Brisbane's Story Bridge
The image above is the Story Bridge in Brisbane, Australia.

Professional development - two things you should know

First, internal communicators should be expert in communicating change. I’m often asked for referrals to communicators who are good at change communication. One large corporation admitted that none of its dozens of well-qualified “communicators” had sufficient change expertise to be the communicator on the HQ relocation team.

Communicators learn to send “messages” when our job is helping leaders create “meaning” (which is best done by developing trusting relationships). We are responsible for influencing behaviour, not writing or sending messages. At the 2006 IABC International Conference Jim Shaffer said that if you enjoy writing then that’s fine, be a writer - but don’t kid yourself that you’re managing internal communication. Jim’s right of course.

If my masters students are typical, most communication graduates have not undertaken courses in organizational development, leadership or change management available in masters, diploma (or MBA) programs. Many have not attended seminars or read books by such gurus as John Kotter, Bill Quirke, Roger D’Aprix, Jim Shaffer, Feldman and Spratt, Mai and Akerson, John Smythe (coming this May), or my chapter with Gerard Castles in the IABC Handbook.

Second, communicators need to understand face-to-face, interpersonal communication and developing relationships. An excellent example appeared in Communication World years ago. Marcel Auclair of Alcan in Montreal said:

“One week I might facilitate a committee to develop performance indicators, and the next week help work out details of announcing a plant closure … it’s never the same, and it’s never dull…”

Auclair says he knew he lacked skills in some areas and sought out training in consulting, meeting facilitation, media relations, negotiating and social styles…

“It’s funny, we’re called communicators, but… I didn’t have a clue about interpersonal communication – solving conflicts, listening – the things the division managers really needed help with.”

"Our head auditor called me once and said, 'I don't need another newsletter; I need to be able to conduct more effective meetings'. And he asked if I could help. I facilitated some meetings and did some team-building, and it worked, even though it was my first attempt…”

Communicators can learn these skills at short courses around the world.

McGoon, Cliff, "What role shall we play today?" Communication World, Vol. 11 No. 7, August 1994.

Rodney Gray, Employee Communication & Surveys, Sydney, Australia

This opinion piece was published in The Business Communicator, March 2007.