Why did you choose to pursue a role in communications & engagement? For example, has it always been your passion or was it pure happenstance?
I kind of fell into it! I studied French at university and have generally always enjoyed languages but had no idea what I wanted to do once I graduated. After landing a temporary role working for a crisis and home treatment team in a mental health trust, I ended up getting a permanent role in the communications team. The rest is history!
Before I worked in communications and engagement I didn’t really know it was a ‘thing’, but once I was in the field I realised that a lot of the skills needed to learn a language are transferable to comms roles and found it was a profession that really suited me, that I enjoyed and hopefully that I’m good at!
What personal skills or attributes do you think are most important in the communications sphere? Why these skills/attributes in particular?
I think you have to be a people person, although that doesn’t mean you have to be an extrovert. So much of what we do relies on being able to influence people, build relationships quickly and see things from different perspectives, so it’s important you have the skills and attributes to do that.
It also helps to be friendly and approachable. Even if I can’t fix things myself or have all the answers, I want people to trust that I’ll help in any way I can, and that I’ll do it with a smile on my face. Setting the right tone from the off helps when you inevitably need to call in favours or ask people to turn things around to tight deadlines, as so often happens!
What sort of challenges do you face in your role? Is there a particular challenge that you experienced in the past that stood out?
The challenges are numerous and varied! It’s all part of the fun though. Particular challenges that come to mind are around needing to be responsive and turn things around quickly; dealing with changing priorities; encouraging people to ditch the jargon; and bringing together disparate views to find a way forward.
One of the biggest challenges of my career so far is probably an obvious one, but it’s responding to the pandemic. When it first started, the speed at which things were changing was like nothing I’d ever experienced, and I don’t think anyone could have prepared for it. We had to quickly adapt how we were working and how we were communicating with our audiences, alongside managing the personal impact it was having on colleagues. While we’ve had some incredible successes in the team and I’ve personally done work I’m really proud of, I’ve also dealt with intense pressure, long hours and upsetting situations. I’ve definitely had times when I’ve had to step away and have a cry before moving on, and it’s really tested my resilience.
What one thing would make your working life easier?
Less meetings!
With the increase in home working has come an increase in meetings, some of which definitely don’t need to happen. It can make it difficult to carve out the space to focus on the actual ‘work’ which can be frustrating.
How is the role of Engagement lead perceived in your organisation?
There’s definitely been a positive shift in the perception of the Engagement function since the pandemic. I think it’s helped people understand the value of good communications and engagement.
At the Care Quality Commission we’re also going through some big changes. We published a new strategy last year, and with that comes big ambitions. I think there’s recognition of the key role communications and engagement played in developing and landing the strategy, and the importance of continuing in the same vein as we look to develop and implement our new approach.
What do you think the secret of success is when working in communications?
Staying curious.
There’s great value in keeping track of what’s going on inside and outside of your immediate team, your organisation, your discipline and your profession. You never know when that little nugget of information you happened across could be useful. And it’s so important to see the bigger picture so you can see where you fit and understand the wider context in which you’re operating.
At React & Share, we’re obsessed with helping our clients measure and report their efforts - what measurements do you think comms & engagement teams should be presenting to internal stakeholders?
I think the key is that whatever is presented is meaningful. What do you want people to do, think and feel based on what they’ve seen? What impact do you want it to have? Being clear on the why should help you present the right measurements, to the right people, and achieve the right outcome.
Looking into your crystal ball, what do you think will be the next big thing in communications?
The meteoric rise of Tik Tok and the shift of focus away from images for Instagram is a clear signal of the increasing importance of video. And it’s looking like it will be the number one content type for all social channels so it’s going to be key to keep on top of it. We’ll need to make sure we have the skills in the team to respond to the shifting focuses of the social channels we’re on, coupled with the insight into our audiences to be confident we’re producing what they want to see.
