In today’s economy, you’d better add value

A few years ago I read a quote in an IABC publication that stated: “Never wait until a downturn in your industry to prove your worth to the CEO.” At the time I had been thinking a lot about the need to refocus on what’s most important, and that quote really summed it up. In fact, it became my unofficial mission statement as a professional communicator.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized why communication is regarded as “fluff” in many organizations. We put out a glossy, four-color newsletter, but it's not part of a unified communication strategy and we don’t measure its impact. We send out a press release and call it communication -- without actually knowing if anyone read it or if they even care.

The point is that if we aren’t achieving outcome-based results, then we are putting ourselves at risk for being regarded as “fluff” that can be eliminated in the next round of budget cuts.

The solution?

We need to be sure we are always goal oriented in our communication management. True, we all have to do more with less these days, and resources are scarce. But while we may not always conduct a full-blown public relations campaign or write a communication plan in every situation, we need to be asking “why” before we tackle organizational issues. Why are we doing what we're doing? What are we trying to accomplish, and how will it help the organization? What solutions are we offering? And why should it matter?

By focusing on achieving measurable objectives, we increase the value of communication management within the organization, and hopefully, gain the proverbial seat at the table as problem-solving advisors.

Sure beats being thought of as “those folks who put out our newsletter.”