Internal communication is the cornerstone of any good establishment, be it a for-profit business, a non-profit organization, or an institution of higher learning. It’s used to set clear and concise goals for your college or university, disseminate information on pressing matters, and confer with peers on various subjects.
However, the landscape of higher education is shifting these days. The global pandemic forced classroom and faculty interactions into the virtual sphere. Rising costs are restricting the amount of office time available, and the rise of distance learning is forcing more and more staff to learn new tools with which to teach and communicate.
Internal communication has changed as well. The four-hour staff meeting is quickly becoming a thing of the past, replaced by virtual meetings. In 2024, these trends seem poised to accelerate. In order to meet these challenges head-on, you’re going to need tools in your belt that make internal communications easier and more effective.
Internal communication challenges in higher education
The advancement of technology and its pitfalls
Technology exists in an ever-changing, rapidly-advancing state. Fifty years ago it would have been considered a luxury to have a computer in your building, let alone one at your desk on which you hold meetings.
Today, technology plays a key role in internal communications, whether it be from those virtual meetings to using online discussion boards or file-sharing sites to disseminate information. And the curve is only going to get steeper.
It can be difficult to keep up with technology for educators both in and out of the classroom. Even if you do keep abreast of the latest developments, it can be difficult to know how best to incorporate those advancements into your communications with staff and faculty.
Gone are the days when all you needed for a staff meeting was an empty room and enough chairs around a table. Now, you have to ensure your software is configured properly, mute protocols are set and adhered to, and you have all your notes close by in digital form, or risk losing your audience as you rifle through papers trying to stay on track.
The development of internal communication strategies
In a business setting, internal communication strategies set down how and to whom information flows and for what reason. The internal communication strategies in institutions of higher learning are similar in many ways.
Internal communications strategies are essentially goals and methods established by the college hierarchy to ensure consistent and effective internal communication. An email is useless unless it reaches the appropriate reader. Staff meetings and virtual conferences serve no purpose if the wrong people are in the room or the wrong message is delivered to them.
These are the types of issues addressed and mitigated by a good internal communications strategy, and they are the types of issues that will go unresolved if planning and forethought are not put into the development of those strategies.
The hurdles of interdepartmental communication
There’s a common phrase in organizations: “the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing.” It refers to the all-too-common phenomenon of one area of an established institution being unaware of the actions or communications coming from another area of that same institution.
These days, when collaboration between departments is common and your next research team can be scattered around the globe, the ability to communicate effectively with fellow professors that aren’t in your department is both a key to success and another hurdle to overcome. And while apps like VODIUM can help mitigate these problems, you still need to be aware of them.
Often, departments will have different sets of jargon they use which may as well be Ancient Greek to outsiders. Departments may approach the same task with different goals in mind, unaware of other possibilities. With so much interdepartmental collaboration done on a virtual level these days, it’s simply too easy to misread the intentions of the other party in the video call.
These and other difficulties can lead to confusion and disorganization between departments, which in turn can hurt the educational efficacy of the institution itself.
How can a virtual teleprompter help?
A virtual teleprompter app like VODIUM may not be the first tool you imagine when it comes to improving the efficacy of internal communications in higher education, but it is a tool that should definitely be considered.
Improve your communication technology
A virtual teleprompter app acts just like a physical teleprompter, except it’s designed exclusively for virtual situations such as video calls or meetings. It overlays pre-prepared speeches, slides, or notes over the video window of your preferred video conferencing software and allows you to present with confidence and control.
A virtual teleprompter app like VODIUM can be the centerpiece of your internal communications technology. Designed to help you communicate with your team effectively and efficiently, VODIUM allows you to load key points into its software and include additional notes to ensure you’re always presenting the most current information to your team.
Create more effective presentations
Research has demonstrated that over 55% of all communication is non-verbal in nature, and this is true whether we’re talking one-on-one, delivering a lecture to a roomful of colleagues, or pre-recording a lecture series.
Facts like this are why a teleprompter app like VODIUM can be so useful. Instead of having to memorize key points or constantly look away to refer to notes, VODIUM instead allows you to maintain eye contact with the camera and concentrate not just on what you are saying but on how you are communicating your information to your audience.
Pacing is also a key point in making presentations. Speak too quickly, and you’ll leave your listeners confused or scrambling to keep up. Speak too slow, and you’ll lose listeners to boredom or disengagement. VODIUM offers auto-scrolling features with variable speeds that allow you to set the perfect tempo for your presentation, which in turn allows for greater engagement from your listeners.
Facilitate better communication between departments
Having pre-loaded notes right in front of your eyes during interdepartmental meetings allows you to quickly and efficiently communicate your objectives to others outside your own department. It allows you to cut down on misunderstandings and helps facilitate understanding as you’re sure to hit key points and disseminate key information without the need to refer to notes or memorization.
Pre-loading your presentation or keynotes for a conversation with other departments also makes sure you know what goals you wish to communicate and that the different departments are up-to-date on what they ought to be doing as well.
VODIUM is the teleprompter you need to improve your internal communication strategy
2024 is sure to hold unique challenges for higher education, and it’s imperative that institutions do everything they can to ensure strong and consistent messaging in their internal communication strategies. VODIUM can be a cornerstone of that communication, facilitating fast and efficient interdepartmental communication and ensuring your faculty and staff are up-to-date with the latest technologies. VODIUM includes 24-hour technical support and offers a free trial option on our website. Download the demo and see how VODIUM can fit into your institution’s internal communication strategies today!
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