Just how much of your work is above the waterline? If you know anything about Icebergs, you know that that much of the ice is below the waterline.
The role of the communications professional can be similar.
Weighed down by tactical work, often times you simply can’t visibly plant the flag of communication planning success for your clients and leaders.
And, when there is the opportunity to create a communication plan, you can end up reinventing the communication planning process each and every time, starting from scratch.
There’s a trap here that communications professionals must avoid.
I believe that workers can visibly demonstrate their communication planning strength. But it requires a consistent process that your clients and leaders can anticipate and engage in. They have to see it and they have to see a similar process every time. Changing up the process creates confusion. It’s like speaking in a new language that they were not expecting.
Each plan is an opportunity to inform and teach them about the process.
So, what are you showing your leaders and clients? How visible is your work and process?
You have to hold communication planning work above the line so that your clients and leaders can appreciate the value. The alternative is that they won’t value it – simply because they can’t understand what they don’t see.
How to avoid the trap…
While there may not be an instant way to move your work above the waterline, investing in how well you navigate the communication planning process is an important way to add buoyancy to this work and to your career.
You need tools you can depend upon to consistently do your job on-demand and exceed expectations every time. Consistency is everything.
Not everyone will completely understand or appreciate all the tactical work that is seemingly invisible to most others. But clients and leaders should understand the communication planning process. This is the above waterline stuff where you can shine and make a meaningful difference in the organizations you serve.
Ready to invest in this area of your career?
I want to help you plant the flag of success at the top of the iceberg. I’m looking for a handful of students to join me for my guided, online course. We’ll spend seven weeks together. So more than just a plan for your success, you’ll have a customized communication blueprint that you can follow each time you’re building a communication plan.
Here’s some course details to know:
As I’ve mentioned before, we’ll unwrap the complexity and overwhelm of creating a communication plan – piece by piece. By the end of the course you’ll have a customized blueprint that you can follow each time you need to create a communication plan – throughout your career.
You’ll also learn how best to share, gain feedback and the approval from your project owners, so that you understand what your clients expect from you. Navigating these professional relationships well is incredibly important. Each interaction is an opportunity to demonstrate strength to your client and place your work above the waterline.
Interested? You can plant the flag of success for everyone to see.
Remember, you can shine as a communicator and lead the way when it comes to above-the-waterline communication strategy work. Are you in? Ready to plant the flag? Check out more details about the course here.
Have a question for me? Let’s connect. I look forward to helping you grow your skills and your career.