A chat with Kholofelo Mothopeng, internal communications manager at Liberty Holdings

By Adam Wakefield

Could you please give a brief rundown of your career, where you began and how you ended up at Liberty?

I started my career in banking doing credit risk governance and slowly worked my way to doing communications. I ran my own communications consultancy at a point, mainly advising on PR for SMMEs. I have worked in financial services, professional services and the healthcare industry.

I ended up at Liberty after realising how much I enjoy engaging internal stakeholders through internal communications and advising business how best to communicate to gain strategic alignment.

What would you say is the most important function of an internal communications manager, and how does this differ from external communications?

I think the most important role that an internal communicator can play is to understand the business they are operating in, and how best to support the business in meeting their objectives by using effective internal communications as one of the tools.

Essentially, the principles remain the same for both internal and external communications, but I think the key differentiator is that internal communications plays an important role in driving strategic alignment and influencing employee behaviour, which impacts how well the business performs.

Is crisis communications a function you deal with in internal communications?

Yes, although crisis communications is issues management and is considered to always be an external function. The reality is that internal stakeholders consume external communication as well. In times of crisis, internal stakeholders need to be communicated to in a targeted manner. They are not handled the same way that external stakeholders are because they are much closer to the business and will be more affected by whatever issue is being handled.

How important have digital platforms become in the work you do from day to day? Are they the most important platforms or do they work in concert with other, more traditional platforms?

Digital platforms are key in communicating with immediacy. They work together with more traditional platforms for information that has a longer shelf life. We live in an age where we can’t depend on any one medium of communication, we have to use them together for us to be most effective in our communication.

How important is it for you to have an open line of communication with your HR department?

It’s very important. HR owns and directs employee engagement, and communications is a lever that HR can use to achieve that engagement. Having this open line of communication allows us to partner in engaging employees the best way possible.

For any communications professional, whether their focus is on external or internal communications, what do you believe are the most important principles they should remember?

I think the most important principle to remember is actually the simplest: know who you are talking to.

If you don’t understand the stakeholders you are communicating with, you will never have a meeting of the minds.

For more information, connect with Mothopeng on LinkedIn.