8 lessons communicators learned in 2021

The value of communications has never been clearer than it has this year. Specifically, leaders relied on their comms pros to move their organizations from a state of constant crisis communications towards more stable, reliable messaging.

Here are eight communications practices that will serve you well in 2022:

1. Collaborate and cooperate.

Stop thinking of HR and Legal as the twin princes of darkness, and make them your partners in effective communications. No department is an island; embrace these colleagues to tell your best stories and deliver consistent messages to internal and external audiences. Move together or you won’t move at all.

2. Adapt or perish.

Whether you launched a new intranet, developed an employer branding campaign or a thought leadership strategy for your CEO, you likely had to change your original blueprint to account for all that has been happening in our world, from COVID-19 and social unrest to hybrid work and “The Great Resignation.” Resiliency at its finest.

3. Data, the new influencer.

Just as our colleagues in IT, marketing and sales are held to their numbers, communicators need a strong measurement plan that delivers metrics for quick decision making. At least if you want to keep your seat at the table.