In an ideal world, of course, communications would have a seat at the executive table. No question.
(And internal comms teams would be worshipped like gods… but that’s a story for another day.)
But the reality? Many organisations still don’t get the true value of communication as a risk mitigator. And while we wait for common sense to prevail, we need a workaround.
An effective Plan B.
A practical way? Build a culture of internal engagement. Rather than pushing for a seat at the table, focus on a structure that brings people to your table.
Enter the Internal Engagement Group – your very own “A-Team.” In my day, I called it a “Communications Advisory Panel.”
A cross-functional team that will be your golden key. It will deliver access to the business areas that matter most – executive, HR, IT, legal and governance, risk.
And best of all, it positions comms as an enabler, not a messenger.
With the right mix of key stakeholders, your A-Team can:
👍 Align calendars to avoid comms clashes or competing priorities
👍 Ensure consistency, clarity and buy-in across messaging
👍 Spot risks and surface opportunities early
👍 Streamline reviews and feedback for campaigns
Use your Head of Comms as the group’s chair, and treat each session like a board meeting. Come prepared with an agenda that looks at owned, earned, paid and shared channels both individually and collectively.
Think of it like painting a landscape: you need to see both the detail and the big picture.
And remember to talk about measurement. What actually worked? What didn’t? What did we learn in terms of outputs and outcomes? Where there unintended consequences?
Over time, this group will prove the value of strategic communication and, as it becomes clearer, so too will your path to the decision-making table.
Then, you won’t need to demand a seat. You’ll be invited.
