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My Coast Guard
Commentary | April 10, 2023

Coming soon: All employees will get the weekly All Hands Briefer

By Zach Shapiro, MyCG Writer

The Coast Guard’s weekly All Hands Briefer (AHB) will arrive directly to your inbox starting next Monday morning. Now, all Coast Guard employees will have a fast and easy way to stay informed.  

The AHB gives you a roundup of the latest news and personnel announcements, plus a calendar of upcoming events, opportunities and deadlines. 

The AHB is also available outside the Coast Guard network; just subscribe right here. This is a particularly convenient option for members on detached duty, reservists, retirees, and family members. 

Why send the AHB to everyone?

The AHB was initially created to give district commands a single place to find the latest news. The distro quickly expanded to all senior enlisted, officer and civilian leaders, but deckplate members and civilians still expressed frustration they were missing key announcements. 

"It’s not fair – or realistic – to expect people to visit multiple websites and Sharepoint pages every day. Coast Guard members want to focus on their jobs, not conduct a daily scavenger hunt for important news,” said Christie St. Clair, who leads the Organizational Communications team and produces the AHB. "Side note to everyone who took the time to complete last year's afloat communications survey! We heard you loud and clear, and we’re trying to deliver the results you requested."

Today's employees have higher expectations

When it comes to internal comms, Coast Guard members share a remarkable unity of vision. One recent survey found that 90% of afloat members want a single place to find all internal news, with everything written and organized around users’ needs.  That’s the same vision described by independent audits and employee focus groups. 

You’ve likely noticed the entire organization moving gradually in that direction. MyCG is now your home website, with the content mirrored on Pixel’s Weekly News and CG Portal Online. Expect to see all these platforms continue to mature as the service tries to meet members’ expectations for modern communication.  

It's about more than just improving morale. After all, you’re more likely to leave the service if you aren’t aware there’s a policy, resource, or benefit already there to support you. Two separate RAND studies have recommended improving internal communications to increase retention for all employees, particularly women and underrepresented minorities.  

Meanwhile, an internal communications audit identified the root causes of our communications challenges: 

  • Ineffective communication systems 
  • Lack of content management 
  • Lack of policy and training for internal communication 

Making news and resources easier to find, access and use is a key element of providing world-class support to our members and families, as the Coast Guard transforms for the future. Leaders at every level are encouraged to improve their internal comms efforts. Here are some things your team can start implementing: 

For questions, comments and ideas about improving the AHB and/or internal communications, please e-mail MyCG@uscg.mil

Resources: