{"id":5749,"date":"2025-06-23T12:28:38","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T12:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.tchop.io\/?p=5749"},"modified":"2025-06-25T13:17:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T13:17:22","slug":"using-educate-me-to-enhance-knowledge-sharing-in-internal-comms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tchop.io\/en\/using-educate-me-to-enhance-knowledge-sharing-in-internal-comms\/","title":{"rendered":"Using \u201cEducate me\u201d to enhance knowledge sharing in internal comms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A new manager joins the company. She\u2019s leading her first cross-functional sprint. The documentation lives in Drive. The strategy is stored in Confluence. The key insights are buried across Slack threads but she doesn\u2019t know which ones, or even what to search for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So she asks someone. Then she asks again. Then she guesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t a knowledge problem but a communication<\/a> architecture problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most organisations, there is no shortage of content. Policies exist. Playbooks are written. Decks get uploaded. Updates are sent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when someone needs to brief a new colleague, take over a process or respond to a change in direction, they often start from scratch. Not because they\u2019re careless, but because the system that holds all this information doesn\u2019t support how work actually happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where the \u201cEducate Me\u201d dimension of the User Needs Model<\/a> offers a necessary shift. It reframes internal communication<\/a> not as a broadcast function, but as an infrastructure layer. One that helps people understand, apply and retain knowledge, quietly, in rhythm with work, without adding friction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s explore how this can be designed and implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Relevance over permanence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most internal communication teams create documentation with durability in mind. Evergreen content. Comprehensive decks. Detailed folders. But the fact that something exists does not mean it will be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People don\u2019t seek out information unless they\u2019re already trying to do something. Learning happens in motion. Not in a hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means the most helpful internal content is not the most polished or complete. It\u2019s the content that shows up just before a key action. When attention is high. When the stakes are real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A team preparing a budget proposal doesn\u2019t want a slide deck from last quarter. They need a short checklist embedded in the finance tool. A manager onboarding<\/a> a new team member doesn\u2019t need a full guidebook they need timely reminders inside the workflow<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This shift is structural. Design for proximity, not permanence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Format as behavioural design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The way knowledge is delivered determines whether it gets used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not because people lack interest, but because they\u2019re busy. Context-switching. Multitasking. Trying to finish something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A brilliant five-minute video doesn\u2019t help someone who\u2019s in a shared space and can\u2019t use headphones. A PDF is often too slow to open on mobile. The problem isn\u2019t the format, it\u2019s the mismatch between delivery and state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So rather than asking \u201cwhat\u2019s the best format,\u201d start with \u201cwhat\u2019s the user doing when this shows up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are they heads-down or distracted? Are they preparing, acting or reflecting? Do they need to understand or execute?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each combination demands a different type of content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Situation<\/strong><\/th>Format<\/strong><\/th>Why<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
First-time tool use<\/td>Inline video or tooltip<\/td>Embedded, just-in-time<\/td><\/tr>
Policy change<\/td>Annotated feed card<\/td>Highlights relevance and recency<\/td><\/tr>
Ongoing confusion<\/td>Commentable screenshot<\/td>Encourages shared clarification<\/td><\/tr>
Peer insight<\/td>Taggable post with reactions<\/td>Makes social learning visible<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reduce friction not by simplifying content, but by choosing delivery methods that meet people where they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Support fluency, not just clarity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most internal comms<\/a> aim for clarity<\/a>. But clarity alone is not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A short message might explain a change. That doesn\u2019t mean the recipient knows how to act on it. Or explain it. Or adapt it to edge cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People need different levels of understanding depending on their role, familiarity and task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flattening everything into one paragraph creates overload for some and under-information for others. The fix is layering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think in three levels:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n