How to ensure your colleagues know what you do
Written by Katie Test davis
IIt’s more common than you may think…and you’re not alone. (No, I’m not talking about your fear of clowns.) Oftentimes in-house communicators have the exact same problem: no one we work with knows quite what we do all day.
Are we photographers? The people who post on Facebook? Event planners? That lady who talks to reporters? Your colleagues aren’t really sure. When I was a communications director in-house at a nonprofit, even my very own work bestie admitted she wasn’t entirely sure what my team did. Oh heck no! That can’t stand.
When your own colleagues don’t understand the communications department’s role and what your teammates do all day, you’re in trouble. Not only are you probably missing out on great opportunities to trumpet some cool projects because no one thought to tell you, but you are also at risk of having your work devalued – and your projects appearing on the chopping block.
So what’s a communications director to do? What we do best. A branding campaign. Except this time, it’s internal, and your colleagues are your target audience.
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Tell everyone, all the time, about your team’s goals.
Your communications goals align to the organization’s goals, right? (RIGHT? If they don’t, you should start here instead.) Well get loud about it. Make a pitch deck about how your work supports the larger organizational goals. Ask to present it at a leadership team meeting, and make sure you leave time for questions. Once leadership gets it, then ask to present it at the next all-staff meeting. Go way back to basics and teach communications 101. Include an org chart, examples of your work in action (screenshots of your new website, or a great media placement work well here), and end with how your colleagues can support your work.
Brag on yourself and your team.
Did you land a great media placement in a top tier publication? Shout it from the rooftops. Did your teammate get your most recent LinkedIn post shared by a leader in your field – make sure you brag on her and tell everyone about it. And don’t just say “Yay, we’re on NPR today”, make sure you explain how that media placement supports the organization’s goals and moves the work forward. Make the connections for your colleagues – imagine your organization’s accountants and write it so the numbers people can understand what us words people do and why it matters!
Create metrics reports, and send them around.
Communications work is notoriously hard to measure, but you should ALWAYS try. Create a dashboard and track metrics. If you’re working hard on expanding your reach on social media, set goals and then show your progress against them with your organization’s leadership on a regular cadence. Can’t find time to present in a meeting? Recap the metrics and share them over email (hint: a chart or graph will go a long way in making your point for you).
It’s so important that everyone in your organization understands what you’re working on and how it supports their work. Once people understand the role you play in the larger fabric of the organization, you’ll be able to forge internal partnerships that will empower you to tell great stories or better understand advocacy nuances. You’ll earn more respect and appreciation for your hard-fought wins. And you’ll get more done, faster.
So it’s time to turn your superpower on yourself and help everyone understand your role!
