It's not my job.



Communication is everyone's job.

That's right. I said it.

Your communication department can't do it all alone.

Whether you lead a team or are an employee, you are the face of the organization inside and outside.

As a manager or supervisor, your team counts on you to share organizational updates, to recognize good performance and to listen to ideas and concerns, and escalate them as appropriate. The communication culture you create can build a great team or destroy it.

An an employee (regardless of where in the organization you work) you should be aware of what your organization is doing, what it's goals are and how you fit into the picture. Your employer should be providing this information. It's up to you to stay informed.

So, if we have to do all this, why have a communication department? you might well ask.

Your communication experts not only must provide information and set up the avenues for you to be informed, they are also responsible to:

  • provide you with great advice on all aspects of communication from website content to social media management to stakeholder engagement
  • help the organization achieve its goals by developing creative communication plans and implementing them effectively
  • support managers and supervisors with the tools they need to be able to communicate with their staffs
  • provide communication training and coaching
  • stay abreast of new techniques and technologies
  • provide ways for employees to communicate upward
  • monitor the environment to ensure that the organization is as prepared as possible to handle issues before they become crises
Communication is a big job. Doing it well involves everyone.

I'd love to hear your on-the-job experiences with communication? Could you find the information you needed to do your job? Did your manager keep you up-to-date? What do you think works best?

Colleen




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