Take a seat
The case for communication professionals to take their seat as a coach. No table required!
I attended another internal communications conference last week, the second I have attended this year, again I left with some great connections, inspirations but also a strange sense that we are missing something.
In the last 15 years I have seen many changes in the communication profession; new topics like narratives and smoother editorial management, also what feels like a tidal wave of technological development. But once again someone mentioned that dreaded topic… ‘the seat at the table’. I have some thoughts about this long lived debate.
Communication professionals, like many support functions, long for a seat at the table, the leadership position, the ability to influence decisions and a voice in strategic conversations.
What table? Are there many tables? Do we already have a seat at the table? I want to offer an alternative idea.
A new challenge to aim for, one that will help us be more strategic and outcome focused. One that will give us a stronger relationship based on trust and respect and one that helps us to deliver great business results.
“Stop being a communication adviser and start being a coach. ”
What is a coach?
The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as: partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential.
I feel like this is what the best communication professionals do, those that I learned from and those who inspire me. So what does that look like?
When you coach you ask great questions.
When you coach you listen intently to hear what they are saying but also what they are not saying.
When you coach you play back what their own words and ask them to reflect.
Importantly you enable them to set goals, based on a deep understanding of what is important and explore together how those goals can be achieved.
In communicating this means working out what the ‘business need’ behind the communication really is. Not only for the business, but for that leader. By asking; “Why is that important? And why is that important to you?”
This means exploring how to connect with the audience and what is important to the people we communicate with, giving the audience a voice and a face and asking Why? Why? Why?
When the job is delivered we also go back, check and reflect and think about the next steps.
Those communicators who do this… naturally and instinctively. Maybe you are a coach!
So take a seat!
