Do you want to be less of a ‘doer’ and more of a manager or strategic adviser?
It’s tricky, isn’t it?
There’s always plenty of comms work to do, deadlines are normally tight and resources are often scarce.
But the value of comms work is often more in the advice we provide than the fact we can be relied upon to finish tasks.
Comms professionals spot risk and protect reputations. They are the ones who ask ‘is it true’ and question whether claims stand up to scrutiny.
And they know how to reach different audiences and help organisations meet objectives.
But it is not easy to do that when you are always completing tasks.
This was something I discussed with Michelle Nichols, the former head of communications at Thames Valley Police, in a media training blog last year.
She said: “It is about that mindset of moving from being a ‘doer’ or a task finisher to a comms adviser. Because that is actually what comms people are for and where we add value.
“You can write well or have design attributes, but there are lots of people who can do that. It is the advisory bit that is important.
“If comms teams want to be effective, they must get comfortable with pushing back, managing expectations, and not being afraid to have challenging conversations in the right way.”
How do you make that change?
Well, help is at hand. The next exclusive masterclass for members of The Media Team Academy focuses on moving from doer to manager. And the skills comms professionals need to make that happen.
Ahead of that session, I caught up with Kirsty Waite, a leadership and management coach at The BCF Group, to get a sneak preview of what it will cover.
“I think a big challenge with this is that just because people don’t have direct line reports, they think they don’t manage,” Kirsty said.
“But really, you are managing all the time.
“If you need people to do a media interview, for example, that involves managing spokespeople and time.
“The skills you need to do it are ones people use every day, regardless of whether they are a line manager, are leading a project or a piece of work.”
During the masterclass, Kirsty and Dan Boniface, another trainer at The BCF Group, will focus on these crucial skills:
- Communication
- Delegation / time management
- Managing expectations
- Agility
- Problem-solving
“The skills we are exploring around this are not ground-breaking,” Kirsty said.
“But it is about using them effectively to manage a situation or person. And intentionally developing these skills.
“We naturally assume people who are good at the doing will be good at managing. But it is a skill set you need to be intentionally taught.
“Just because you are good at writing an article doesn’t mean you are good at managing the rest of the team who contribute to getting it published.
“When people are put into a management role, whether it is managing a team or a project, they don’t always understand the different skills required. They don’t go out and get support on them or explore how to use them.
“But if you don’t do that, you’ll find it hard and will struggle to get people to deliver. And, potentially, you will end up doing it all yourself.”
So, what’s the first step for a comms professional looking to move from doer to manager?
“It is about awareness and perspectives,” Kirsty said.
“If someone gave me the responsibility of managing the team producing articles, rather than just writing them myself, I need to be aware of what is involved in the process and who else is included.
“Once you have that perspective, it is using those core skills we’ve highlighted to manage the situation.
“When you are a doer, you are head down and your focus is on getting your task done. You don’t think about talking to the person down the corridor who needs to get their bit done in a couple of days to enable you to get the project rolling. You don’t have that over-arching view.
“You need to get your head up, take a step back and think ‘these are the people involved, how am I going to manage all these different pieces, and how will they impact each other?’
“We are talking about self-awareness and emotional intelligence and how we can move from a silo vision to a wider one.
“And you have to understand how you can be effective at doing your bit and getting others to do their parts.
But is it harder to make the move from doer to manager if you don’t have a leadership role?
“When we think about managing without authority, it is a bit more difficult,” Kirsty admitted.
“But I don’t think it is as hard as people make out. It is about having the right skill set so the cogs are moving in the wheel.
“If you are a manager and you tell someone to do something, they do it because it is part of their job.
“But, regardless of role, if you are managing the situation, the person and the project effectively, everyone should understand what is required of them. And everyone knows what they should be doing.
“It is about open conversations, problem-solving collaboratively and transparency.”
I wondered about the role confidence plays in this. Is it easier to keep your head down and complete the task if you lack it?
“For me, confidence comes with competence,” she said.
“That means knowing how to do your job and its requirement. And if you are competent at it, that naturally brings confidence.
“People often use ‘confidence’ to describe people who are brave, vocal and forward in saying what they think.
“But for me, it is about being competent so you can talk about what you should be doing and have conversations about managing expectations.”
You can hear more from Kirsty on moving from doer to manager, and the skills needed to do it, on Thursday (27/10) – if you are a member of The Media Team Academy.
If you’re not yet a member, we can fix that for you.
Drop us a line at hello@mediafirst.co.uk or give us a call on 0118 9180530 and ask to speak to someone about signing up for The Media Team Academy.
And if you sign-up now, we’ll add a free month to your membership of the learning and development programme.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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