Storytelling involves trust inside an organization, but this can be one of the hardest things to accomplish. Employees need to be able to trust you enough to share the emotional aspects of their work. The more trust staff has with you, the more compelling the stories shared. The following are three points to consider when building internal trust within your agency:

1. Engage all levels in the process. Make staff feel vested. Work from the bottom up and engage all levels. Listen to all of the voices and give them a task in the campaign. Help staff see themselves as "ambassadors" of the department message.

2. Explain how it will benefit them. Everyone wants to know what's in it for them. For instance, will strengthening the internal and external agency image make  their work easier? Will it create more federal funding and donations for needed services? Will it increase morale thereby decreasing staff turnover? All of these benefits should be backed up with relevant data showing the far-reaching benefit of an effective storytelling campaign.

3. Take your time. Building trust is a process and doesn't happen overnight. Start by pitching out a few positive media stories and letting them take hold. Build on this goodwill to demonstrate the power of positive stories. Share examples of the stories you gather, so staff has a sense of what they should be looking for in their daily work.

​I don’t have to tell you that the world is a heavy place right now. Pile on the stresses of your average workday as a communications professional, organizational leader or business owner and you have a recipe for burnout. The last few years there have been a lot of articles, videos, posts, etc... about how to avoid burnout through meditation, exercising, sleeping enough, and eating right. That’s all great, but let’s talk about tips that are directly work-related and specific to what you do every day.

Here are some tips that have helped me, and I hope you find them useful!

• Prioritize the work in front of you. I don't know about you, but a lot of my work stress comes from trying to juggle too many projects at once. This is where I find my compulsive list-creating helpful. Every Friday, late afternoon (please don't do this on Sunday), I create a “to do” list for the next week. This includes every meeting/call/appointment I must do and only the projects I absolutely need to tackle for that week. For instance: write this blog post on burnout, take a call with Client A, etc. As I complete the tasks during the week, I check them off this list. This sounds simple, but there is nothing more satisfying than looking down at a list with everything crossed out.
• Find perspective. Did you really forget your agency’s name on that live spot on the 5 o’clock news? So your news release went out with a typo in the headline! Yeah, it’s annoying, but is it really the end of the world? In this fast-paced comms environment will anyone even notice? Believe me, it will be forgotten in 5 minutes. Analyze it for 10 minutes, write down a few ideas to do better next time and move on.
• What brings you joy in your work? Yes, let’s “Marie Kondo” this. If the well is dry on this one, force yourself to find at least one thing you like about your work. Is it telling stories? Is it the reward of problem solving? Or maybe it’s the fantastic work of a client or staff member you helped to media train. Find. Something. Look to re-spark the joy in your work by suggesting a new initiative or project that is proactive instead of reactive. It will give you something to work on in between crises.

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It's been a super-busy month for LMG Public Relations! First up was a summit session for the Public Relations Society of America Public Affairs and Government section. The theme was "Called To Serve" and isn't that the truth with public communicators? What I met was a group of very dedicated and engaged communications pros who are dedicated to serving their communities and learning more about best practices. The session focused on tips and strategies for how to tell their stories in a meaningful and relatable way. My main focus: Strip down the language, connect with your audience and build a messaging platform based on what I call "The Key 3." It was great to connect and feel the energy in the room! 

Next up was the National Association of Social Workers Conference in Washington, D.C. Thousands of social workers and advocates of social work from around the nation and globe attended this conference jam packed with interesting sessions. The theme? "The Time is Right for Social Work!" I had the honor of presenting (to a live and virtual audience!) on key messaging and how to tell their stories in an impactful way. I met so many dedicated professionals with empathy as their superpower and we all agreed that the time is right for social work! For more about our training, visit the Training Page!

​Once upon a time there was a strange and mysterious village. It stood isolated atop a large hill. It seemed scary, aloof, and detached from the rest of the kingdom.
 
But within this village was a magical place. It was a land full of possibility and service. It believed in redemption. Its work changed people’s lives.
 
This land’s influence in the overall kingdom was vast and far-reaching and its mayor and villagers were hardworking. But nobody had heard of this strange and mysterious land. Nobody in the kingdom knew that the help they were receiving was because of this mysterious land. Why?
 
Because the mayor and the villagers never talked about it.
 
Does this fairytale sound like your organization? You do good work that could benefit the community, and nobody knows about it? If yes, then you need to bring your org back into reality through a communications plan that is rooted in storytelling and anchored with key messages.
 
A good comms plan goes beyond branding or a slogan. It involves how your leadership, employees, and community partners talk about yourselves and the work you do. Using very specific, unifying, and powerful language to communicate about your values and work can serve as a safe harbor in times of crisis and help shape public policy to benefit your community.
 
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
•     If a stranger asks you what your work involves, could you describe it in one sentence, using simple language without using your job title or agency name?
•       If you had 30 seconds in an elevator and a stranger asked what you do, could you describe it in an impactful way they would really understand?
•       Could you tell me what you do without telling me what your job is?
•       Would everyone in your organization say the same thing?
 
If you answered no to any or all these questions, consider developing a comms plan that includes effective messaging about your org and the community it serves.

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.