687: Getting Better at Internal Communication, with Roy Schwartz

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Jul 1, 2024

Roy Schwartz, co-founder and CEO of Axios HQ, discusses transformative strategies for internal communication. He emphasizes the importance of reducing email clutter by focusing on key messages. Roy shares insights on creating engaging internal publications, balancing brevity and personality, and implementing AI tools to streamline communication. He advocates for starting with one big item in messages and infusing excitement to enhance engagement. Learn how effective internal communication can foster innovation and improve organizational culture.

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ADVICE

Naming Matters

Avoid calling internal communications "newsletters."
Use a name that reflects the content and resonates with the target audience (e.g., "The Weekend" for a Friday update).

ANECDOTE

Make it Personal

Roy Schwartz's chief of staff sends him a daily update called "The Daily Drive" with car emojis.
This personal touch makes the communication fun and engaging.

ADVICE

Pre-Meeting Briefings

Use internal updates to brief yourself on facts before meetings.
This allows for deeper, strategic discussions instead of basic catch-ups.

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Roy Schwartz: Smart Brevity

Roy Schwartz is co-founder and CEO at Axios HQ, the world’s first AI-powered internal communications management platform. He’s also the co-founder of Axios, the award-winning news organization known for its Smart Brevity writing style. He’s the co-author, along with Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen of Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More With Less*.

Most organizations spend way more time and strategy on external communications than internal ones. In this conversation, Roy and I discuss how your internal strategy can reduce email, save time, and create space for innovation and insight.

Key Points

An effective, internal publication via email reduces the amount of total messaging people receive.
Position one, big item in every publication. There should be a hierarchy of what’s important, since not everyone will read everything.
Keep each topic to 200 words and under 1,000 words for the entire publication.
For each topic, start with a strong, first sentence — and then provide context for why it matters.
Find a word other than “newsletter” to name a regular, internal publication.
Bring personality and smiles into internal publications. People will engage and look forward to reading.
Done well, internal publications help inform, recognize, provide accountability, and allow leaders to focus on the human aspects of communication.

Resources Mentioned

Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More With Less* by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz
Axios HQ: AI-powered newsletter software

Interview Notes

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