“We need a blog!” “We should be on Facebook!” Far too often, these are the first words that set an organization barreling down the road to participation in social media whether or not they’re actually ready. By focusing on the tools instead of the underlying strategy, many organizations have stumbled out of the social gate and ended up face-planting in full view of the curious public.
Great opinion piece in this morning’s Globe.
How did this happen? Can the average Canadian take back freedom of expression without fear of career or social retribution and shunning? Is it possible to nurture a more genuine political and social discourse or will we be forever doomed to repeat regurgitated pleasantries and clichés and obfuscate facts in order not to offend?
The idea that overused jargon is a symptom of a greater underlying problem interests me. I fully admit that I too have been dragged down the buzzword spiral. I think it’s something on which communications folk have to walk a fine line , especially when working in a client service environment. Even if it kills me to say things like “this initiative will really push the envelope,” there is something of an expectation that comms people will speak their clients’ language.
Ironic, given that we’re hired because of our language expertise.
NB: Finally got around to posting this, a few weeks after first starting the draft.
A dear colleague and friend of mine bemoaned recently on Twitter that his “biggest weakness as a manager is forgetting that some people take their writing very personally. [He] tend[s] to be a harsh and curt editor.”
This struck a nerve with me because as a communications guy, writing is one of the biggest parts of my job and I’ve long ago had to learn that to succeed in this industry, you have to be able to accept harsh and curt edits.
Writing for corporate clients is much, much different than writing for yourself. You can’t take criticism personally because it is not personal writing. You may be the most brilliant wordsmith on the planet but if the client or (in many cases) the client service rep / account exec doesn’t see the client’s message reflected in what you wrote, you didn’t do your job well.
Writing for someone else is a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, a writer brings a unique set of skills and talents to the process. But coming at things from a writer’s standpoint does not give you the exclusive ability to communicate the message. In a typical shop, the account exec is better positioned to understand the client’s needs than you are. Even in positions like mine (an in-house comms specialist reporting directly to the Executive Director and President), there are political and strategic implications that the lowly comms guy might not know or fully grasp.
When I studied journalism at Carleton, there were many, many people in my classes that said they got into journalism because they love writing. More often than not, these were the same people that took editing poorly. Because people who love writing tend to love writing for themselves; writing for an audience is a different beast entirely.
A good communications professional, be it a writer, editor or whatever else, has to understand that communications is a multi-disciplinary occupation that is part of a grander process. When I tell people what I do for a living they often say “oh, so you write stuff?” Well, sort of. But I also listen a lot. I think a lot. I research a lot. And I try to position what I write in the greater context of what is being said and what is being heard.
It takes practice and it takes humility. Sometimes what I would write isn’t what my clients or my bosses would write. And I have to find the common ground, all the while being mindful of what the audience needs to read.
I am a firm believer in the power of a story. I think the art of spinning a tale is fading too fast, frankly, so it is always refreshing to find people that still know how to do it.
Chris Mason is a friend of mine from my Carleton days. I first became acquainted with his ability to tell a story when he accompanied me on a somewhat random “research trip” for a historical geography course. We traced the path of settlers in Eastern Ontario who left their homelands in search of free land and a better life on the ill-conceived Opeongo settlement road northwest of Ottawa. Granted, we did it in a Suzuki Aerio, not on foot, but it was a fun afternoon and we passed the time between landmarks telling stories and generally enjoying each other’s company.
Fast forwarding a bit and Chris is now working in Africa after a brief but impressive stint with the New York Times‘ Toronto desk.
He is blogging about his experiences here - and I encourage you to add it to your feed readers or blogrolls. Chris has a marvellous way with words and his blog manages to make you laugh and cry in the same post.
I’ve added the first project page to 42 Points – the Complete Whibbler’s Guide to Canadian History. This is a project I first dreamed up over Christmas, after reading a fantastic book called “The Areas of My Expertise” by John Hodgman.
It’s probably the closest I will ever come to writing fiction, which may come as a surprise to those who know my love of whibbling, but I usually prefer scathing social commentaries or wandering musings when I put pen to paper (digitally speaking).
There’s plenty more explanation on the Whibbler’s Guide page, so mosey on over there now.
