Building Culture Through Internal Newsletters

Greetings Operators!

Getting an aligned team requires getting the whole company to by in to

• What you are building

• The game you are trying to win

• How you are trying to win it

This means building “culture”. Its the getting the whole company to think and act as one… using the value and principles you believe will get you there.

The problem is, everyone relates to different parts of the company.

• Some join to be part of community where they “belong”

• Others want to be part of something bigger than themselves

• Still others want rewards

• While others may thrive and feel connected due to feedback

I call these alignment systems.

Below is one of my favorite alignment systems that promotes vision, gives company wide communication, and allows a touchpoint to establish “how we act and win” on a continual basis.

This weekend I’m sending out a real technical deep dive on scorecards and how to use them properly (because most don’t!).

Let me know if you have a question you’d like answered on the weekend deep-dive!

MAIN ISSUE
Building Culture Through Internal Newsletters

In small businesses, culture doesn't happen by accident. It's built deliberately through alignment activities centered on communication.

Your team craves connection to something bigger than their daily tasks. The production floor technician repeating the same process 50 times today wants to know why it matters. The customer service rep handling complaints needs to feel part of the mission.

But here's what happens: You feel the excitement of business growth while your team experiences the drought of routine. This disconnect kills momentum.

You see — the weekly meetings, huddles, one-on-ones, and walking the floor (Gemba walks) aren't just management activities. They're your platforms for constantly reinforcing:

• What we believe (our values)

• What we're striving for (our strategy)

• How we behave (our culture)

• How we're performing (our feedback loop)

THE POWER OF THE INTERNAL NEWSLETTER

The internal newsletter is your secret weapon for alignment. I've implemented these in companies ranging from 12 to 250 employees and watched them transform disconnected teams into aligned forces.

Last year, I worked with a manufacturing CEO whose team was fragmented across three shifts. Knowledge stayed trapped in silos. The newsletter became their central nervous system — within three months, cross-departmental collaboration increased and people felt part of the overall company - showing up in their individual jobs in powerful ways!

HOW TO BUILD YOUR NEWSLETTER

The Framework

Your newsletter exists for one purpose: to give people insight into what's happening in areas of the company they don't see. Period.

Keep it to 1,000 words maximum. Employees won't do a deep dive. Make every word count.

Essential Sections

1. Leadership Pulse (150 words)

   • Quick strategic snapshot

   • Focus for the upcoming month

2. Cultural Spotlight (250 words)

   • STORY OF THE MONTH

   • Feature an employee who embodied your values

   • I start here because stories sell culture better than directives

3. Strategic Objectives (150 words)

   • Progress updates on key initiatives

   • Targets hit and missed (be transparent)

4. Key Financials (100 words)

   • Revenue and profitability metrics

   • Keep it simple and consistent month-to-month

5. Wins Worth Celebrating (200 words)

   • Customer wins (show direct employee impact)

   • Employee wins (promotions, achievements, milestones)

6. Operational Insights (150 words)

   • How we're improving our machine

   • What's coming next month

The Cultural Story — Your Secret Ingredient

Stories translate abstract values into concrete actions. When I ran operations at a precision manufacturing company, one of our core values was "Do it right the first time."

This wasn't just a slogan. It:

• Reduced quality problems

• Eliminated rework

• Saved money

• Increased efficiency and margins

• Made customers happier

Here's a real example from our newsletter:

That story did more for our quality culture than a dozen policy memos ever could.

IMPLEMENTATION BLUEPRINT

Tools You'll Need

• Email platform (MailChimp, HubSpot, or even Outlook Groups)

• Data collection system (simple dashboards for your KPIs)

• Story repository (create a shared doc where leaders can submit stories)

• Visual assets (company photos, employee headshots, simple charts)

For Distributed Teams

Remote workers need this connection even more. Consider:

• Recording a 2-minute video intro to accompany each issue

• Creating regional spotlights if you have multiple locations

• Highlighting cross-location collaboration

Design Matters

Externally, simplicity drives readership. Internally, beauty drives engagement.

Use:

• Consistent branded header

• Alternating image/text layouts

• Photos of featured employees

• Simple data visualizations

• Consistent section headers

Your design should become familiar territory. Different team members will develop favorite sections and skip to them first. Sales might jump to customer wins; operations to process improvements. That's perfect.

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

How do you know if it's working? Look for:

• Employees referencing newsletter content in meetings

• Stories being retold in the hallways

• Increased alignment in decision-making

• Teams proactively submitting content for future issues

• Usage of company terminology from your cultural stories

The best culture-building tools are the ones you actually use. A perfectly imperfect newsletter that goes out consistently beats a polished masterpiece that never launches.

Your team is waiting to be aligned. Start next week.

Your Next Move

For the next 30 days, implement the CEO Newsletter:

1. Create your newsletter template this week

2. Identify your first cultural story

3. Set up your data collection system

4. Send your first issue within 30 days

5. Ask for direct feedback after issues #1 and #3

🔥 Hot Take of the Week: Your company culture isn't a poster on the wall—it's what happens when nobody's watching. Stop wasting time crafting perfect mission statements and start documenting real stories of employees living your values when it would've been easier not to.

What’s Working for You?

I'm curious: What's your current method for creating cultural alignment? Hit reply and let me know if you've tried something similar or if you're seeing different results in your industry.

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