Strategic communicators align their actions with the bigger picture and understand the impact of communications on the wider business. They see beyond the day-to-day and connect the dots between initiatives, departments and targets — taking opportunities to leverage those connections.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been much talk of internal communicators having ‘a seat at the table’. But to what extent is this true? From the State of the Sector 2023/24 survey, we gathered data as to whether communications professionals are ‘strategic’, ‘advisory’ or ‘supporting’ in deciding how to communicate, their contribution to content creation and their level of influence in determining where to communicate.
The results paint a mixed picture. When it comes to ‘values’, ‘strategic vision’ and ‘employee recognition’, it’s clear communicators play a pivotal role in fostering and maintaining a cohesive organizational culture. However, there was less strategic involvement from communicators in human resources and operational areas, such as embedding new regulations, career paths and ways of working.
Crucially, strategic communicators are more likely to use measurement data to support their campaigns than those in advisory or supporting roles. And what of the business benefits? The results indicate that employee and broader organizational understanding improves when communicators take a more strategic approach.
Strategic communicators also reported higher wellbeing than advisory and supporting peers, suggesting that being empowered to take a holistic and proactive approach to communications has positive effects on individual communicators; a sense of control, passion and strategic value contributes to job satisfaction.
What does this mean for Strategic Communicators?
Sharn Kleiss, Strategy Partner: Employee Experience & Insights said, "Strategic communicators align their actions with the bigger picture and understand the impact of communications on the wider business. They see beyond the day-to-day and connect the dots between initiatives, departments and targets — taking opportunities to leverage those connections. Strategic communicators set objectives, plan ahead and reflect on their progress along the way. They’re careful not to focus purely on quantitative data, understanding instead the nuance gleaned from speaking to people. Most of all, strategic communicators remain flexible enough to pivot when their plans take an unexpected turn."
To be truly strategic, communicators must be privy to important decisions from the outset. In an increasingly uncertain world, having the inside scoop on the strategic direction of the business allows communicators to get out in front of a change before it happens—allowing for proactivity versus reactivity.
However, only one quarter of communicators said they played a role in decision-making around change. This is reflected in the strategic documents communicators have in place, with three quarters having a short term plan in place for a campaign or initiative, but only two in five had an overarching plan for the year ahead.
While strategic communicators are reaffirming their position at the leadership table, others have reverted to a service-oriented role.
[There are] two worlds of internal comms staff — those very basic in skills who focus on content and deteriorate the understanding and respect for the IC position in the company, and those very strategic thinking experts who focus on high level topics.
- Survey Respondent
What’s getting in the way?
To unlock the full potential of strategic communications, communicators must go beyond pandemic-era achievements and articulate a bold vision that engages and inspires. They need to innovate connections to energize the business and secure their seat at the table. However, proving their value to the C-suite often remains a challenge, as they face conflicting priorities and a lack of support.
Many survey respondents told us that they lacked leadership buy-in, their businesses didn’t recognize the value and importance of communications, or that they were not seen as strategic.
In conclusion, traditional barriers, conflicting agendas and short-termism hinder the full potential of strategic communications. While strategic thinkers strive to maintain their position, supporting and advisory communicators face the ongoing challenge of demonstrating their value and navigating conflicting priorities.
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