4 Tips for Facing Your Comms Fears

Are you afraid of what people are saying about you? One of the hardest things to do when planning your organizational communications is listening to what people are saying about you. I’m not talking about the glowing reviews. I’m talking about the bad stuff people are saying, internally and externally. It’s rough, and in the public sector it’s a high percentage of what you hear. A lot of it isn’t deserved. In my professional experience, a huge portion of the negative chatter is because of a lack of education about what you do, what you provide and who you are. Your narrative isn’t out there. You’re afraid to speak the truth or can’t always speak because of legal confinements.
 
But confronting your fears about negativity, and speaking about what you can, will ultimately empower you and your organization. It helps to start viewing the negative as a positive. I know this is difficult, but the negative chatter is a vehicle for learning. It can give you insight into how your policies, procedures and staff help to shape perception. Beginning to confront these perceptions and providing a narrative that educates about the real, complex work you do and the people who do it, should be the first step in your communications planning. But first, you must face your fears.
 
Here are four tips:

• Start by asking insightful questions and listening to everything – the good, the bad and the ugly.
• Approach your audience with humility. Listen sincerely and empathetically.
• Separate the criticism from your own emotions. It’s not personal, it’s business.
• Evaluate the issues that come up often through the listening process. Are there common themes? Those are the truest,  most valid concerns that should be addressed first. 

By starting the process of facing your fears, you can begin to create a comms plan that helps address many of the issues that might come up in the future and ultimately build a stronger and more effective workforce and agency.