A new future

Many businesses have had to redesign the way they work overnight. With the Government restrictions and the move of services online they have faced the challenge of adapting to survive. We can see ingenuity, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit across many sectors. It is now vital for PR and communication teams to recognise they will need to find new models of working.

This goes beyond the issue of working remotely. Working from home just changes the venue for the work that you do, and it doesn’t necessarily change the nature of the work you do. So, what does it mean to redesign the model of communication support and how can it be achieved?

One thing that is already obvious is that the smaller the business the easier it is going to be to innovate and introduce new working methods. Larger organisations face the inevitable problems of the scale of what is required. But in the fight for survival the ability to transform quickly is going to be critical. The public sector faces a huge challenge after years of cuts new operating models have come but have taken years. In some cases this has been because change is given to a special group of people that takes it away from the business processes.

The future is uncertain. It always has been but we have become comfortable with the predictability of life. Now there needs to be brave thinking to find those new ways of working for PR and communication as much as other areas of business. It requires an empowered workforce who feel able to speak and are listened to. It requires a willingness to try new things and to do this quickly. It requires a detailed understanding of the business and of the systems, processes and data that underpin the PR and communication function.

This may feel like the last thing anyone wants to tackle when they are in the middle of dealing with the ongoing crisis. But now is the time to start to consider what this may mean for the organisation or businesses you support. How are they changing? What future operating models are they looking at? Start to consider what this means for PR and communication.

It is time to get that blank piece of paper and start to map out the future. Much is uncertain but what we do know is the need to change, adapt, develop and deliver at speed will be critical.