In a world of GDPR and AI it is very easy to lose sight of what is important. We are all busy people with a long list of things to do, boxes to tick and tasks to achieve. The modern communicator needs to have many skills and to know everything from media relations and the latest digital developments through to data protection and behavioural change. It is no easy ride.
At the heart of what we do is something that is incredibly straightforward and that is people.
People are what matters whether they are customers, supporters, staff or service users. The world is what it is both good and bad because of people. People make decisions, people run businesses, and people make plans.
As communicators, especially those in the public sector, the focus is often on delivering the work required and doing it on time. We want to be supporting the organisation and of course that word reputation rears its head again. But we have to look beyond that.
If you analyse it PR is about the public or in other words people. The work we do should have people at the centre. We should be considering what they need, think and want. For me it means thinking about victims and their families and making decisions based on them.
We must relegate to history the approach which sees communicators taking action purely for the benefit of the business. Forget people and you are forgetting what you are there to do. Public sector communication is a privilege to be involved with. We are part of the work to provide services for people. So we must now ensure we are putting people first in our planning and decision making.
I would love to see a conference or awards event that put the focus on attention to people rather than the organisation.
Amandacomms's Blog 