Your communications team is bigger than you think

Most organizations hire a communications person (or team) to handle their external communications and marketing. You know, things like the website, social media, email newsletters, the annual report, and maybe some press releases. Communications is often seen as a separate function dedicated to these traditional communication channels.

The thing is that everyone who works for your organization is a communicator – whether they like it or not. Is your Executive Director giving a speech? That’s communications. Is one of your program staff meeting with a partner? That’s communications too. Is a board member talking to a friend about his involvement in your organization? Yep, that’s also communications. When anyone associated with your organization speaks to someone about the organization, they are doing communications work for your organization.

Because they are all communicating on behalf of the organization, all employees, board members, and even followers should be prepared and empowered to do so. This will help them be more articulate, focused, and compelling in their communications. If they aren’t prepared, then you run the risk of muddling your messages, misrepresenting your organization, and missing opportunities to garner support for your organizations.

So what can you do to empower your colleagues to be effective messengers? You can make sure they:

• Are comfortable talking about your organization.
• Understand the organization’s goals and needs.
• Have the tools they need to communicate successfully.
• Know where to go for help with communications activities.

This will ensure they are all on message, communicating clearly, and proactive when they have questions or need assistance.