Your CEO sends out a companywide email about a new strategic initiative. It gets a 30% open rate. Sally from accounting mentions the same initiative during lunch. By Friday, half the office is up to speed.
This isn't coincidence — it's the influence economy at work.
People trust people like them
Your employees don't see themselves in your C-suite. They see themselves in their desk neighbors, project teammates, and coffee break buddies. These peer voices carry weight that no executive memo can match.
Smart companies tap into this reality. They're building grassroots networks of employee advocates who spread messages from the ground up, not the top down.
Finding your internal influencers
Look for employees who others naturally turn to for advice. They're not always the loudest voices in meetings. They're the ones people seek out for honest opinions about everything from lunch spots to career moves.
These internal influencers share common traits:
People genuinely like and respect them
They stay informed about company news and changes
They're willing to share their honest opinions
Others seek their advice regularly
Building your network
Start by identifying 5-10 of these natural influencers across different departments. Don't overwhelm them with official titles or extra responsibilities. Instead, keep them in the loop about upcoming changes before they go public.
Give them context, not scripts. Share the "why" behind decisions so they can answer questions authentically. When the new expense reporting system launches, your advocates can explain how it'll save everyone time — because they understand the reasoning.
Making it work
Keep communication flowing both ways. Your internal influencers often hear concerns and questions before leadership does. They're your early warning system for potential problems.
I've seen this approach transform how messages spread through organizations. Instead of information trickling down through management layers, it spreads organically through trusted relationships.
The results speak for themselves
Companies using peer-to-peer communication see higher engagement rates, faster adoption of new policies, and stronger employee trust. Messages feel less corporate and more human when they come from someone you grab coffee with every Tuesday.
Your CEO's voice matters for vision and strategy. But when you need people to take action — whether it's signing up for benefits, adopting new tools, or embracing change — your employees' peers hold the real power.
Stop fighting the influence economy. Start using it.