Want to improve workplace communication? Do less

Most large companies use a multitude of channels, often adding more as new platforms emerge. Using a varied mix of channels is smart—employees like to consume information in different ways, after all—but beware of communication overload.

In ” Strategy Is Deciding What Not to Do,” Tim Williams describes Steve Jobs’ decision to cancel more than 300 ongoing projects to focus on just four. Williams writes:

By narrowing instead of expanding, Apple started down the path to becoming the most valuable company on the planet.

Our company’s experience mirrors this, although on a vastly different scale. In 2009, we made the commitment to focus only on internal communications for large brands. When prospects or current clients asked for help with consumer branding—a field in which many of us had built our careers—we referred them to other agencies we knew would be a better fit.