Graduation season is approaching, which reminds me of a tradition at my Alma matter. School administrators don’t bring in big-name speakers for the commencement ceremony; instead, they invite graduating seniors to apply for the honor of giving the speech. The fact that there could still be snow on the ground in Maine in May could have played a part. But there’s a deeper message: your best ambassadors are often times inside the organization. Why not tap into them?A few Brilliant Ink clients have produced their own successful internal speaker series, asking employees to present about their work or expertise in a particular topic. Below are some of the benefits of looking for experts within your organization. Internal speakers can:

• “Wow” employees and remind them of the talent at your own company
• Tailor their message to your company’s goals and vision – something often missing when an outsider makes a presentation
• Show their human side, often times in a more fun and casual setting than at an annual company meeting
• Inspire employees to take action or develop a deeper relationship with their team and the company as a whole

Our clients have invited all types of employees - not simply the highest ranking ones - to speak about their work. Think about someone who has had a long career at your company, or someone who has moved around within the company a few times, or maybe someone with diverse work experience who could speak to how his/her work in other industries helps their work now.Not sure how to start? Ask yourself or your team: “Who’s doing really interesting work that is driving our company forward? Who has an interesting career path our people can learn from?” Chances are you’ll all be able to think of a few people with important lessons and experiences to share.