It’s surprising what some people working in the internal communications profession, and organisational stakeholders, think we should have responsibility for. We should be careful what we claim ownership of, willingly or through coercion.
When you are presented with a task or challenge of elephantine proportions, that at first seems insurmountable, how can you tackle it and what lessons can be learnt from the experience?
Senior leaders who stick around after they have said they are leaving are rarely an asset for an organisation or institution. And, they are the cause of a real headache for any internal communicator trying to establish a new strategic narrative if they do.
Communication can’t fix every problem. Internal communicators need to be realistic about what we can achieve, and if communication isn’t a remedy for a problem or issue then we should back off.
When it comes to diminished professional confidence, The Curse of Cassandra is potentially more damaging than Imposter Syndrome. It is very easy to be ignored or overlooked in PR and internal communication, and have your ideas and views obscured by louder, more popular or branded voices, however valid your point of view or prophecy.
Scepticism is sometimes perceived as a negative mindset and is often confused with cynicism, but these two philosophical perspectives are quite different. Applying your inner sceptic to everyday internal communication and PR practice has the potential to deliver more effective and ethical outcomes.
‘The knowledge’ is the internal communicators secret weapon and the key to remaining relevant and effective in a world of work adapting to the impacts of the pandemic.
With over 20 years experience working in internal communication roles, I have the skills to help you with most aspects of organisational communication.
Finding and getting a job in internal communication that is right for you is already tough enough. We absolutely don’t need ageism to compound that further.
What should the priorities for internal communicators really be in 2022? They should not be the point issues which routinely appear in the annual predictions for the profession. It’s time for us to take a step back and get back to basics, or to discover the basics if we don’t know what they are.
The IC Citizen 