Intranet Content for January 2024
Ah, January. It’s time to get back to work after recharging with some time off, when we focus on the new year, new goals, and upcoming projects. It’s a great time to highlight new staff members and staff members who have started the year with a new promotion. But it’s also the perfect time to focus on new organizational priorities while highlighting some of what remains the same, such as organizational values.
As is the case every month, it’s useful to use your organization’s intranet as a platform to foster a sense of community among staff members, share knowledge about the organization and its people, and spark creativity and/or new collaborations. The intranet is certainly a tool for communication, but it can be leveraged to help create new connections between staff members, strengthen the bond between staff members and your organization, and engage with staff members.
Last, don’t forget to try to have fun with your corporate intranet – not all of the posts need to be serious! We’ve included a few informal holidays that tie-in nicely with our core themes of knowledge sharing, knowledge management, community, and connections.
Shortcuts
FireOak’s favorite ideas for intranet content for January 2024:
- January 2: World Introvert Day
- The Year Ahead
- New year & new organizational goals
- January 8: Clean Off Your Desk Day
- January 28: Data Privacy Day
January 2: World Introvert Day
World Introvert Day is celebrated each year on January 2nd. This day is dedicated to recognizing and appreciating the qualities and contributions of introverted individuals. Recent research suggests that introverts make up between a third and half of the American population.
Some ideas for celebrating introverts on your intranet:
- Share some quotes, anecdotes, and statistics from the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.
- Highlight the contributions of some hugely successful introverted entrepreneurs such as Larry Page and Bill Gates.
- For organizations that participate in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), highlight some high-profile staff members who are introverts and their contributions to the organization.
- Offer some suggestions for extraverts on ways to support introverts in your organization. For some ideas, check out this article from Indeed.com.
By promoting World Introvert Day and creating content related to it, you can promote inclusivity, appreciation, and collaboration among all personality types within your organization. The FireOak team is comprised mainly of proud introverts, so we have a special fondness for this day!
The Year Ahead
A classic intranet post for January is a note from the organization’s senior-most executive – the organization’s CEO, COO, Executive Director, etc. This type of post is appropriate for organizations of all sectors and sizes; it should be written annually and should focus on what staff members should expect in the coming year.
A forward-looking post for the year ahead can:
- Provide valuable insights into the organization’s strategic direction, priorities, and goals for the coming months.
- Help leadership connect with employees, communicate their vision, and inspire alignment and enthusiasm throughout the organization.
- Support staff members in understanding their role in achieving organizational goals and objectives.
- Foster a sense of shared purpose and shared commitment among staff members at all levels throughout the organization.
By sharing this vision on the intranet, you create a centralized place that all employees – including employees hired later in the year – can access and reference throughout the year, ensuring clarity and a shared understanding around common objectives.
If your C-Suite is comfortable with video, this post is a great opportunity to incorporate an informal video of one or more executives talking through the high points. But don’t forget to capture the ideas in a readable, searchable format as well.
New Year, New Organizational Goals!
A new year often brings new strategic organizational goals and initiatives. This is a perfect opportunity to post content on your intranet that ensures all employees are aware of the new goals and understand how their jobs align with them. Some ideas on how to do this:
- Designate a specific period (like a week) as “Strategic goals week” to publicize new org goals and changes to mission or vision.
- Post articles in which senior leaders discuss what the new goals are, why they’re important to achieve and who is leading the effort to ensure the goals are met.
- Provide guidance to managers to help them reinforce the new org goals and ensure each employee has a line of sight from their individual performance goals to the larger org goals. It’s a great chance to remind employees how critical they are to the organization’s success!
January 8: Clean Off Your Desk Day
As “Clean Off Your Desk Day” approaches, consider featuring a post on your intranet to encourage staff members to declutter and organize their workspace.
This annual observation, typically celebrated on the second Monday in January, provides a perfect opportunity for everyone to start the year fresh and organized. Share practical tips and tricks for decluttering throughout the month, and offer suggestions for creating an efficient and inspiring workspace.
In connection with Clean Off Your Desk Day, host a virtual Clean Desk Challenge:
- Offer small awards such as lunch, snacks, or small gift certificates for teams or departments with the cleanest desks
- Encourage staff who work remotely send photos of their organized workspaces and participate
- Post a photo gallery to the intranet of the cleanest desks
This type of event can help engage employees and promote a positive work environment.
Pro-tip: as follow-up, encourage staff to keep the momentum to de-clutter by progressing from their physical spaces to digital spaces!
Promoting this day and associated activities on the intranet fosters a sense of cleanliness and orderliness in the workplace, which can enhance productivity and wellbeing. Plus, a clean desk and orderly environment can help spark creativity, which is great for creating new knowledge and generating new ideas.
January 28: Data Privacy Day
On January 28th, we observe Data Privacy Day, an occasion to emphasize the importance of safeguarding sensitive information and respecting individuals’ privacy rights.
As the custodians of information, data, and knowledge in our organization, it’s our responsibility to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal and corporate information.
To mark this day, consider sharing educational content on data protection best practices, such as safe online behavior, secure data handling, and the significance of strong passwords. You can also use this opportunity to reinforce your organization’s commitment to data privacy, highlighting any policies, training, or tools in place to protect data. Encourage employees to take part in discussions and activities that promote data awareness and privacy consciousness, contributing to a culture of trust and respect within the workplace.
It’s important to encourage staff to follow data protection best practices throughout the year, but we also like to take advantage of opportunities such as Data Privacy Day when they occur.
Other Ideas
Other ideas to potentially incorporate into your intranet content for January 2024:
- January 10: National Houseplant Appreciation Day
- January 16: Civil Rights Day/Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- January 22: Chinese New Year
- January 27: International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Looking for more ways to enhance your intranet, freshen up an intranet, or build a new intranet? Check out other articles in FireOak’s intranet blog post series and stay tuned for our February Intranet Content post in this series.
