If you’re like me, you get “news and info FOMO” (fear of missing out). There’s so much to know and understand, but literally no way to keep track of it all.
Every week seems to bring something new for communications professionals to navigate. The ever-evolving role of artificial intelligence. Organizations constantly adapting to changing economic conditions. Leadership teams faced with tough decisions about hiring, markets, and product offerings. Employee and customer expectations for more transparency than ever before. New platforms emerging even as others lose relevance.
For someone like me who actually thrives on change, it’s an exciting time to work in strategic communications. But it also makes our work incredibly demanding.
In the midst of digesting and responding to the issues swirling in the world around us, communications professionals can focus so much on what’s happening today that we lose sight of what’s coming tomorrow.
And yet, this is exactly where our greatest value lies: helping organizations prepare well as much as we help them respond well.
We can do that by asking different questions of ourselves and the leaders we support:
- What trends are emerging that could impact the business six months from now?
- How are the expectations of our audiences changing?
- What conversations should leaders be prepared to have next quarter, not just next week?
- Which messages are resonating, and which ones no longer reflect where we’re headed or who we are in this moment?
- What opportunities are we missing because we’re too focused on solving today’s problems?
Communications planning is more than developing content calendars and outlining key messages, and it has to be supported with consistent information about the world around us.
This process of “environmental scanning” requires us to find the ideal resources and time on our calendars to discern the social, economic, political, environmental, legal and technological issues impacting the business so we can help leaders have the important conversations needed to make more informed decisions in advance.
The pace of change isn’t slowing down (if anything, it’s accelerating). And our ability to anticipate what’s next, rather than just respond to what’s now, has never been more valuable.
These are exactly the kinds of conversations we’ve been having inside the Strategic Communicators Collective. Not conversations about the latest headline or platform update, but thoughtful discussions about what those changes mean for our profession and how we can continue to grow as strategic advisors.
If you’ve been looking for a community of experienced communications professionals who will challenge your thinking, broaden your perspective, and help you prepare for what’s next, I’d love for you to join the Collective.
Registration for our fall cohort opens on August 10. Click below to learn more and reach out if I can answer any questions to help you determine if the Strategic Communicators Collective is right for you.