In October, I attended the Spark with Luly B conference and was inspired by both the energy in the room and her intentional efforts to give women a voice.
When a conference attendee shared her story, she said she was constantly asking herself “How dare I think that I could do XYZ”? Luly challenged her with “How dare you not [do XYZ]?”
It reminded me of how often I’ve heard PR pros talk about the communications challenges they see in organizations but hesitate to address. They know there needs to be a strategic focus beyond press releases and media coverage (like engaging staff), but they don’t want to rock the boat. I hear various versions of the same concern:
🔶 They won’t get it.
🔶 They’re not going to listen to me.
🔶 I’ve been hired for this…not that.
But I’m with Luly: How dare you not rock the boat?
Becoming a trusted advisor – the leader with the expertise and insight people rely on for critical company decisions – comes from speaking up boldly and confidently. To do this, you must…
- Ask questions unapologetically (my daddy always said there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Always ask. Somebody else probably wants to know but is too afraid to ask!)
- Seek out the opinions and insight from folks in the organization who rarely get asked what they think
- Stay informed about the world around you so you understand the larger issues that may impact the brand
Speaking up is not only vital to the growth of the organizations you serve, it’s critical to your success as a communications pro.
Dare to make a bigger impact with your expertise. Dare to break out of the “PR=media” box.
Because really – how dare you not?
Jennifer
p.s. If you’re ready to be more daring in 2023, but know you could use additional knowledge and skills to truly become the strategic advisor you long to be, let’s chat.
We’ll talk about how I can train you to use powerful strategic communications frameworks that will ease your concerns about rocking the boat and show you why not speaking up is never an option for PR pros.