Resilience. Bravery. Cross functionality. Authenticity. When I asked some of my most respected professional colleagues what one word described a quality communicators needed to have in the new normal, this is what topped their list. We came together as part of a roundtable discussion I moderated as part of the Horasis Extraordinary Meeting. Did the list surprise me? No. Did it challenge me to think bigger? Yes. But as is the case when you bring together people who are focused on what’s next, the conversation always goes beyond what might qualify as “normal.” [You can watch the entire session “Communications in the New Normal: New Traits, Trajectories, and Tactics” here]
The panel featured Neneh Diallo (Senior VP at Current Global), Brianna Dimas (VP of Communications at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), Michelle Russo (Chief Communications Officer at US Chamber of Commerce), and TR Straub (Executive Director, Corporate Affairs and DEI at Russell Reynolds Associates). As I looked at these friends and peers on my screen, it was easy to see the powerful mosaic of experiences that makes up our profession today. There is no one-size-fits-all communications leader in 2021. Each of these people, like every communicator, has a charge to leverage their communications knowledge and skills to not only bring value to their respective organizations but to help bring meaningful change to the world.
Seeing these people call in from their own private rooms evoked an image for me: a statue memorializing President Roosevelt’s famous “fireside chats” – from the FDR memorial here in the nation’s capital. Many of you may have visited this Washington, D.C. memorial and know this sculpture:
The statute portrays a seminal communications moment where a man leans in closely to his home radio and listens intently to the voice of President Roosevelt. The man sits barefoot listening to messages and processing information during a historical period fraught with uncertainty and fear. He communicates with policymakers from his living room. Not by Zoom or MSTeams, but connected in a similar way via radio. We now live amidst similar circumstances in many ways. With a pandemic continuing to rage and the civil unrest sparked by long standing racial inequities, communications is more than information flow, it is how things transform and improve. And we as communications professionals are called to help bring voice and action to that hope and change. It’s true for corporate conference rooms and living rooms. It’s true for pews in churches and benches in parliaments. 2021 is a critical communications moment.
The conversation at Horasis kicked off with a question to help separate buzz from reality: “In all this great change, has the communications function really changed? And if so, how?” The overwhelming response was “yes,” and each panelist, in their own way and from the unique angle of their respective organization, underlined how the new normal has forced communications to become more agile, swift, and responsive. I was particularly interested in their opinions on how the pandemic has elevated the communications function from “important” to “integral” within many organizations. The panelists remarked on how companies and organizations have invested more resources into the communications function in reaction to the COVID-19 reality. They talked about how the needs of the pandemic have given greater emphasis to the value good communications can bring and has strengthened the communicator’s seat at the C-Suite table. Another point was raised about the increased attention on internal communications, particularly as it pertains to remote work and the general well-being of an organization’s employees in this exceptionally stressful time. This aspect of communications is too often overlooked, so I commend the panelists for passionately addressing it and reminding us that employees are an organization’s primary brand ambassadors and audience.
The panelists also voiced their perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of organizational accountability. This was a critical part of the conversation. A key takeaway from this discussion was that the public dialogue around inequality and systemic racism is today front-and-center but must amount to something more than a facade for organizations. In their commentary on these difficult but painful topics, the panelists equated silence with complicity, and spoke on how consumers and constituents are challenging companies and organizations more than ever to be accountable, to advocate, and to fill the vacuum that parts of civil society have neglected when it comes to inequality, hate, and prejudice in society. I was inspired and invigorated by this portion of the conversation. The panelists insisted that an organization’s aspirational messaging should be anchored to meaningful action. A clear theme was emerging as the panelists convened around a shared sense of duty and expressed the need for communications to help their organizations “speak up, stand up, and stand out” when it comes to important issues dealing with social good, purpose, and taking active part in civil society.
In so many ways, communications professionals are the key negotiators of what this “new normal” can represent for a brand or an organization’s mission—both inside the company and with external stakeholders. It is a large and ever-evolving endeavor. But, as my colleagues Michelle, TR, Neneh and Brianna reminded me, it’s the kind of challenge that makes global comms people what they are. Maybe our tradecraft has been preparing for this moment to take things from the “new normal” and help transform it into a “new better” for everyone.
