Information overload is real. Employees are bombarded with emails, texts, instant messages, notifications and more — causing stress, hindering productivity, and increasing the likelihood of important messages getting lost in the clutter. So, how do you cut through the noise as an internal communicator? Personalization and targeting.

In the high-stakes defense sector, where the margin for error is razor-thin, communication is everything. Imagine coordinating over 1.3 million active-duty personnel across the globe. That's the reality for the United States, home to one of the world's largest military forces. This sheer size underscores the need for seamless communication. It's about ensuring messages are sent, clear, received, and correctly understood, no matter the circumstances.

Effective communication transcends simple information exchanges. Understanding the emotions and motives behind the given information is essential. In addition to successfully conveying messages, it's important to actively listen and fully understand the conversation, making the speaker feel heard and understood. Today, we’re in almost constant contact with our coworkers.

Technology and the evolving needs of companies have changed workplace roles across generations. Similarly, the ways we communicate with colleagues have also undergone shifts. Decades ago, people mostly relied on handwritten messages. Then, they began creating documents on typewriters, and the computers. More recently, many employees are resorting to just texting things to each other at work, or at least using email.