Communications As A Function

Communications is a function or expertise in an organization like Finance or Information Technology (IT) that serves internal clients throughout that workplace.

Communications takes care of getting messages to the right people at the right time through the right medium. So, for example, any written materials produced by an organization has likely been done by a communications professional:

> written materials such as newsletters, emails, memos, announcements, web pages, social media posts, press releases, briefing notes, issues papers, etc...;

> written materials for the purposes of supporting verbal interactions such as speeches, media lines, presentations (usually in PowerPoint)

Depending on company size and whether or not the organization is in the private, public or non-profit sectors can have a major influence on the type of communications activities that happen, and the kinds of documents prepared.

For example, in the public sector, media lines are an important communications product. When an issue breaks, and the organization needs to respond, someone in the communications branch or division will pull together a set of media lines to prepare the spokesperson for any media calls. The reason this approach is so important, usually in government, is because of the number of people who need to confirm the position. At least, if it's in writing, it can be worked out and then it becomes the spokesperson's 'cheat sheet'.

In the private sector, very rarely do communicators do media lines. Private sector communications teams (or often it is one or two people) will simply write up the press release and speak about it freely, without concern for public interest, political will, the policies and processes of democracy, etc...

However, it would be wise to prepare key messages and/or a position statement with facts to back up the statement.

Comments

What did I say yesterday?

Look at what messages have gone out before communicating new ones. A huge mistake managers often make is to communicate new messages without reviewing what they've already said on the subject in the past, hoping no one will notice. Imagine how far a politician would get using that approach. Unfortunately, we can imagine it all too well. The mistake is not in forgetting what you've said before; with all the messages coming from the CEO, the website, from various marketing and customer service campaigns, it's no wonder we cannot remember what we said yesterday. However, it is our job to either know or find out exactly how we characterize our messages and what we share, even long after we've shared it. For example, if you tell your team to focus on continuous improvement and then a week later, in a weak moment, yell at someone for taking too much time to reevaluate a process, you'll lose trust and credibility--probably two of the most important badges

Ah, yes... The "C" Word

In the Communications field, the "C" word can mean numerous things. In Internal or Employee Communications, we often refer to big "C" and little "c" communications. Big "C" Communications tends to include official communications tactics and products that get everyone's attention in an organization: posters, banners, advertising, website splash pages, e-newsletters, town halls and major 'memos', to name a few. Little "c" communications tends to be the internal, day-to-day business communications in a workplace about doing the work itself such messages about new procedures, processes, policies and plans, also internal emails, operational and tactical messages. The "C" word that is missing from this discussion is Culture. These are the ideas and messages that Culture communicates: How people behave in their workplace. What the culture tolerates as appropriate or inappropriate behaviour. For example, what goes

Be interested in your employees.

Walk around the office and chat one-on-one with people, ask them about themselves, their day-to-day work, their kids, how their weekend was. If you make time to also walk around your corporate office and talk to people individually, they remember that and will cut you a little slack when you’ve got to rush out the door the next time. It also allows you to get to know your people well, what makes them tick and what makes them successful or what makes them do their best. Knowing your people and having a relationship or personal connection with them, however small, allows your organization to want to perform better. Those employees become a lot more willing to go above and beyond the call of duty for you. Just make sure you are consistent. You don't want to be that manager who tries something once or twice and then gets too busy to keep it up.

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