be engaged in their work.
• Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work.
• Organizations with a strong culture can have up to 72% higher employee engagement than those with a misaligned culture.
• Read about how Mexican beverage company, Novamex, uses Happeo to deepen their culture and strengthen their business. >>Read full story
  
  

#5 - Accelerate Time to Market

Speed to market is only becoming more and more essential for success. C-Suite leaders can demonstrate to stakeholders that they can go-to-market faster with their intranet being core to that capability. With processes and improved collaboration, brining products and services to market is fast-tracked. By providing employees with easy access to the tools and resources they need, the intranet can reduce bottlenecks and eliminate unnecessary delays.

With a solid intranet, not only is each individual employee more productive, but the organization is holistically more efficient and productive. Intranets achieve this by reducing the time employees spend looking for information or asking questions. And an AI-powered intranet can automate much of the knowledge management and internal communications needed to disseminate information more quickly. This leads to less talking and searching, and more action.

Data Points: 

• The average employee spends 1 full workday per week tracking down information they need to do their jobs.
• 97% of of organizations with high alignment indicated they could take new products to market faster, leading to more satisfied customers.
• A study by McKinsey found that companies that have implemented effective digital collaboration tools are 20% more likely to outperform their competitors.

The intranet is more than just a repository. It’s more than just a digital bulletin board. It is a powerful platform for driving business value. By leveraging the intranet to navigate change, foster a strong company culture, empower employees, and accelerate time to market, C-suite leaders can create a more engaged, productive, and competitive organization. As businesses continue to evolve, the intranet will play an increasingly important role in shaping their success.