Dan Charlton, Director of Communications at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, chats with us about the lessons learnt from COVID-19, and shares insights into the importance of an evidence-based approach to communications. 

Why did you choose to pursue a role in communications? For example, has it always been your passion or was it pure happenstance?

The honest answer is that a job came up in NHS communications just after I’d graduated. And I’ve never looked back!

What personal skills or attributes do you think are most important in the communications sphere? Why these skills/attributes in particular?

Creativity, agility and the ability to keep calm under pressure. On a good day I score 2 out of 3.

What sort of challenges do you face in your role? Is there a particular challenge that you experienced in the past that stood out?

It can be challenging to learn from difficult experiences, because it’s tempting to move on as quickly as possible. But I’m a big believer you can learn a lot about yourself when times are tough. None of us are perfect, we’re all vulnerable at times and we all have room to improve. I think it’s important for your wellbeing to be kind to yourself whilst being open to feedback and opportunities to grow.

What one thing would make your working life easier?

At times, it feels like it would be nice to have a leisurely week where you quietly and methodically tick off all the items on your ‘to do’ list in an orderly fashion. That said, I think we’re often at our best as communications professionals when we have to adapt at pace to what’s going on around us, react quickly and deliver a credible plan that helps fix things.

How is the role of communications perceived in your organisation?

I work in a fantastic NHS communications team. They work really hard to make sure we add value to and support the work of our teams who provide clinical care to patients. And I like to think that’s how we’re perceived.

What do you think the secret of success is when working in communications? 

To accept you’re never going to have a leisurely week where you quietly and methodically tick off all the items on your ‘to do’ list in an orderly fashion.

At React & Share, we’re obsessed with helping our clients measure and report their efforts - what measurements do you think comms teams should be presenting to internal stakeholders?

As evidence-based approach to communications is really important, otherwise you can end up going by guesswork. That said, I think there is a risk of making a meal out of measurement. Personally, I think the most important measure of success is having a very clear idea about what you’re trying to do (and why) and a plan for doing it.

Looking into your crystal ball, what do you think will be the next big thing in communications? 

As incredibly difficult as the Covid-19 pandemic has been, like other professions I think we have a window of opportunity to learn from our experiences in order to inform future practice. To my mind, one of the ways we can do this is by thinking creatively, being bold and genuinely embracing flexible working practices. Another key point of learning for me is how vital – and liberating – it has been to be able to focus on what has absolutely needed to be done, and to be disciplined about ditching some of the other stuff.  We can’t do everything. And when we try to, the quality and impact of our outcomes can be the first casualty.