10 Ways to Open Up Two Way Communication Channels

I’d love to make number one appoint a PR person as your Executive Director, start with PR & Communications and then take the rest from there, as Sunderland have done but as that’s not an imminent change for most organisations so I’ll actually start my ten points here, with examples of how Sunderland AFC are putting them into practice.

1. Establish the purpose of an organisation. Remember what you are there to do and re-imagine what that should look like now.
2. Do and not say. The football manager spends over three hours every week talking to both traditional and online new media.
3. Walk the walk. Non-verbal communication is as important as what is said. A player’s body language and the comments they make in interviews is important but equally so is them genuinely applauding fans at the end of a game and not wearing headphones when getting off the team coach and engaging with fans.
4. Demonstrate you value feedback. Fans were asked what’s the one thing they want to change. They said the seats which had turned pink from the sunshine (and yes, we do have sunshine up north). The seats were changed.
5. Make open communication part of the organisation's culture. Charlie explained to us how the overall communications strategy has an integral role in internal communication right from the recruitment process, for all employees including that of the football manager.
6. Become an authoritative voice. To do this you need to gain the trust of your audience. You must answer the difficult questions, no matter who they come from.
7. Identify the most appropriate channels for communication. For example, a club cannot criticise their players after a game, as well as players they are also employees. Fans want post-match coverage to deconstruct games. This is best delivered by a fan channel, with the support of the club. Management and players take part in podcasts. Match reports are still written for the regional press.
8. Be adult about what might happen. Football is very emotive and disappointing results will bring an outpouring of anger. Be ready for it, expect it, embrace it, even encourage it but then analyse that data and learn from it.
9. Build your reputation bank Increase your credibility with all stakeholders including employees, media and fans. Introducing a fear factor in your media relations with an aggressive defensive stance will only contribute to a club’s downfall in the end.
10. Lead and be a disruptor in your industry. Push boundaries and take the time to influence internally within your organisation as to why this is necessary.

 
One last point. Charlie told us how he’d studied Theology at Oxford University before becoming and journalist and then moving into public relations. He didn’t think was a relevant subject for a sports journalist however we all know that football is a religion in the north east.

I doubt that better communications are going to change many supporter’s allegiances, however it may strengthen existing support, enable you to re-engage with your fan base, and maybe attract those new to football.
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The approach is fascinating, so far Sunderland have had pretty good times on and off the pitch, it will be even more fascinating to watch how it develops with the inevitable ups and downs of football.

Communication is ever changing and has changed so much since I started my career.

There are now so many more people to communicate with and importantly, those people can also make a lot of noise, very easily. No matter how few of them there actually are.
 
So as Andrew Mitchell, Director of Strategic Communications and Policy, at Heathrow Airport said at a CIPR North East event last week for Strategic Communicators, “the best approach for any organisation is to be open and show that we are here to listen … and stay on front foot by communicating with people”.
 
I don’t think any of us would disagree with that. But how do we get our directors and ultimate decision makers in our organisations, to take this on board.
 
Last week we held our first Strategic Communications Forum in the North East. A new space where senior communications professionals can meet, network, learn from their peers, and debate issues pertinent to the communications sector.
 
Attended by PR professionals with the responsibility for communications in their organisation, it was facilitated by CIPR North East. It was open to CIPR and non-CIPR members from across North East England.
 
The main speaker at the first event was Andrew Mitchell from Heathrow Airport, and the following people were panel members

• Caroline Darnbrook, Director of Products and Marketing at Darlington Building Society,
• Chris Taylor, Managing Director of PR & Marketing agency DTW, and
• Laura Foster, Business Scale-up Partner at RTC North East. 

Putting PR at the heart of your business
 
The subject of the first event was putting PR at the heart of your business. So what tips can we share from our 30+ strategic communicators? From both the speaker and panel members and indeed the enormous talent that was in the room.
 
Improving your communications has got to be based on building pride and trust. But how do we get a seat at the boardroom table and make organisations realise the power of communication.

1. ROI is key. Demonstrate its worth and value to the business. Strive to get Communications as a key KPI for the business.
2. Explain the importance of reputation. Measure your reputation not just with the media but with all key audiences including politicians, regulators, employees and the local community.
3. Ensure that communications support all of the key business priorities.
4. Integrate the communications team into the organisation. Too often they are seen as being separate to, and therefore not integral to the business, but communications need to be seen and valued throughout the business.
5. Get active and involved throughout the organisation. Be ahead of the game and build credibility by offering solutions.
6. Encourage great working partnerships.
7. Speak about actions not just words and choose those words carefully.

This week I start back to work properly in 2019, but taking the time during the first few days of the year, to look back at 2018 last week has really shown me how much commitment and effort I've put into developing myself both professionally and personally. 

In addition to my day job as both a PR practitioner & lecturer, and a lifestyle blogger, in 2018 I've attended industry events and conferences, hosted a webinar for Vuelio, spoken at the Mojo Nation conference, written for the CIPR Influence online blog, organised the #CIPRNorthernConf, held the elected positions of Vice Chair and Social Media Manager for CIPR North East and organised the #PRideNE awards where I also won an award as Outstanding PR Practitioner in the North East. ​

CPD takes time and effort but is worth it. I started my Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) CPD after returning to work after maternity leave (at the time being on maternity leave didn't exempt you from having to accrue CPD points - thankfully that has now changed and you can read the CIPR Maternity Leave Package here). 

It's all too easy just to keep on doing the same thing all the time. No matter how successful you are at it. However to grow as a person and as a professional then you need to challenge yourself. In 2018 I spoke at a national conference for the very first time with a colleague. Yes it was nerve-wracking, yes it was quite scary. I was named and promoted as a speaker; and that felt really strange but also rewarding; however once I stepped onto the stage the nerves went. 

Co-hosting a webinar for Vuelio was both an unnerving and exciting proposition. Not being able to receive any verbal or physical feedback from your audience as you speak really makes you think about what you are saying and doing. I was very glad when it was over but also very glad that I'd done it. My biggest tip is to make sure you are speaking about something you understand well, are passionate about and wiling to debate. The feedback after both sessions whether on stage or online were both big confidence boosters. Taking a 'risk' is a great way to grow.

Through blogging I have discovered so much about SEO and coding that I never would have learnt through my day job. The ethics of which are a daily challenge it has to be said, but my lifestyle blog has made me understand the skills and writing abilities required to enable my clients to perform better in this respect too. Over Christmas I've also re-branded, researched font trends for 2019, (outline fonts with their modern, industrial look makes brands look cutting-edge and mature - apparently), analysed the website data and evaluated the content in terms of readers wants and needs - all of which has taught me new skills.

Whether it is attending an event, volunteering on a committee or standing for election, getting involved with a professional body such as the CIPR is worth it. Aside from the personal and professional development, some of my closest friends are people I've met through volunteering with CIPR, who are a great support both personally and professionally. We all need people to lean on from time to time. Yes they are colleagues, but more than colleagues, they are people with similar values, aims and objectives to you, who understand what you do on a day to day basis, which makes for better mutual understanding all round.

Many people, including me can be quite hesitant about joining online discussions and debates. Especially on Twitter where females are regularly verbally attacked just for having an opinion. I've facilitated Twitter chats before for CIPR North East however joining in other established chats is not so easy, especially when you don't personally know the other regular participants. In 2018 I've joined in with Ella Minty's #PowerandInfluence, #UKBlogHour, #CommsChat, as well as #CIPR specific ones on #AIinPR. These have not only helped me develop new relationships with PR professionals but also increased my knowledge and (hopefully) improved how I communicate on social media - well apart from posting cat gifs and retweeting Peanuts on this day tweets. Contact online forums and professional blogs too such as CIPR's Influence Online and join the conversation there by offering to write for them too.

Not everything we do in our careers has to be about earning money. Yes most of us need to earn a living but only doing things because you are being paid to do it isn't always that healthy a mindset to have. Well not for me anyway. Choosing to take on a project or role without monetary reward is really beneficial and I wish I could afford to do it more often. Organising conferences, awards event and helping to support others is a great way to develop yourself, and when you can support those in need of vital help at the same time, such as encouraging donations to a local foodbank (an idea first suggested by Stephen Waddington that we've continued) or donations to the CIPR's IPRovision at our awards night, makes it even more worthwhile.

Being independent means not having senior colleagues to learn from, to mentor us, to coach and challenge us. But we can still learn every day from clients and colleagues within the sector. So for me having a personal commitment to professional development is a must for independent practitioners to continue to deliver the best possible service to their clients. This is one of 9 key challenges I've identified in becoming a successful independent practitioner.

​I’m about to celebrate my 8th anniversary as an independent PR practitioner. It’s not a role I chose. It was after redundancy, and the need for a flexible working environment, with two small children at home. However, I wouldn’t change a thing. I've worked with some amazing people and clients. I've grown and developed far more as a person and a professional than if I’d remained employed. And I’ve won three CIPR Gold Pride Awards for clients and myself as an independent. I am currently nominated as Best Independent PR Practitioner in the North East in this year’s Pride Awards (fingers crossed for next week). I've also been able to play an active role in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations during this time, and in January I'll join CIPR Council.

However, it’s not always easy, and after 8 years working independently here are 9 challenges that I've found that independent practitioners face every day, yet need to overcome to be successful.
 
9 Challenges Independent PR practitioners Face Every Day
– and how to overcome them
 
Cash Flow
Essentially, how much you earn, and when. I like to give it a business term because that’s what it is. When you work for yourself, your mindset needs to change from being an employee, with a regular salary and benefits, to that of a business. Because that is what you are, a one-person business. Whether you are a limited partnership or a sole-trader it doesn’t matter. When I began working independently, finding myself without all of the support functions around you, that I had been used to, I took a qualification in Business Finance and Project Management. My biggest piece of advice is to think about your work as a business, ensure you forecast and project cash flow, look at income over an entire accounting period rather than monthly and slowly you will start to be less stressed and anxious, as you start to see yourself as an independent practitioner, rather than a freelancer in between jobs.
 
Learn to say no
My most empowering moments as an independent practitioner has been when I’ve said no to contracts. Lucrative contracts too. Be it for ethical or logistical reasons it reminds you of one of the benefits of being independent. You are your own boss and you do not have the responsibility of having to pay other people’s salaries and that is really liberating. Yes it’s very hard, not knowing what may be around the corner, but that is where business planning really helps.
 
Resigning Clients
Just like a larger business may need to fire employees and resign accounts, independents are the same. I have a couple of clients I have now worked with for over seven years and we have grown together. However, some clients who were great to work with in the early days, are not the right fit for my business going forward and long-term. This is never an easy decision, and the choice between turning down guaranteed income for long term gain is a strategic decision that does need to be made. Weigh up all the benefits and really evaluate if you are still the right fit for their business too.