Q&A: On integrating employee communications

Patrick Williams, is a former RR editor, author of several books on employee communication and a consultant and workshop leader. We asked him why the idea of "integrating employee communications' has become the touchstone for discussions on the current—and future—state of the profession. Reach Williams at [email protected].

RR: Why all the talk about integrating employee communications? PW: Every two or three years, a touchstone for the state of the profession emerges, as the profession evolves. Thirty years ago, when The Ragan Report was launched, it was "industrial journalism.' Then, "customer-focused quality,' then corporate culture, next research-based strategic planning, "communicating change,' and after that managerial face-to-face communications. In the last decade, it's been electronic communications, of course: e-mail, the intranet, instant messaging, Web-flowed meetings and so forth. Today, "integration' describes the current and future state of the profession.