AthArvA-188 Internal Comms
A framework for writing internal communications that get read, understood, and acted on. Different formats for different audiences and purposes.
Format Guide
Project Status Update (weekly/bi-weekly)
Structure: RAG status → progress → blockers → next steps
## [Project Name] — [Date]
Status: 🟢 On track / 🟡 At risk / 🔴 Blocked
**This week**
- [What was completed]
**Next week**
- [What's planned]
**Blockers / Decisions needed**
- [Specific ask, tagged to a person if applicable]
**ETA to milestone**: [Date or "TBD — see blockers"]
Incident / Post-Mortem Communication
Structure: What happened → Impact → Timeline → Root cause → Actions
## Incident Report: [Brief title]
**Date**: [Date]
**Severity**: [P0/P1/P2]
**Duration**: [Start → Resolution]
**What happened**
[2-3 sentences. Plain language. No jargon.]
**Impact**
- Affected: [users, services, data]
- Scale: [how many, how long]
**Timeline**
- [HH:MM] Event
- [HH:MM] Detection
- [HH:MM] Mitigation started
- [HH:MM] Resolution
**Root cause**
[Single sentence. Blame systems, not people.]
**Actions to prevent recurrence**
| Action | Owner | Due |
|--------|-------|-----|
Team Announcement (new hire, org change, project launch)
Structure: What's changing → Why it matters to you → What to do
Keep it short. 150-250 words. No corporate filler.
Company Newsletter (monthly/quarterly)
Structure: Headline moment → Team spotlights → Key metrics → What's coming
Aim for scannable. People read newsletters at 30% attention. Put the most important thing first and make it possible to skim.
FAQ Document
Structure: Most important questions first → Questions grouped by topic → Links to more detail
Write questions the way people actually ask them, not the way you wish they would. "How do I get reimbursed?" not "Expense Reimbursement Policy."
All-Hands Summary (post-meeting recap)
Structure: Key announcements → Decisions made → Q&A highlights → Action items
Tone Calibration
Before writing, choose the tone:
| Tone | Use when | Example signal words |
|---|---|---|
| Warm + direct | Good news, milestones, team wins | "Excited to share", "proud of", "thank you" |
| Clear + neutral | Process updates, policy changes | "Starting [date]", "going forward", "to clarify" |
| Serious + calm | Incidents, difficult decisions | "I want to be transparent", "this is significant" |
| Urgent | Blockers, time-sensitive requests | "Needs your input by [time]", "action required" |
Avoid: passive voice, hedge words ("hopefully", "kind of", "sort of"), unnecessary preamble ("I wanted to reach out to let you know that…")
Quality Checklist
Before sending:
- Can the reader understand the key point in under 10 seconds?
- Is there exactly one primary call to action?
- Are names and dates correct?
- Would a new employee understand this without context?
- Does it say something, or does it just report that you exist?
Tips
- The biggest mistake in internal comms is burying the lead. Put the most important information first, always.
- If you're writing to get a decision made, say so explicitly: "I need a yes/no on [specific thing] by [date]."
- Long emails get read less carefully than short ones. If it's more than 300 words, use headers.