I’m pleased to have been asked to run an internal communications session at the Charity Writing and Communications Training days at the Directory of Social Change again this year. I took part last year and it was great to have the opportunity to talk to people from a variety of organisations. Everyone was there to learn top tips on a whole range of communication disciplines and I was happy to help with my thoughts in internal comms.
My session last year got good feedback and I’d like to aim for the same positive impact this time around. At the same time, I’d like to update things and there’s always room for improvement. I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater though. Putting together a presentation for this year’s seminar gives me a chance to follow my own communications advice.
So I’m starting at the beginning and considering what I want the outcome of the session to be. What do I want people to walk away thinking, feeling and knowing that will help them improve internal communication at their organisation? And who do I mean by ‘people’? I already know that conference attendees are from a variety of charities and not-for-profits, but I’ve also asked the organisers for a list of people who sign up for my session. This will help me to understand more about them, by looking at the types of organisations they work for and the roles they do. Last year very few of my audience were in dedicated internal comms roles and had limited experience of the subject – that’s something I need to bear in mind when deciding how I will present.
The next step is to consider the messages that I need in my presentation to achieve the desired outcomes with the audience on the day. I only have one hour for the session, so I need to be focussed on what is best to include. It’s very tempting to try to fit too much in, because there’s so much to say, but ultimately that would not be as effective as keeping it simple and knowing they will walk away with some great ideas to put into action.
You can find out more about the conference, including all the other great talks and seminars, by visiting the website. If you’re there on the day, pop along to my session or to my stand in the networking area and say hello.
Until next time
Sarah