I talk to a lot of internal communication professionals. And it’s no surprise that many of us face the same challenge: lack of budget. And, oh, by the way, most communicators don't have much staff time, either.

So lately I’ve been thinking, once again, of how to overcome the challenge of doing more with less in building an effective communication program. 

The good news is that more organizations place more value on employee communication than ever. As a result, most are increasing communication, with more electronic channels, more town hall meetings and other leader forums, more choices and often more volume.

But while the quality and quantity of communication has increased, resource allocation (time and money) has not. 

What’s a communicator to do do? Start by realizing that you can’t do everything, and embrace the new less. Here are three ways to start:

• Go to fewer meetings. Yes, you like having a seat at the table, but how many meetings do you attend that are really just for your information, with no action needed as a result? Be more selective.
• Adopt one question as your mantra: “What’s the objective?” When deciding whether to participate in a new project or support a new initiative, be the one who asks how the thing supports the company’s goals. If the thing is nice to do and not mission-critical, gracefully decline.
• Use this as your opportunity to streamline the approval process. Say, “we need to move faster and be more efficient,” and recommend a new system. Now may be the first time in memory when you can make a case for change.

Got other ideas on living “less is more”? Please share them.