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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insights INSIGHT
Over-Communicate Values
Over-communicate your mission, vision, and culture.
It takes significant time for these values to resonate within a growing team, especially in remote environments.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Internal Newsletters at Axios
Axios uses internal newsletters, organized by department, to keep executives aligned.
This Smart Brevity format reduced total emails and improved communication efficiency.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Reduce Email Overload
Internal newsletters, done right, can actually reduce email traffic.
They consolidate information and prevent unnecessary individual messages.
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The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Will Guidara
In 'Unreasonable Hospitality,' Will Guidara shares his experiences as the General Manager of Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad, highlighting the importance of hospitality in any business. The book emphasizes that simply offering a great product is not enough; organizations must also focus on creating authentic connections and memorable experiences for both customers and employees. Guidara provides practical advice on setting expectations, managing teams, and adapting to unexpected situations, all while maintaining a commitment to hospitality that goes beyond mere service. His approach is applicable across various industries, not just limited to restaurants and luxury businesses.
Smart Brevity
The Power of Saying More with Less
Roy Schwartz
Jim VandeHei
Mike Allen
Writing for Busy Readers
Todd Rogers
Jessica Lasky-Fink
W książce "Writing for Busy Readers" Todd Rogers i Jessica Lasky-Fink omawiają, jak pisać treści, które są zrozumiałe i angażujące dla zabieganych czytelników. Autorzy podkreślają znaczenie jasności, zwięzłości i struktury tekstu. Książka zawiera praktyczne wskazówki i techniki, które pomagają w tworzeniu efektywnych i przystępnych treści. Autorzy omawiają również, jak dostosować styl pisania do różnych platform i mediów. Książka jest cennym źródłem wiedzy dla pisarzy, dziennikarzy, marketerów i wszystkich, którzy chcą skutecznie komunikować się z odbiorcami w dzisiejszym świecie. "Writing for Busy Readers" to praktyczny przewodnik, który pomoże w tworzeniu treści, które będą czytane i rozumiane.
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
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
The Way to Make Sense to Others, with Tom Henschel (episode 518)
Getting Better at Reading the Room, with Kirstin Ferguson (episode 651)
Get People Reading What You’re Sending, with Todd Rogers (episode 666)
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