I write this after a long day during one of the calendar’s busiest weeks – the United Nations General Assembly week – or UNGA – here in New York City. It’s exciting. It’s eclectic. And the agendas are many. And for anybody, it can be hard to keep focused. After all, the world is here in New York this week. And with it, a “to-do” list that is as complicated as our world.
I have a couple of anchors, though. I’m thinking about some of the communications events that have been part of my September. In the last week, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in two events with international themes. Last Tuesday, I moderated a truly outstanding group of communicators and policy professionals in a sprawling discussion about how communicators can respond to, support, and even advance the priorities of this year’s General Assembly
Two comments stood out for me, particularly for their clarity of thought and their implicit call to action. Elise Labott of Zivvy Media, stated succinctly how communicators fit into this week and what happens after: “As communicators, our duty is to bridge the gap between policies and the people, weaving the tapestry of global understanding with the threads of our words.”
Not only are we storytellers, but we know our people, and it is our responsibility as communicators to find the intersection between what they want and what they need. In this cacophonous environment with so many pressing issues, our roles as tour guides–helping to identify priorities and possibilities–can be invaluable.
More specifically, in consideration of the call to ensure a place at all tables for women, Candice Cole, reporter at The Young Turks Network, said, “An infrastructure of support needs to be built around this community of women, so they can go to work without sacrificing the wellbeing of their families.” I was reminded that it is not enough to open doors and provide opportunity, it is also our responsibility as communicators to spotlight the external pressures and expectations that inhibit women–and others who are often left out of foundational discussions–before they even get to that table.
Presented in collaboration with Capitol Communicators and the Global Communicators Collective, the 55-minute presentation is worth a listen because there was so much more beyond those insightful comments. You can find the full webinar here.
The second event, also with Global Communicators Collective, featured a presentation from Bidjan Nashat, CEO of Atlas Corps.. Before providing us with a compelling argument for both why we should actively seek out diverse international talent as well as how that talent would uniquely benefit and strengthen any business or organization, he started with a little exercise.
Bidjan asked that we take a few moments to turn to one another and tell a story about a person who had a lasting impact on our career journey. (Anyone who knows me knows how much I like creating reasons for people to talk to one another; it is in these spontaneous and personal conversations where some of the most useful nuggets of wisdom and inspiration emerge.)
Of course, I will be running into a lot of those people for me here at #UNGA78–those who gave me invaluable guidance; those who gave me votes of confidence by entrusting me with more and more responsibility; those who lead by example in the way that they work, inspiring me to do and be better. Like any good trendspotter knows, you have to remember where you’ve been so as to get a little bit clearer focus on where you might be headed.
Bidjan ended his presentation with three one-word requests of attendees and, really, all of us: Find. Grow. Connect. These simple yet profound directives form a compass by which we navigate the thicket of challenges that are on the agenda here. If I was to suggest the fourth point on that compass, I would say engage–however you define that. To me it means more than just exchanging of cards; it means building something together that you couldn’t build alone.
As I go from event to event here in New York, I feel especially compelled this year to make this more than old home week. Following the compass, I am seeking out new talent, new opportunities, new ways of breaking through what seems like entrenched problems. I am pushing myself to go beyond the familiar and reliable and look for unexpected partnerships and ideas in new places. And, of course, I am thinking about my network–both how I can leverage it to advance my work, but also how to advance work that is for the benefit of everyone.
UNGA is a lot. It is not everybody’s cup of tea, so to speak. That’s fine. However you feel about it, it is an unparalleled opportunity to measure the distance between your values and your professional ambition, in an environment where dreams for a better tomorrow fuel up on the international agenda of the day. Let’s hope I’m pointed in the right direction…
