The explosion of philanthropy in knowledge sharing and support which many internal communicators experienced in the early days of the pandemic is over, and paid for online events are now making a comeback. Knowledge has a price tag, but it should be one that everyone working in internal communication is able to pay.
Internal communicators are often on the receiving end of a litany of unintentional disrespect which seems to know no bounds. It would be unthinkable to ask a colleague in accounting to ‘Just finance this up’ or a lawyer to ‘Just legal this up’ or a HR practitioner to ‘Just people this up’. So, why is it acceptable to ask an internal communications professional to ‘Just comms this up’?
There aren’t enough ‘real’ internal communicators practicing in the public relations and communications industry. It’s symptomatic of the chicken and egg conundrum of imbalance in the supply of and demand for properly qualified professionals. In the absence of industry regulation and barriers to entry into the profession, how can you find a real internal communicator?
The IC Citizen movement needs a manifesto. A statement of intent which sets out what the movement stands for and what those who follow can do to support it. I invited other internal communicators to have their say about what should go into the manifesto in a short survey. Here are the results.
I’ve started a revolution, or more accurately a small movement. Since I published my blog about the concept of an IC Citizen, I’ve been astonished at the positive reception for the idea. It seems that the blog and concept have resounded with many other internal communicators. Before I move on to Phase 2 of developing the concept further, here’s some more information about it and how it could help the internal communications profession face up to a challenging future.
IC citizenship is about being supportive and giving something back to the internal communications profession as a whole. It is the very essence of the power of our collective and what makes us unique. Here are a few tips on how to be a good IC Citizen. Join the movement by following @theICcitizen.
Internal communicators seem to be stuck in a rut, endlessly discussing the same old tactical topics. This is symptomatic of an evolving profession experiencing the overly prolonged growing pains of adolescence. It’s time for us to move on and become true professionals so we can face up to the future with confidence.
The IC Citizen 